Prove I issued instructions to cancel Yayasan Albukhary’s tax exemption status, Guan Eng tells Muhyiddin
KUALA LUMPUR, March 10 — Lim Guan Eng has denied the claim made by Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin that he issued instructions to revoke Yayasan Albukhary’s tax exemption during his time as finance minister.
“Muhyiddin’s statement is untrue and inaccurate. Can he show me the letter where I issued instructions as finance minister to cancel the tax exemption to Yayasan Albukhary?
“If he fails to do so, I will seek legal advice on Muhyiddin’s malicious lies against me, as it also involves corruption charges that will be heard in court later (today),” said Lim in a Facebook post today.
Speaking at a PAS centre in Taman Melewar, Gombak last night, after he was released on bail, Muhyiddin said he was called to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) head office in Putrajaya over two matters, namely the Jana Wibawa project and the tax cancellation appeal by Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Albukhary for his Yayasan Albukhary charity, which was broken down into seven charges against him.
Muhyiddin said he was puzzled that authorities have decided to charge him over the tax exemption for the tycoon’s charity.
He insisted he was not corrupt and any donation from Syed Mokhtar, whom he described as an old friend, went directly to Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia’s bank account and never into his.
He also said he had given Syed Mokhtar, an acquaintance of nearly 40 years, the idea of setting up Yayasan Albukhary to help Muslims and carry out other charitable work, albeit having a company manage the charity.
Calling Yayasan Albukhary one of the biggest charitable bodies in Malaysia, Muhyiddin said it had successfully applied for tax exemption from the government via the Finance Ministry during the previous Barisan Nasional administration, but this was later cancelled by the Pakatan Harapan government.
During PN’s administration previously under Muhyiddin, he said Syed Mokhtar had sought to restore Yayasan Albukhary’s tax exemption status.
Yesterday, MACC Chief Commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki confirmed that Muhyiddin will be charged in court today.
