Putrajaya has been urged to list out businesses that are allowed to impose service charge on customers.

The call was made by Wanita MIC chief Mohana Muniandy after Deputy Finance Minister Ahmad Maslan's statement that consumers need not pay service charge opened a floodgate of queries to established businesses.

Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry (KPDNKK) secretary-general Alias Ahmad later clarified that only hotels and restaurants that have a collective agreement with their employees may impose service charge.

However, Mohana ( right ) said consumers are not privy to such agreements and the government should therefore step in.

"Our suggestion is for the Customs Department to ensure that those imposing the 10 percent service charge must apply to KPDNKK, supported with their collective agreements, to get an approval code to be listed on their bills, just like the goods and services tax registration ID," she said in a statement today.

Mohana also called for a portal to be set up to allow members of the public to make checks and verification on which businesses are allowed to impose the service charge.

Putrajaya had zoomed in on the service charge, claiming the extra 10 percent payment had nothing to do with the government after itself coming under pressure over the newly implemented six percent goods and services tax (GST).

MP Lim: This a tactic to distract from GST

Mohana added that the GST should also not be imposed on the 10 percent service charge as is the current practice.

Popular franchises have been forced to defend the service charge after being bombarded with queries from consumers.

Meanwhile, Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng accused Putrajaya of playing up the service charge to distract from its own GST.

"This is a tactic to distract members of the public angry with the implementation of the six percent GST," Lim said, adding that the service charge was not something new.

"It is unreasonable to blame (business) premises that have all this while imposed service charge while the problem is the chaotic implementation of GST," he said.