Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Ahmad Maslan has urged all quarters to stop manipulating his proposal calling on university students to cook their own meals as an effort to reduce the burden of Goods and Services Tax (GST).

When contacted, Ahmad said his speech at the Dewan Seri Budiman, Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), Shah Alam yesterday was mostly on GST-related issues and added that the proposal to cook one’s own meals only applied to those living outside campus.

“I spoke for two hours 45 minutes and I spoke on various topics but they only picked up only line – cooking one’s own meals,” he said when contacted.

“I didn’t say cook at campus, I said cook your own meals. More than half of the students stay in rented houses and I had proposed to them to cook their own meals,” he added.

READ: Students criticise Ahmad Maslan's 'cook your own meal' advice

Ahmad said his proposal was not meant to those staying in university campus.

“We have also advised the campus café operators to price their food reasonably,” he said.

“I have explained it all. We encourage them to cook their own meals if they are renting outside the campus and café operators should not increase their prices as the basic food items were exempted from GST,” he added.

Ahmad’s proposal drew flak from students who took to Twitter to vent out their frustration. The students argued that Ahmad’s suggestion was impossible to practice as universities forbid cooking in campus.

Some had also tweeted that cooking appliances and water heaters are also not allowed to be brought into campus.