In his royal address at the opening of Parliament this morning, the king said he was supportive of the government’s decision to abolish the goods and services tax (GST), stabilise the price of petrol and extend financial support to the people.

He also lauded the government’s commitment to promote better financial practices for the benefit of the people.

The king expressed hope that these measures would help lessen the burden felt by the people.

“At the same time, I am appreciative of the contributions made by Malaysians towards Tabung Harapan Malaysia,” he said, referring to the donation drive launched by the government to help settle some RM1 trillion in national debt.

“The contributions made by Malaysians, regardless of their religious faith, race and age towards the fund show the great care Malaysians have for the country.”

The Pakatan Harapan (PH) government, as part of its election manifesto, had made the scrapping of the GST one of its top priorities.

The 6% consumption tax, introduced by the Barisan Nasional government in 2015, was zero-rated on June 1.

PH is also reviewing the implementation of several major projects including the East Coast Rail Link and the Kuala Lumpur High-Speed Rail.