Various programmes risk being defunded if the Goods and Services Tax (GST) is abolished, Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak cautioned today.

Speaking to an audience of women at a Transformasi Nasional 2050 (TN50) dialogue session in conjunction with National Women’s Day 2017, Najib said this in reply to request for government funding from several members of the session for various causes they were championing.

“You ask for a lot of things, everyone wants more funds for their own programmes, but we also need capital.

“That’s why if you criticise the GST, if you demonise the GST, please remember (that the tax) is a big source of revenue for your programmes...