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Machang MP refers PM to Parliament’s Rights and Privileges Committee over Yayasan Albukhary tax issue

Malay Mail
Malay Mail

KUALA LUMPUR, March 29 — Opposition MP Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal today said he has referred Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to the Rights and Privileges Committee, purportedly for misleading the Dewan Rakyat about the tax exempt status of Yayasan Albukhary.

According to the Machang MP, Anwar made the misleading remark when he told the House that it was the Inland Revenue Board that had the authority to award or revoke the tax exemption status.

“He replied in the Dewan Rakyat, it is the absolute power — the term absolute used as per the Hansard is proof — of the Inland Revenue Board to revoke exemption tax. This is not true,” Wan Ahmad Fayhsal told reporters in Parliament.

He said the finance minister — currently Anwar — also has the power to revoke the tax exemption.

The Perikatan Nasional politician also said he referred Jelutong MP RSN Rayer to the same parliamentary committee.

“I will refer the Jelutong MP to the Parliament’s Rights and Privileges Committee under Standing Order 36(6) for making false accusations without proof that I made a false police report,” he said.

Wan Ahmad Fayhsal was referring to the police report filed against Anwar, which he said had been filed by the Bersatu Youth wing members.

He added that he referred Rayer to the committee “so that he will not repeat his ill intent towards” Opposition MPs in the Dewan Rakyat.

Datuk Che Mohamad Zulkifly Jusoh (PAS – Besut), who was present at the press conference, said he was grateful the Deputy Speaker expelled him today.

“I think there is some silver lining behind that, and now I can tell you, the laws that we want to make, as lawmakers, we object to it being presented in English partly because the laws are to be used for all Malaysians.

“Not all Malaysians understand English, that is the big problem we are facing right now,” he said.

He also said he was not sure why the Bill could not be withdrawn and tabled again for debate with the Malay version of the amendments.

“If someone reads it in English and doesn’t understand it, they don’t know their legal rights,” he said, adding that this was especially for new offences such as the stalking that would be introduced.

Deputy Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Ramli Mohd Nor expelled and suspended the Besut MP three days for disobeying three orders to sit down today. He had been trying to give his opinion on a Standing Order that Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan (PAS – Kota Baru) had cited.

Takiyuddin had wanted to know why there was no Bahasa Melayu interpretation for “stalking” in one of the amendment Bills.

Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reforms) Ramkarpal Singh said it was because the English text of the Criminal Procedure Code and Penal Code were the authoritative versions.

Ramkarpal further said that the amendments first tabled during the previous Barisan Nasional administration also did not include the Malay versions.