Govt mulls soda tax to cut sugar consumption

KUALA LUMPUR: The government is considering implementing a soda tax to encourage healthy living, says Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

He said the move is aimed at reducing sugar consumption, which is a cause of diabetes.

“The diabetes rate in Malaysia is very high because we take too much sugar,” he told reporters after launching the Cities 4.0 + Business 4.0 Conference and Exhibition here yesterday.

He was answering a question on the government’s stand on the soda tax to increase government revenue.

Dr Mahathir said the government would also revive Cyberjaya to be more focused on technology-based industries.

He said the government wanted Cyberjaya to focus more on the development of new technologies and their applications.

“We will encourage the use of Cyberjaya for this kind of industry,” he said.

He added that there could be a second wave of development in the Multimedia Super Corridor driven by technological advances in the digital era.

Asked about the Forest City project in Johor, Dr Mahathir said he is against the idea of building a city for foreigners.

“One thing is certain, that city that is going to be built cannot be sold to foreigners.

“Our objection is because it was built for foreigners, not meant for Malaysians. Most Malaysians are unable to buy those flats,” he said.

Meanwhile, on the Council of Eminent Persons (CEP), Dr Mahathir hinted that there is no intention to make the CEP’s report public. He said the CEP’s duties are to investigate and present their report to him for further action.

“Their job is to investigate. Whether I accept or not is my business but the main thing is to feed me with info that I need in order to make decisions,” he added.

The three-day event, themed “To Elevate Smart City and Digital Adoption in Malaysia and the Region”, is aimed at exposing participants to essential information and strategies to adopt digital transformation in various aspects of city planning and development and improve the services for citizens. — Bernama