TRADERS who don’t pay the goods and services tax (GST) will be barred from going overseas, said the Royal Malaysian Customs Department yesterday,

Quoting director-general of Customs Subromaniam Tholasy, Sin Chew Daily said there were more than 7,100 traders currently blacklisted for failing to pay GST to the department.

“If the trader has cleared off the GST, the Customs Department will immediately request for the Immigration Department to remove his name from the blacklist,” said Subromaniam.

He also advised traders who still owed GST to check with the Immigration Department to see if they have been blacklisted.

The Federation of Chinese Associations Malaysia (Huazong) president Pheng Yin Huah had complained that the government’s travel ban on traders suspected of defaulting on GST without prior notice had upset many businessmen.

On Sunday, a Sarawakian businessman said he found out an hour before his flight about the travel ban because of overdue GST.

Despite paying the outstanding amount of RM2,739.04 on the same day after checking with his company directors, he said he was still barred from flying as the travel ban could only be lifted by Putrajaya.

Director-general of Immigration Mustafar Ali said his department will follow instructions from other agencies and even court orders when imposing the travel ban on Malaysians.

“The Immigration Department does not differentiate what tax it is, if someone defaults on national tax revenue, whether it is personal income tax, corporate tax or GST, as long as the relevant body requests Immigration to impose restrictions, the department will implement according to instructions,” he told Sin Chew Daily. – July 7, 2017.