Should GST be removed from medical bills?

The GST is a very insensitive and blunt tool to collect taxes for the govt. But this does not necessarily mean that it has to be blunt and crude and all inclusive. The GST can be fine tuned in many ways to be more humane, compassionate and merciful in its application. Those who choose to support a one size fits all GST are just not willing to be flexible and can even be very mean or even wicked to take this kind of position.

One very glaring example of the inhumane application of GST is medical bills. The taxpayers are already sick, some very sick, some dying, and the Govt thinks it is alright to charge them GST. And the more serious is the illness, the more expensive is the medical bill, the greater will the sick have to pay for GST. A $1m medical bill will fetch a $70k GST or a half a million dollar bill will be $35k in GST. Is this the proper and morally right thing to do, to feast on the sick and the very sick?

Then the taxes on essential items like food and essential services. Maybe using more electricity or water would not make people squirm when they have to pay GST on them. What about food, like rice, sugar and salt? What about milk powder for the babies and baby food, when babies are so precious and so costly to bring up? Baby food is by no means cheap and the added GST is no small sum. The Govt’s explanation is that it could redistribute the GST collected to the needies. What a big bull. The amount collected could be the same tax the needies paid as GST. Or many could have fallen through the net and did not get any rebates from the Govt. Some would not qualify because of the stringent criteria when they really need it. The returning of GST to benefit the poor is a very grey area and the efficiency of seeing those who need the handouts is often found wanting.

There are many specific goods and services that GST could be refined and targeted. The rich that are willing to splurge on their elaborate funeral expenses needless to say would not mind paying GST for them. But why are the small people who just want to pay for the last rite with their little money or borrowed money made to pay GST? May be the service providers are GST exempt and we do not know.

There is no excuse to treat GST like a big wet blanket. It must be trimmed to fit some clear cut cases like medical and essential goods and services. Super talented millionaire ministers and civil servants would have no problems coming up with an acceptable and equitable and flexible GST policy on what need not be taxed.

Lee Li Lian to represent WP in Punggol East

Lee Li Lian was the candidate for Punggol East in the last GE and garnered 41% against Michael Palmer. She is now standing again to take on Koh Poh Koon in the by election. It must be a tough decision for WP but a very sensible one. She had walked the ground and is not new to the voters. She only needs a 5% swing to win this race.

And this is a very critical by election for both the WP and PAP. It will signal where the wind will blow in the next GE.

Punggol East – The battle of internet

Two more days to nomination day and internet is in a flurry of activities. The Opposition camp, particularly those that wanted a multi corner fight to undermine WP’s chances are getting a bollocking from the netizens. Nothing much heard in the main media on this matter. And now with straw poll an offence, no one is going to know what is the true ground feel.

Then there is the internet brigade in full force charging around everywhere trying to support a multi corner fight. Some specifically support one or another opposition party to compete against the WP. This gives the impression that having a multi corner fight is perfectly ok. It could also be read by the shallow minded opposition candidates that the ground is really rooting for them to come forward. And it looks like they are taking the bait, that they have supporters urging them on.

So it is likely that there will be at least a 3 corner fight. Luckily the thinking one like Benjamin Pwee has withdrawn, knowing what the odds are and the real situation on the ground. We need more sensible opposition leaders like Benjamin and those in NSP and SPP to hold the fort with the WP to launch a serious assault on the invincible fortress.

The voters must also read the mess of information and misinformation in the internet carefully and not be misled.

Another gang rape in India

While the sensational brutal rape and murder trial is still going on, another 6 men gang rapists were caught in the act. And this is definitely not the only case as many were not reported. How many of these women have fallen victims to such heinous crime by animals walking on two legs whose animal lust cannot be restrained?

What were more disgusting were the comments by religious leaders and politicians that it was all the fault of the women. They were blaming the women for their dressing, short skirts, and their flirtation with the men. The women were bringing rape upon themselves. It seemed that it was perfectly alright for the men to rape the women, to release their lust on them. This is only natural if one is to know that a few hundred politicians have been charged for similar offences and still being voted into parliament.

The sexual urge is not limited to the poor and hungry but also to the rich and powerful. India needs a revolution to rid such medieval thinking and primate instinct. But it is easier said than done. The men will keep on lusting after the women as objects of desire, to be taken and even beaten to death.

Would this kind of thinking take root in Sin City with so many foreigners here? I know that this is a touchy subject.

PS: The mother of the dead victim wanted all the rapist to be hanged.

Mass opposition rally in Kuala Lumpur

Hundreds of thousands of supporters turned out at the rally organised by Pakatan Rakyat alliance led by Anwar Ibrahim. It was the biggest political rally in recent time by an opposition party and approved by the police or UMNO led govt. Najib can take credit for this liberalisation of the political scene.

What was equally remarkable was that it was a very peaceful rally without violence. Credit must also go to Anwar and his supporters. Now the big question, why was there no violence? Why was there always violence when the police were around? Get the picture? Could it be a possibility that the cause of violence in mass rally is actually the police? Or could it be that the violence was initiated by outside forces that wanted to make the rally promoters and supporters look bad, as the cause of violence?

Who are the real provocateurs that caused violence in mass rallies? The truth is best explained why yesterday’s rally was all calm. The provocateurs were reigned in and not allowed to cause violence to give the police a chance to attack the peaceful demonstrators. This is a possible theory.