State govt strives to soften impact of GST — Abd Karim

April 1, 2015

Abdul Karim (centre) at the awareness seminar hosted by the ministry and Sheda.

MIRI: The state government will continue to monitor and look for ways to minimise the impact of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on the housing sector.

Assistant Minister of Housing Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said among the things under scrutiny by the government would be capital contribution and imposed levy.

“The government will look into the mentioned matters so as to set prices down by improving all the mechanisms involved in housing purchases,” he said at the launch of a seminar conducted by the ministry and Sarawak Housing and Real Estate Developers Association (Sheda) here yesterday, which was attended by some 100 participants.

Abdul Karim said although some building materials would cost more under GST, housing developers must not unnecessarily increase property prices.

“House prices in Sarawak, especially in major towns, are already deemed to be unaffordable, particularly by those from the lower income group.

“Therefore, housing players should not take advantage of GST by profiteering from it.”

He further said although GST might lead to a certain increase in house prices, no one could predict how much it would be until the implementation of GST got into full swing.

Chong trying to pit me against Abang Johari - Karim

March 16, 2015

SIBU: Assistant Minister of Youth Development Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said both his and Housing Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg’s comments on prices of houses after the implementation of Goods and Services Tax (GST) have been taken out of context.

“I am amused by YB Chong’s (Chieng Jen) remark on Datuk Amar Abang Johari’s comment and mine on GST, which he claims to show differences.

“As I have always said before, DAP will find fault in anything you say and even if there’s none, he will create one and distort your comment.

Sheda hosts first Home and Property Roadshow 2015

March 7, 2015

Abdul Karim (centre) is seen with Wong (third right) and Ngui (fifth left) holding the ribbon cutting ceremony to officiate the opening of Sheda Home and Property Roadshow 2015 at Boulevard Shopping Mall, Kuching, while Sheda committee and council members look on.

KUCHING: Sarawak Housing and Real Estate Developers’ Association (Sheda) is holding its first Sheda Home and Property Roadshow for 2015 at Boulevard Shopping Mall, Kuching.

The event will be held this weekend from March 6 to 8, 2015 and will be open daily from 10am to 9pm.

Officiating the event yesterday, Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, Assistant Minister of Housing Sarawak, said the roadshow is an ideal place for interested parties to view various properties.

He also believed that there is a growing demand for residential properties, given Sarawak’s economy which has spurred a rapid growth of housing estates throughout the state.

On the implementation of the goods and services tax (GST) next month, Abdul Karim noted that while the increment in property prices is expected, the hike will likely not be very significant.

Concurring this, Sheda Kuching branch chairman and organising chairman of Sheda Home and Property Roadshow 2015, Dr Christopher Ngui said, “It is reckoned that house prices are on an uptrend due to annual inflation, increasing land prices, labour and building materials costs, rural-urban migration, and population growth.”

“It is notable that there is a vacuum in the affordable homes with the price range of RM150,000 to RM300,000.

Abdul Karim chides Azmin for turning GST into an issue

March 4, 2015

SIBU: Assistant Minister of Youth Development, Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah blasted Selangor Menteri Besar Mohamed Azmin Ali for turning the soon to be implemented Goods and Services Tax (GST) into an issue.

Abdul Karim, who is Asajaya assemblyman, asserted that GST was not a new tax system.

“It’s been used in more then 160 countries in the world and has been proven to be a fair and good tax system.

“Azmin must have run short of ideas to use the GST as an issue. GST is just replacing an existing Sales and Service Tax (SST) system which imposes higher overall tax then the GST,” he told The Borneo Post yesterday.

He was reacting to Azmin’s statement that PKR’s stand was that there should not be any tax that could burden the people.

Azmin had called for GST to be abolished for the benefit of the needy, including those in Sarawak.

Abdul Karim pointed out it was pointless to create fear among the public by demonising the new tax system.

