I REFER to the article “RM50 credit card service tax should not be a ‘plastic hungry’ move” by Yap Leng Kuen. After reading it, I couldn’t help but share my two cents’ worth as well.
As mentioned in the article, the credit card is a more convenient and efficient way of doing business transactions in Malaysia. I couldn’t agree more, especially living in this new, technologically advanced world of high-speed Internet and online shopping.
Besides that, credit cards can be used as an important life-saving tool as well. I recently experienced how credit card use can make a difference in a life-or-death situation.
My dad suffered a mild heart attack and was rushed to a private hospital. We had not insured his health. When his condition stabilised, the hospital refused to continue treatment until a guarantee of RM10,000 was deposited. As a junior executive, RM10,000 is not a small amount. My sisters were at work and they would take time to reach the hospital to provide the financial assistance. So I used my credit cards; it took me not one but two credit cards combined to be able to pay the necessary deposit and save my dad’s life.
We are disappointed with this credit card service tax as announced in Budget 2010. We believe it is more of a hindrance to the rakyat. A sum of RM50 may not seem much, but it would only burden the poor rakyat and push them to the very edge. Also, I believe in the current economic climate, when people are still struggling to find a job that they might have just lost, the tax is badly timed.
While we are very sure that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s intentions are noble, we sincerely hope he would reconsider his decision. There are reports of more people accumulating debts, whether by spending beyond their means or just surviving on a tight budget.
In our Prime Minister’s quest to help the rakyat live a more prudent lifestyle, it is my hope that he will not rob us of our right to basic credit facilities. I suggest that the RM50 credit card service tax be imposed on the second card onwards, not the first.
I believe we all agree that the credit card is an important tool for business and personal convenience. By acting on this suggestion, our Prime Minister will certainly strike the right chord with the rakyat.
BLURKID84,
Kuala Lumpur.
Star Online 30/11/09
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