Did Lim Guan Eng raise SST concerns before or after the Sabah election?

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Lim Guan Eng Raised SST Concerns Prior to the Sabah State Election

Lim Guan Eng has asserted that his criticisms regarding the expanded Sales and Services Tax (SST), the implementation of e-Invoicing, and the delays in tax refunds were voiced in Parliament for approximately a year before the Sabah state election. He has refuted claims that these concerns were only raised after the election, stating that such accusations are unfounded. Lim Guan Eng maintained that he consistently alerted the government to the financial pressures these tax measures were imposing on ordinary citizens and small businesses.
Parliamentary Interventions on Tax Policies

Lim Guan Eng detailed a series of parliamentary speeches made since December 2024, during which he urged the government to review or postpone the expanded SST, e-Invoicing, and other tax-related mandates. These interventions specifically addressed objections to the broadened scope of the SST and called for policy reviews on dates including December 4, 2024; February 5, 2025; March 3 and 6, 2025; May 5, 2025; August 6, 2025; and October 16, 2025. These dates clearly predate the Sabah state election.
Impact on Small Businesses and Tax Administration Failures

As an illustration of the difficulties faced by businesses, Lim Guan Eng highlighted the case of an SME owner whose company had RM115,000 in excess taxes held by the Inland Revenue Board since 2020. This prolonged delay in tax refunds exemplifies failures in tax administration that, according to Lim, exacerbate the financial burden on small businesses already navigating the complexities of e-Invoicing and the expanded SST.
Voter Sentiment and Election Outcomes

Lim Guan Eng suggested that the results of the Sabah state election reflected voter dissatisfaction with these additional tax impositions. He indicated that the election outcomes served as evidence that the electorate was unhappy with the increased tax measures, aligning with reports that dissatisfaction over SST costs contributed to a significant shift in support among Sabah's Chinese electorate.

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Did Lim Guan Eng raise SST concerns before or after the Sabah election?

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