UMNO leaders call for Malaysia to restore GST

Leaders within the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) are calling for the reintroduction of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in Malaysia, arguing it is more transparent and efficient than the current Sales and Service Tax (SST).

UMNO President Ahmad Zahid Hamidi advocated for the restoration of GST at a reasonable rate to strengthen social protection, facilitate business operations, and support regional economic development. He suggested the government should listen to public sentiment regarding the tax structure.

Similarly, UMNO Youth Chief Akmal Saleh urged the government to return to the GST system, suggesting it could even be rebranded as ‘Madani Tax’ to align with the current administration's branding. These calls follow Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s previous statements that the government is open to studying reforms that might combine elements of both GST and SST to create a more progressive taxation system.