Cabinet didn’t approve GST on 60 food items, says second finance minister

© Provided by Malay Mail Online Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani (pic) said Rafizi Ramli’s remarks on the GST expansion on popular food items were baseless. — Bernama picKUALA LUMPUR, June 21 — Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani rebutted today a claim that that Parliament had approved an expansion list of 60 food items to come under the Goods and Services Tax (GST).

PKR MP Rafizi Ramli had cited from Hansard records to support his allegation in a statement yesterday, and had demanded the minister apologise to the Customs Department which was blamed for reportedly confirming the GST expansion on popular food items like beehoon, koay teow and laksa noodles among others effective July 1.

“Rafizi is wrong. None of the 60 food items was tabled in Parliament. In fact, it was never approved by the Cabinet.

“Even the Customs Director-General wasn’t aware of the gazette being uploaded on the Customs website,” Johari told Malay Mail Online in a WhatsApp text message when contacted for response.

He said Rafizi’s remarks were baseless and urged the Pandan MP to carry out proper research so as to not confuse the public.

However, Johari said he will not take any legal action against Rafizi as it would not be “worth it”.

“I don’t want to waste my time,” he added.

On Monday, Customs director-general Datuk Subromaniam Tholasy cancelled an earlier order gazetted June 6 to impose GST on 60 new food items from July 1 onwards, less than 24 hours after he was reported to have confirmed the expansion list.

Johari had weighed in on the incident yesterday, saying any new GST charges had to be passed by Cabinet first and added that the expansion list was merely a proposal that had not been referred to the Finance Ministry nor finalised.