PM Anwar might have chosen the wrong fruit avacado to indirectly champion the poor

Murray Hunter

PM Anwar might have chosen the wrong fruit avacado to indirectly champion the poor

P Ramasamy
Jun 17, 2025





Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim might have chosen the inappropriate example of avocado fruit to support his argument why imported luxury fruits have to be imposed a sales tax of 5 percent.

It must be remembered that although the bulk of avocado are imported, some quantity is also produced locally due to the its heath benefits.

Avacdo is the latest fruit item that is considered as health food that is not exclusively reserved for the rich.

The poor are also increasingly consuming the avacado fruit item if they can afford. To say that avocado is meant for the rich misses the point of its demand among the lower income households.

I think Anwar in trying to be the champion of the poor missed the point of growing demand for avacado from all sections of the society.

At the same time, Anwar forgot to mention the fact that imported fruits with sales tax such oranges, apples and others are in demand from all socio-economic classes. Can Anwar say that just because oranges and apples are imported that they are luxury items.

I believe that Anwar chose the wrong fruit, avacado, to justify the sales tax and indirectly support the poor.

The point I am making is that even if the bulk of avacado are imported, the fruit is not meant for the rich and those who can afford them.

There are many ways to champion the poor and the needy in the country such bringing down inflation by cutting down on the costs of basic essentials in the country.

Improved trade unions rights might contribute to increasing the power of labour to increase the wages.

Sales tax on imported goods such as fruits is something acceptable but pointing to the example of avacado as a luxury item doesn’t make sense.

Maybe Anwar was ill-advised on the matter of imported fruits particularly the popular avacado. By the way, Anwar is not an economist neither is he a financial expert.

But at least he should have gone one step further by urging Malaysian farmers to plant avacado trees to bring down the imported fruit. I am sure his buddy Mohammed Sabu, the Minister of Agriculture, might welcome it especially coming from the prime minister.

Anyway, there is more to address the plight of the poor in the country rather than justifying sales tax on avocado and other imported fruits.