Editor’s note: Ipoh Timor MP Howard Lee will be holding a media conference before lodging a police report this afternoon (March 27) at the Dang Wangi district police headquarters with regard to the police report lodged earlier by Wan Fahysal against Lim Guan Eng and Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
BERSATU Youth chief Wan Ahmad Fahysal Wan Ahmad Kamal has taken a swipe at “immensely under pressured and desperate” DAP chairman Lim Guan Eng for leveraging the latter’s Youth wing to counter him after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (DSAI) has issued a “confusing statement” on the Yayasan Albukhary’s taxation issue.
Instead of just training its gun at Guan Eng, DAPSY national chairman Dr Kelvin Yii had yesterday (March 26) challenged Bersatu Youth to first prove the accusations made by its president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin that Guan Eng had in fact revoked the tax exemption for Yayasan Albukhary as the then finance minister in the first Pakatan Harapan (PH) administration (May 2019-February 2020).
“Instead of trying to deflect or shift the goal post, they should answer the question ‘Did or did not Lim Guan Eng issued any specific order to revoke the tax exemptions against Yayasan Albukhary.?” asked the Bandar Kuching MP in a statement.
This came about as earlier on Friday (March 24), several Bersatu Youth leaders led by Wan Fayhsal had filed a police report against Guan Eng and Anwar for allegedly misleading the Dewan Rakyat.
Guan Eng who is also the Bagan MP has accused Wan Fahysal of committing a criminal offence as Muhyiddin himself has failed to show proof or produce such a revocation letter from him when he was the finance minister.
“That is the main question which until now Muhyiddin cannot prove or try to furnish evidence even though given ample time and opportunity to prove otherwise,” claimed Guan Eng.
But Wan Fahysal who is also the Machang MP described Dr Yii’s defence of Guan Eng as an attempt to “menegakkan benang basah” (loosely translated to doing something with zero or almost zero possibilities of success) which is also too childish for him to handle.
He further listed down the six issues surrounding the matter on his latest Facebook post:
- Isn’t it true that Yayasan Albukhary (YAB) is a qualified Islamic charity and has been exempted from tax?
- Isn’t it true that the Inland Revenue Board (IRB) did not recognise the tax exemption and had imposed a penalty tax on the foundation?
- Isn’t it true that this happened when Guan Eng was the finance minister and the IRB waa under the control of the finance minister?
- Isn’t it true that DSAI said in the Dewan Rakyat that the authority of the IRB director-general is absolute?
- Isn’t it true that DSAI’s statement is a lie because Section 44(6B) (of the Income Tax Act 1967) clearly states that the decision of the IRB Director-General can be appealed to the Finance Minister and the Finance Minister can make an appropriate decision?
- Isn’t it true that there is another provision of Section 127(3) which is more extensive for it accords the Finance Minister an authority regarding tax exemption?
“Therefore, isn’t it true that DSAI does not fully state the things I mentioned above, hence his answer (in the Dewan Rakyat on March 21) is merely half-truth or a lie?” asked Wan Fahysal who was also the former national unity deputy minister under the Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s administration.
“So, isn’t it appropriate for DSAI to be referred to the Rights and Privileges Committee because he has issued misleading and insulting statements to the Dewan Rakyat on March 21?”
He added: “That is what Armada (Bersatu Youth wing) will do and that is when DAPSY MPs can argue in the Dewan Rakyat. Don’t just bark up the wrong tree outside the ring.” – March 27, 2023
