Most Malaysians believe that the goods and services tax (GST) correlates with the rise in the cost of living, according to surveys conducted by think tank Institut Darul Ehsan (IDE).

In a series of surveys called “Survey Malaysia 2017: Mood of the Nation,” a total of 4,468 respondents were asked if they agreed with this statement: “GST is the reason for the rise in the cost of living.”

Of the total, 82 percent of the respondents agreed while eight percent disagreed. The remaining 10 percent said they kurang setuju (did not fully agree)...