The wife of the Prime Minister is concerned that the impending Goods and Services Tax (GST) will result in higher costs for housewives – like her – when they want to get a new hairdo, or have a new dress made, or when they need a quick makeup session.
Rosmah Mansor, wife of PM Najib Razak, expressed her worry over the fact that hairdressers, tailors, and makeup artists are raising their prices before the GST comes into effect in April.
“It is really hard to make tailored clothes these days. Their prices come up to RM500, and I am speaking as a representative of a housewife that buys made-to-order clothes.
“We have to make beautiful clothes to attend functions, but the prices are way too high. For those who can afford, it’s alright,” she said, as quoted by Diyana Ibrahim of The Malaysian Insider.
“But what about housewives like us, with no income?” she said yesterday at briefing on the GST for the Welfare Association of Wives of Minister and Deputy Ministers (Bakti), of which she is the president.
She also lamented that she herself had to spend RM1,200 every time she needed to dye her hair at home.
“Housewives, especially, often become the victims to such traders because there is no price control and guidelines by the government on house call services,” Rosmah added.
“Do we (housewives) have to keep asking our husbands then? For those who have husbands who don’t mind giving (money), it’s fine. But sometimes, there are husbands who say ‘hey, I gave you last week and you want more?’
“So I feel that we (the government) should monitor these things as they (traders) will make exorbitant profits.”
She also said that hairdressers, tailors and makeup artists who make housecalls were usually working on their own, and were not likely to register for the GST. As such, it would not be right for them to increase the price of their services.
“When the prices of these services increase by RM200 we feel the pinch and if we complain, I am just afraid that they wouldn’t want to make our clothes. And it is hard for us as wives of civil servants,” she said.
Spare a thought for her, will you? She’s going through a hard time, just like the rest of us.
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