KUALA LUMPUR – Former finance minister Lim Guan Eng has begun legal proceedings against Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin over the latter’s allegedly false claims with regards to Yayasan Albukhary’s tax exemption status.
Lim’s political secretary Wong Hon Wai said the DAP chairman had begun proceedings after Muhyiddin failed to apologise within seven days of receiving a legal letter.
“Therefore, Lim has begun legal proceedings against Muhyiddin to protect his good name.
“Political debates should be based on facts and evidence and not on false news or slander, not just against the former finance minister but against the whole institution of the Finance Ministry,” Wong said in a statement today.
On March 15, Lim, in a legal letter, gave Muhyiddin one week to apologise for making allegedly defamatory statements claiming that Lim revoked the tax-exempt status of Yayasan Albukhary during his tenure as finance minister.
Lim said Muhyiddin’s claims had tarnished his reputation and made him appear as racist, anti-Malay and anti-Islam.
Lim said he would take legal action as the former prime minister’s claims could inflame and provoke societal unhappiness because they meant a non-Muslim minister revoked the tax-exempt status of a Muslim charitable organisation.
Wong today pointed out that Lim had been cleared by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s explanation on the matter to the Dewan Rakyat, and also in a statement by the Finance Ministry.
Muhyiddin first made the claim that Lim had revoked the foundation’s tax-exempt status after the Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman was charged in court with abuse of power and receiving illicit funds.
Muhyiddin said when he became prime minister after the fall of the Pakatan Harapan government, Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Albukhary had appealed to him to reverse the cancellation. – The Vibes, March 26, 2023
