Monthly expenses have gone up since GST was implemented

Focus on family: Engineer T. Shashi shopping for diapers and formula milk with his two daughters in tow.

PARENTS with young children are feeling the pinch, as they have to fork out extra money to buy
essentials such as milk, diapers, cereal and body wash after the implementation of the goods and
services tax (GST).
Cheang Mee Leng, 32, a beautician, said she used to spend about RM800 per month to buy the
necessary items for her two children aged four and three months old. But after the GST was
implemented, she has to fork out about RM150 extra.
Cheang said she cannot run away from buying the necessary items such as milk, diapers, bottle wash,
baby lotion and body wash.
With a three-month-old baby, I need these items more frequently and I dont want to compromise on
the quality of the products.
What I can do though is buy in bulk the necessary items during a sale, she added.
Another parent, T. Shashi, 38, an engineer, said his monthly expenses totalled RM1,000 when buying
the required items for his two daughters aged four and two.
I need between four and five bags of diapers for the younger girl.
I plan to potty train the younger girl so that I can reduce the number of diapers used in a day.
I usually buy milk in bulk for our younger daughter, especially when there is a sale, and this costs
about RM400 per month. I also purchase low-fat milk for my older daughter that comes up to about
RM30, he added.
Shashi said he spends another RM100 to buy probiotics monthly, and since both the girls have
sensitive skin, he has to purchase organic body wash, shampoo and lotion online from overseas.
I have not made a purchase online after the GST was implemented, so I am not sure how much more
the items will cost, since the exchange rate has gone up, he said, adding that after the GST, their
expenditure had gone up by about 30%.
Shashi, however, said he was thankful that his company covered the medical expenses for both his
girls. Otherwise, he would have to spend more.
Another parent, who only wished to be known as M.K. Sidhu, 39, said since her son was now three
years old, she used fewer diapers.

However, she said she had to buy double the number of items required as her son was left with a
babysitter while she was at work.
I have to buy two sets of everything - bottle wash refill packs, detergent to wash his clothes, body
wash, shampoo, probiotics, cereal, milk and diapers.
These items cost around RM1,000 per month and with the GST in place, maybe I have to fork out
between RM100 and RM200 more per month, added the freelance writer.
Sidhu said this was not inclusive of medical bills.
Each time my son is sick, and I take him to see a child specialist, I pay a minimum of RM100, and
with GST, I am sure I have to incur additional expenses, she added.
Marziana Mohamed Alias, 33, a publication officer at a public university, said her monthly expenditure
on baby products before the GST could come up to RM350.
She, however, said that after the GST, her expenses increased to about RM400.
To save costs, I usually buy diapers and milk for my five-year-old son and two-year-old daughter in
bulk during sales.
Since my son does not use diapers anymore, the diapers that I buy for my daughter can last for a few
months, she added.
Marziana said the prices of toiletries and biscuits that she needed to buy for her children had also
increased.