Many domestically consumed items such as fresh foods, water and electricity are zero-rated, while some supplies such as education and health services are GST exempted.
National Consumer Complaints Centre head Muhammad Sha’ani Abdullah has said, "The government should create more awareness on what the GST is.
Sha’ani says that the GST will improve accounting, reduce tax fraud, and facilitate enforcement of the upcoming Anti-Profiteering Act.
Muslim Consumer Association of Malaysia leader Datuk Dr. Ma’amor Osman said the GST could help end dishonest business practices, but expressed concern about how the tax would be applied to medical products and services.
[10] During the government reading of the 2015 budget, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak announced a GST tax of 6% starting on 1 April 2015.
[16] The income from the newly implemented GST managed to supplant Malaysia's national budget from the deficit induced by a loss in oil tax revenue.
The GST standard rate has been revised to 0% beginning 1 June 2018, pending the total removal of the Goods and Services Tax Act in parliament.
For the first time since 1957, the ruling party's political power was handed over to the opposition coalition, Pakatan Harapan (PH), by the 14th general election, held on 9 May 2018.
The PH manifesto stated that abolition's main objective is to put more purchasing power in the hands of the people, particularly those who earn lower or middle incomes.
[26] Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng said that as of 2019, the government stood firm on the people's mandate in the election to abolish the Barisan Nasional-imposed 6% GST.