Chris Ng’s Combustion Chamber Ep. 02: I Love GST!

Hello, dear readers, to a weekly column by yours truly about anything and everything under the sun. But only if the sun shines of things that have two to four wheels, involves motoring in general and the sometimes facepalm moments of being a motoring journalist. I’m not trying to be funny here, so I apologize in advance for causing any unintentional mirth. This is serious business of a business that’s serious.

So, at the risk of this becoming a rant column…

Let me repeat myself — I love GST! Why? Well, have you visited Mid Valley Mega Mall — or in any of the big malls — in recent times, on a Saturday afternoon? Have you noticed just how much easier it is to get to the parking entrance and then actually find a parking spot that’s close to the escalator in the past week? And because of that, the mall isn’t meat-packed with sweaty humans, which allows for a comfortable shopping experience.

While there are experts that have put their collective necks on the line in support of the Government’s new tax system, I’d bet that they would not have thought that it would also clear up weekend mall traffic. People must not like paying this new tax because prior to April 1st, the roads leading up to the malls would be even worse than the weekday morning rush hour. I don’t need to tell you what happened after April Fool’s.

Not that the GST is all bad, it forces one to spend wisely, which usually make one look for a cheaper alternative. At the very least, car prices did not dramatically jump. And prices of certain brands actually took a nice dip.

Back to the topic, I am appreciative that weekend shopping have become bearable. No longer do I have to waste precious time and fuel just to scout for parking. In fact, it is actually pretty easy to find a spot near the escalator. How long will this phenomenon last? Who knows? So, while the majority still treat this new tax like chicken pox, I will have an easier time heading to the mall to buy some new socks.