KUALA LUMPUR, May 15 — Malaysians will have to go the extra mile to learn about the controversial Goods and Services Tax (GST) in order to understand it better, Datuk Ahmad Maslan said today, even comparing the unpopular tax system to hudud.

The deputy finance minister acknowledged the widespread criticism faced by the PAS-led Kelantan government in its push to introduce hudud, and said Putrajaya is in a similar predicament with the GST.

He said the PAS government has been pushing to implement the Islamic penal code since the 1990s but is still facing difficulties more than two decades later.  

"If you just pick up a book on hudud, in one day, you will be able understand it.

"The same goes for GST, if you approach the right sources you can understand it in an hour. But if you don't get the proper information, even until 2020, you won't understand GST.

"The people have to just learn to accept it," said the Pontian Umno MP.

PAS has been at the center of the storm over hudud after it revealed plans to submit two private member's bills for parliamentary approval to implement the Kelantan Syariah Criminal Code Enactment II, which imposes the strict Islamic penal code.

But the state government has since decided to temporarily shelve its plan to introduce the bills, to allow a joint technical committee to discuss the matter.

On the GST, Ahmad said Putrajaya has taken aggressive steps to ensure information on the consumption tax is widely available.

"We can't do much if people don't read newspapers, watch television or listen to radio.

"The people need to pro-actively seek out for the right information to differentiate from the lies, because this is something that going to affect their lives," said Ahmad.

He added that relevant information on the GST can be found on the Finance Ministry and the Customs Department’s websites.

"Let me remind you that there are no delays. On April 1, 2015, be ready for GST or you will be left behind," he said earlier, when speaking to participants at the National forum on GST: Preparing Malaysia for GST Implementation 2015.

The GST Bill was passed through the lower House and the Senate last month, despite stern resistance, ensuring that the consumption tax starts at a flat rate of six per cent beginning April 1 next year.

Detractors contend that the GST is a "regressive tax" that will disproportionately hit those with lower income more than affluent groups.

However, the tax, which is expected to boost the nation's revenue by RM3 billion the first year, is to help Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s administration rein in spending.