Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Muhammad V arrives at the opening of the first session of the 14th Parliament in Kuala Lumpur July 17, 2018. ― Picture by Azneal Ishak

KUALA LUMPUR, July 17 ― The Pakatan Harapan (PH) government's initiative to abolish the goods and services tax (GST) and publicly disclose the country's real financial position received the support of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong today.

In his royal address at the opening of the first session of the 14th Parliament, Sultan Muhammad V said he also appreciates the public's contribution to the Tabung Harapan fund to help the government pay off its RM1 trillion debt and liabilities.

“We welcome the government's efforts to enhance transparency, among others, by fully disclosing the government's financial position and re-evaluating expenditures, as well as practicing prudent financial management.

“In order to curb the rising cost of living, we support the move to abolish GST, as well as to stabilise fuel prices and to extend the Bantuan Sara Hidup, so as to ease the people's burden.

“We also applaud the people from all walks of life, for their show of patriotism, by donating to Tabung Harapan,” Sultan Muhammad said.

The monarch then urged all MPs to participate in the mid-term review of the 11th Malaysia Plan (11 RMP).

On July 2, Economic Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali said the mid-term review will be presented to Parliament on October 18.

While the review is customarily tabled in July, Azmin said the Cabinet allowed the deferral on the grounds that the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition only became the new federal government in May.

“Our government will continue the implementation of various programmes and projects to ensure that the people, including in Sabah and Sarawak can reap the benefits of development,” Sultan Muhammad added.

He also expressed hope that the PH administration would address issues such as global uncertainty, political conflicts, humanitarian crises as well as the threat of radicalism, which he said have “significant repercussions on the world's geopolitics an economies.”

The Agong also wanted the government to address challenges arising from the fast-approaching fourth industrial revolution, by formulating policies and strategies that will also consider the social impact of the development.

“We hope that the newly-elected government will bring more success in various fields that have been achieved to date.

“Championing the rights of the marginalised groups should not be looked upon as discrimination, but an effort to establish social justice, that is long overdue,” he added.