KUALA LUMPUR – Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has challenged DAP national chairman Lim Guan Eng to explain his alleged move to revoke Yayasan Albukhary’s tax exemption during the latter’s time as finance minister.
Muhyiddin also said he will not be responding to Lim’s demand for him to retract his statement on the matter, calling it a “political gimmick”.
Instead, the former prime minister doubled down on his claims, saying the tax exemption was approved during the Barisan Nasional administration (BN) under Datuk Seri Najib Razak, but was revoked when Lim took over the finance portfolio.
He said during Lim’s tenure, the Inland Revenue Board, which falls under the Finance Ministry, informed Yayasan Al-Bukhary that the tax exemption was cancelled.
“So obviously the cancellation must have gone through the finance minister at the time. Did Lim Guan Eng do anything about it? Maybe so…but he has to explain.
“If Lim Guan Eng had said, ‘No, I didn’t do anything’, then the approval must have been maintained, and there is no necessity for Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar to come and see me and ask the (then) finance minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz to consider.
“This is logical. So, all this is just a political gimmick, and he has to explain,” he told a press conference after attending Bersatu’s annual general assembly, here, this evening.
Yesterday, Lim demanded that Muhyiddin retract his statement, which alleged that the former had decided to cancel Yayasan Albukhary’s tax exemption and place a 45% penalty tax in 2018.
Yayasan Albukhary is a foundation formed by billionaire philanthropist Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Albukhary, who Muhyiddin has repeatedly described as his close friend.
The foundation’s taxation issues were brought to light after Muhyiddin was slapped with a total of six corruption-related charges at the Kuala Lumpur sessions court on Friday – four for abuse of power involving RM232.5 million and two charges of receiving RM195 million in illicit funds. He has claimed trial to all charges.
The charges also include Muhyiddin allegedly abusing his position to provide a tax exemption to the foundation.
The Pagoh MP is expected to face an additional charge under Section 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing, and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 tomorrow. – The Vibes, March 12, 2023
