BUKIT MERTAJAM: Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Ahmad Maslan today brushed off claims that he had received a gag order from Umno top leadership over the Goods and Services Tax (GST) issue.
Ahmad, who is also Umno information chief, denied receiving a directive to stop making statements on GST, adding that the opposition would win the Permatang Pauh by-election if he stopped educating the people about it.
"None of the Umno leaders has told me not to speak about GST. I received no such order.
"If I stop talking about it, (then) the opposition would win (the by-election)."
Ahmad insisted that he had thoroughly studied and fully understood the taxation system since 2013.
"I have gone nationwide to explain about GST and have been very consistent in my statements (about it)," he told reporters at the Multimedia and Communications Ministry's media centre at Seberang Jaya Community College here.
Yesterday, a news channel reported that sources claimed Umno leadership had ordered Ahmad to stop making statements on GST, especially in Rompin and Permatang Pauh by-elections campaign for fearing of backlash among the voters.