KUCHING – Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof today said the federal government will be tabling the proposal to amend the Inland Board of Malaysia (IRB) Act 1995 in the upcoming Parliament session next month.
Fadillah said the proposal to amend the provision was to allow one of the government representatives from the Finance Ministry to be reappointed back into the IRB board of directors.
He explained the decision to reappoint the Finance Ministry’s representative to the board follows Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s announcement yesterday on the appointment of the Sarawak Financial State Secretary to the board.
Fadillah said the government representative had to step down in order to vacate the position for Sarawak to have its representatives sit on the IRB board.
“Supposedly, we have to table a bill to amend the Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia Act 1995 in Parliament this term.
“However, during the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) Technical Committee meeting yesterday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim decided to directly appoint Sarawak Financial Secretary (Datuk Seri Dr Wan Lizozman Wan Omar) to the board.
“The provision does not permit the appointment of another government servant to the board because it only allows three government servants on the board.
“Because of the composition of the board of directors, and the prime minister’s instruction to appoint a Sarawak representative to the board, one of the Finance Ministry’s representatives had to resign to vacate the position for the state financial secretary,” he told reporters after giving away contributions to the needy of Sg Tengah Matang, in conjunction with the Chinese New Year celebration, at the Sarawak United People’s Party Hall at Jalan Sg Tengah here today.
Fadillah said the reappointment of the government representative will be made once the amendment of the bill is passed in Parliament.
“This means we still have to amend the act. It will be brought to Parliament this coming session.
“The Finance Ministry representative will be reappointed when the amendment is approved in Parliament,” he told The Borneo Post when asked whether the proposal to amend the bill will be brought into Parliament next month.
Yesterday, state Financial Secretary Wan Lizozman was appointed as Sarawak’s representative on the IRB.
His appointment was announced by the prime minister after chairing the Malaysian Agreement (MA63) Technical Committee meeting at the state assembly building.– Borneo Post Online, January 21, 2023
