Oil money might help Mahathir fund Malaysia's budget without GST

(May 17): A promise to scrap the goods-and-services tax helped Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad win an election that led to Malaysia’s first change in government since independence.

Now, the question is how he will fund the nation’s budget without the 44.3 billion ringgit ($15 billion) earned from the consumption tax in 2017 alone. The answer might lie in his coalition’s manifesto.

The Pakatan Harapan alliance pledged to set up a sovereign wealth fund using profits from state-owned oil company Petroliam Nasional Bhd. to provide future welfare for the people and stability to the country. That may help the government balance its budget as it moves toward scrapping the GST.

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