Why equate taxes with Islam?

Raja Sara Petra

I have noticed some PAS or religious people bringing Islam into the debate on GST. They are suggesting that the GST may not quite be ‘Sharia-compliant’.

If you want to debate that then ALL taxes other than Zakat and Jizya would be non-Sharia-compliant because none are mentioned in the Qur’an. Toll charges, service tax, property gains tax, stamp duty, airport tax, entertainment tax, income tax, import duty, etc., would all be haram.

So why pick on just the GST? Muslims and Malaysians in the UK need to pay 20% VAT, plus in many other countries. Why don’t they protest and refuse to pay the GST on ‘religious grounds’ and cite civil rights and freedom of religion as the reason?

These people are just using the GST as a political issue. It demonstrates that they are bankrupt of issues. Singapore’s GST is 7%. Yet Malaysians go there to spend their money.