Galeri: Majlis Penutupan Seminar GST Dalam Sektor Perumahan

January 20, 2015

Spekulasi harga rumah naik, orang ramai diseru bijak buat keputusan

October 18, 2014

KUCHING: Kementerian Perumahan Sarawak mengambil kira kebimbangan mengenai pelaksanaan Cukai Barangan dan Perkhidmatan (GST) pada 1 April 2015, selepas pihak tertentu dalam sektor perumahan tempatan membuat spekulasi bahawa harga rumah akan naik dan menasihatkan orang ramai untuk membeli rumah sekarang sebelum GST dilaksanakan.

Sehubungan itu, Menteri Muda Perumahan Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah menasihatkan orang ramai yang ingin membeli rumah agar berhati-hati dalam membuat keputusan ekoran kenyataan sedemikian.

Ini kerana, katanya, peningkatan permintaan yang mendadak bagi rumah sebelum pelaksanaan GST boleh juga menyebabkan harga rumah terus naik sedangkan impak GST ke atas harga rumah masih belum diketahui.

“Orang ramai perlu memahami bagaimana GST berfungsi sebelum membuat keputusan membeli rumah sebelum 1 April atau selepas GST dilaksanakan,” katanya menerusi satu kenyataan, kelmarin.

Menurut Karim, orang ramai harus faham bahawa rumah adalah dikecualikan daripada GST tetapi input, bahan dan perkhidmatan untuk membina rumah tertakluk kepada GST sebanyak enam peratus.

Beliau menambah, orang ramai juga harus maklum tanah untuk perumahan dan kos pembiayaan dikecualikan daripada cukai.

Selain itu, katanya, beberapa bahan binaan seperti jubin, perkakasan sanitari dan pemasangan pada waktu ini tertakluk kepada cukai jualan 10 peratus.

Dont Panic! Understand GST, potential house buyers urged — Karim

October 17, 2014

KUCHING: The public should understand how the Goods and Services Tax (GST) works before making a decision to buy houses before April 1 next year or after its implementation.

This advice came from Assistant Housing Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, who urged house buyers to exercise caution and not to panic as that might cause property prices to increase.

The Asajaya assemblyman also urged housing developers to play their part by not taking advantage of the situation but try to mitigate the impact.

“Take the case of the Australian situation when GST was introduced in the year 2000. People rushed to buy properties and developers rushed to complete their projects as they expected prices to increase post GST.

“As a result of this sudden increase in demand, developers ended up paying higher prices for materials and services and this was passed on to purchasers in the form of higher property prices.”

“However six to nine months after GST, prices of properties dropped due to soft property market,” he said yesterday.

First of all, he added, it should be understood that residential properties are exempted from GST even though the inputs, materials and services for their construction are subject to six per cent GST.

Budget helps cushion impact of GST — Abdul Karim

October 11, 2014

KUCHING: The emphasis of Budget 2015 is on reducing the burden of the people to mitigate the impact of the implementation of Goods and Services Tax (GST) next April.

Assistant Housing Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the exemption of more than 500 essential goods from GST should lower the price of these items.

“The issue that was most obvious in the tabling of the Budget was to ease the people’s anxiety over the rise of essential goods in light to the introduction of GST from April next year.

“Exemption on items such as cooking oil, meat, eggs, flour, which are basic daily needs is good news and very encouraging. Budget 2015 is people oriented, focusing on their needs,” he told reporters at his home at Jalan Astana near here, when commenting on Budget 2015 tabled by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak yesterday.

Abdul Karim, also Assistant Youth Development (Urban) Minister, was happy the bulk of allocations were to be channelled to developing public infrastructure such as roads, health facilities, water and electric supply.

He also highlighted the Youth Housing Scheme which will see household income eligibility of applicants increased to RM10,000. The programme is open to 20,000 units of houses on a first-come first-serve basis.

On top of this, successful applicants would also be provided with a monthly repayment subsidy of RM200 for the first two years.

