All must pay GST

PUTRAJAYA: The Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry will collect the 6% Goods and Services Tax (GST) from both Muslims and non-Muslims, as it is deemed to be "harus" (neither forbidden nor necessary).
Dispelling rumours that Muslims are exempted from the GST, its secretary-general Datuk Seri Alias Ahmad said that all Malaysians are subjected to the tax.
He added that the GST is not to burden consumers but is meant for the nation's development and the general wellbeing of the people.
He said the ministry will continue to collect the tax, despite calls from the Federal Territories mufti, Datuk Dr Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri, to exempt zakat-paying Muslims.
"I read a decision made last month by a group of clergies in Johor claiming that the collection of the tax is indeed 'harus', if it is for the collective wellbeing of the public.
"In fact, the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) had also previously stated that we should be collecting the tax," he told a press conference while updating the latest development on the GST
implementation nationwide at the Finance Ministry, here, yesterday.
"If they themselves said so, then there is no question about it," said Alias.
He said the tax collected will be used, among others, for the construction of roads and schools, and for other commodities like water and electricity, which will benefit both Muslims and non-Muslims.
"Based on this principle, we have decided that collecting the GST is 'harus'," he said.
He said claims that zakat-paying Muslims should be exempted from GST is Zulkifli's personal view, adding that he will hold to what was said by the clergies, that the tax is "harus".
"I am not a clergy myself, but I stick to this stand," he added.
On April 16, Zulkifli had posted on the Federal Territories mufti page urging the government to exempt Muslims from the tax if they have paid zakat based on Islamic laws.
He said there should be a mechanism so that Muslims who had already paid for zakat do not get taxed twice or it will burden them.
Meanwhile, the government has been urged to grant a one-year grace period to ascertain if the implementation of GST could be dictated as "haram".
National Fatwa Committee chairman Prof Emeritus Tan Sri Dr Abd Shukor Husin said with less than a month of its implementation, it is too early to say if GST has actually caused extra burden to the people to the extent of going against Islamic teaching.
"We cannot be too hasty in passing judgement. Evaluating the tax is a big task and GST itself was only implemented in less than a month," he said, adding that a one-year grace period should be given to gauge its outcome, benefits and harm so that a proper evaluation can be done.
He was speaking to reporters after attending the National Fatwa Council Muzakarah (meeting) at Malaysian Islamic Development Department here today.