Claims of Guan Eng revoking Albukhary Foundation's tax exemption is not true: PM

KUALA LUMPUR - Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim confirms that former Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng had never revoked the tax exemption given to Yayasan Albukhary during his tenure of two years starting from May 2018.

The Tambun MP said the allegation linking Guan Eng, who is also Bagan MP, to the cancellation of the tax exemption is not true.

"The government confirms that, according to Yang Berhormat Bagan (Guan Eng) records during his tenure, he never revoked Yayasan Albukhary's tax exemption.

"Therefore, the allegation that he (Guan Eng) had revoked the (tax) exemption is not true.

"This is because, the approval (tax exemption) involving Albukhary Foundation and Albukhary Group was made on Feb 25, 2021," he told the Dewan Rakyat here today.

He said this in response to a question from Cha Kee Chin (PH-Rasah) who asked him to state whether Guan Eng had ever cancelled the Albukhary Foundation's tax exemption while he was finance minister before.

Meanwhile, in answering Kee Chin's additional question about whether tax exemption is under the Finance Minister or Inland Revenue Board's (IRB) jurisdiction, Anwar explained that it is under the absolute authority of IRB Director General.

"It is true that the (finance) minister or the Prime Minister has no authority to exempt taxes and the authority is fullyowned by the IRB Director General," he said.

Former prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin was previously reported to have accused Guan Eng as the individual responsible for the decision to reimpose taxes on the Albukhary Foundation.

Muhyiddin said, after Pakatan Harapan (PH) governed the country in May 2018, IRB refused to implement the tax exemptions that was granted before.

Following that, on March 15, Guan Eng through Mr. Gouk had sent a letter of demand to Muhyiddin, who is also Bersatu president, to withdraw his statement and apologise for accusing him of being connected to the cancellation of taxes to the foundation.

The letter of demand also mentions that Muhyiddin had allegedly issued three separate statements implicating Guan Eng as the individual involved in Albukhary Foundation's tax-exempt revocation when he was finance minister.

Muhyiddin, who is also Pagoh MP, was given seven days starting Wednesday (March 15) to retract his statement and make a public apology and to never repeat the allegations made.

If the demand fails to be met within the set period, Mr. Gouk on behalf of Guang Eng will file a writ of summons to initiate legal proceedings against Muhyiddin.