GST tidak harus dilihat punca utama harga rumah naik

June 13, 2014

SIBU: Orang ramai tidak harus melihat pelaksanaan Cukai Barangan dan Perkhidmatan (GST) yang akan dilaksanakan mulai tahun depan sebagai punca utama kenaikan harga rumah di negeri ini.

Menteri Muda Perumahan Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah berkata, pihak tertentu harus lebih berhati-hati mengeluarkan kenyataan terutama berkaitan dengan GST dan harga rumah.

“Jangan lihat pelaksanaan dan kesan GST ini sebagaimana pihak pembangkang melihatnya. Kaji terlebih dahulu bagaimana GST ini berfungsi baharu kita boleh memberi pandangan,” ujarnya ketika dihubungi, semalam.

Abdul Karim berkata demikian ketika memberi maklum balas mengenai kenyataan Setiausaha Agung Persatuan Pemaju Perumahan dan Hartanah Sarawak (SHEDA) Sim Kian Chiok yang disiarkan sebuah akhbar tempatan, kelmarin.

Sim dipetik berkata, GST dilihat memberi kesan kepada kos pembinaan atau pembangunan, yang turut mendatangkan kesan kepada harga rumah.

GST rally to sow seeds of hatred against government – Abdul Karim

May 3, 2014

SIBU: The opposition and organisers of the protest against Goods and Services Tax (GST) are already pre-empting that prices of goods and cost of living are going up, even before its implementation.

Asajaya assemblyman Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah who observed this said he believed the rally was an attempt to sow seeds of hatred and distrust towards the government.

“The fact that 160 countries have already imposed GST without much hassle and outcry shows that GST is a good tax system,” Abdul Karim, who is Assistant Minister of Youth Development, told The Borneo Post yesterday.

He added that he could understand if this protest was held when the imposition of GST had clearly shown prices of goods were going up, causing a burden.

As such, he opined that the protest was nothing more than an opposition demonstration under disguise of a protest against the GST.

“I am sure majority of those who attended the gathering are opposition supporters.

“When I see the pictures of the front liners in the gathering, I can see they seem well prepared for ‘battle’ with the authority.

Karim bidas pembangkang bantah GST

April 10, 2014

KUCHING: Menteri Muda Pembangunan Belia Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah membidas sikap ahli parti-parti pembangkang yang membantah pelaksanaan Cukai Barangan dan Perkhidmatan (GST) baru-baru ini.

Bantahan itu diadakan pada 7 April ketika Dewan Rakyat meluluskan Rang Undang-undang GST yang menyaksikan ahli-ahli Parlimen pembangkang membawa sepanduk membantah.

“Penerimaan dan penggunaan GST di 160 negara di dunia adalah manifestasi bahawa sistem ini adalah yang terbaik.

“Saya hairan mengapa Pakatan Rakyat membantah tanpa melakukan penyelidikan terperinci kebaikan dan keburukan sesuatu sistem baharu,” katanya ketika diminta mengulas mengenai reaksi ahli-ahli parti pembangkang.

Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak semasa membentangkan Belanjawan 2014 menyatakan bahawa GST akan dilaksanakan pada April 2015 dengan pengenalan caj sebanyak enam peratus menggantikan Cukai Jualan dan Perkhidmatan.

Abdul Karim berkata lagi, kerajaan mengakui pada peringkat awal pelaksanaan kelak mungkin akan ada banyak kekeliruan dan mungkin ada pekedai yang akan mencuba mengambil kesempatan untuk menaikkan harga atas alasan membayar cukai GST.

“Tapi kalau kita selidik secara mendalam pada masa sekarang pun pekedai perlu bayar cukai yang melebihi jumlah enam peratus dan kalau mengikut kiraan normal, harga barangan sepatutnya menurun dengan kaedah cukai GST ini,” ujarnya.

