PARLIAMENT | Ahmad Maslan (BN-Pontian) wants higher sales and services tax (SST) imposed on gaming centres and nightclubs.

"The casino, lottery and gambling centres will be charged six percent tax, why is it only six percent?

"I propose to increase to 20 percent so the people will not go.

"If possible, casinos and the gaming centres should be shut down," he said when debating the Service Tax Bill 2018 in the Dewan Rakyat today.

He added that higher tax should also be imposed on private clubs.

"These are the places of the rich, impose 20 to 30 percent... better still, shut them down," he said.

Heads up on prepaid plans

Ahmad Maslan also urged youths to "whack" the Harapan government as the SST will impact charges on mobile phone plans.

"I want to inform the young people to be prepared for higher phone bills because of the six percent SST.

"Please help us to use social media to whack Pakatan Harapan because prepaid phone (plans) will increase by six percent," he added.

The previous administration had drawn flak when it imposed GST on prepaid mobile plans in 2015.

Telecommunication operators were forced to absorb the tax after the then government instructed them to revert to the pre-GST pricing.

The Harapan government, which mooted to scrap goods and services tax (GST), plans to implement SST through the tabling of Sales Tax Bill 2018 and Service Tax Bill 2018.

The Sales Tax Bill was passed in Dewan Rakyat yesterday and will now go to the Dewan Negara, where senators will vote on it.