Azmin, please look at countries implementing GST

November 1, 2013

SIBU: Goods and Services Tax (GST) is a system adopted by almost 200 countries worldwide, Assistant Minister of Youth Development and Asajaya assemblyman Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said yesterday.

“Had the tax system been counter-productive, it would not have been adopted by a majority of countries in the world, whether developed or undeveloped,” he pointed out.

“GST is implemented in 160 countries in the world…definitely, there will be hitches here and there when it is implemented come 2015. But Malaysians would soon adjust themselves to this new system,” he said.

He was reacting to Gombak MP Azmin Ali who had said that Malaysia was seen as not ready to implement the new tax because more than 40 per cent of the people had household income of less than RM2,500 a month, with 80 per cent being Malays and Bumiputras.

Azmin was reported by Bernama as saying that GST would squeeze the low income earners and the poor.

He said the government must take a leaf from developed nations which only implemented GST after their tax infrastructure were strong and income taxes were reduced to avoid burdening the people.

Meanwhile, Kapit MP Datuk Alexander Nanta Linggi said: “I do agree with YB Azmin, MP Gombak. That the current tax infrastructure must be strengthened and consolidated so that the tax system is efficient and only hit the right target and objectives.

2014 Budget provides new economic platform

October 26, 2013

“Overall, the Budget is to intensify development without increasing the burden of the people in nation-building." -Tuan Haji Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah

KUCHING: Malaysia is on a new economy platform with the tabling of the RM264.2 billion 2014 Budget, themed “Strengthening Economic Resilience, Transformation and Implement Empowering Promise”, by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak in the Parliament, yesterday.

To face global political and economic uncertainties, Najib, who is also Finance Minister, said the 2014 Budget highlighted five thrusts, namely, invigorating economic activity, strengthening fiscal management, inculcating excellence in human capital, intensifying urban and rural development, and ensuring the well-being of the people.

New Sarawak Tribune yesterday contacted several federal and state ministers and State Assemblymen for their comments on the 2014 Budget, and all of them gave the thumbs up to the budget.

Deputy Home Minister Datuk Dr Haji Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said that in the last lapse of Vision 2020 by which time the country would achieve a developed nation status. 

“The eight thrusts to achieve this through development and enhancement of the development of all the Development corridors throughout the country through infrastructure development.”

“Every aspect of service sector is given emphasis in the infrastructure development and this will enhance the tourism and shipping industries,” he said.

Junaidi said the focus on the development of the agriculture industry from all aspects, from the ground to the table, would ensure food security and non-reliance on import. 

Lihat pelaksanaan GST dari sudut positif

October 26, 2013

KUCHING: Lihat pelak­sanaan Cukai Barang dan Perkhidmatan (GST) dari sudut positif dan bukan semata-mata hendak mem­bantah.

Menteri Muda Perumahan Datuk Abdul Karim Rah­man Hamzah berkata, orang ramai akan lebih berhemah dalam berbelanja terutama ketika memilih barangan atau perkhidmatan bersifat kehendak dan keperluan.

“Saya percaya rakyat se­lepas satu ketika pelak­sanaan GST akan dapat menyesuaikan diri dengan kaedah percukaian baharu yang diperkenalkan kerajaan pada tahun 2015 kelak,” katanya ketika dihubungi susulan pembentangan Bajet 2014 semalam.

Abdul Karim berkata, pelaksanaan GST juga pada peringkat permulaan tid­ak membabitkan beberapa barangan dan perkhidmatan yang digunakan oleh keban­yakan orang.

Katanya, sudah tiba masa bagi Malaysia memperkenal­kan GST apabila kebanyakan negara di dunia termasuk yang maju telah lama melak­sanakannya.

“Ia bukan satu perkara baharu, malah ia telah cuba diperkenalkan kerajaan kira-kira 10 tahun sebelum ini.

“Ini adalah cara yang dikenal pasti kerajaan dapat mening­katkan keberkesanan sistem percukaian,” katanya.