Bersatu Youth must apologise to Guan Eng over Yayasan Albukhary claim, still no evidence provided

(MMO) – DAP Socialist Youth (Dapsy) chief Dr Kelvin Yii today called for Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) Youth to apologise to DAP chairman Lim Guan Eng and Malaysians over the Yayasan Albukhary matter.

Dr Yii said Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has failed to provide any evidence to answer the question of whether Lim, in his role as the then finance minister, had issued any orders to revoke the tax exempt status of the Islamic charity organisation.

“If so, Bersatu Youth has proven to be morally bankrupt to try to defend a clear lie and slander which has the sole intention to mislead the people and invoke divisive sentiments, especially among Malaysians of different races,” the Bandar Kuching MP said in a statement this morning.

He also said that Bersatu Youth chief Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Kamal had erred in lodging a report yesterday against Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Lim under Section 44 (6) of the Tax Act 1997.

He said that the legislation refers to appeals to the minister and not the minister initiating revocation of a tax exempt status.

Section 44 (6B) of Tax Act 1967 reads that “any instructions, organisation, appropriate religious authority, body or public university is aggrieved by the decision of the director-general in respect of an application made subsection (6) or (11D), the institution, organisations, appropriate religious authority, body or public university may within 30 days after being informed of the decision, appeal to the minister and the minister may make any decision as he considers it”.

“This is either his attempt to mislead the public or merely just shows his ignorance and lack of knowledge about economic, financial or taxation matters,” Dr Yii said.

Besides that, he said that Wan Fayhsal and Bersatu Youth displayed their ignorance of Parliamentary procedures by dragging the police into a matter brought up in Parliament.

“If really he claims that the prime minister had confused and misled the Dewan Rakyat then they should instead table a motion in Parliament rather than try to contravene the supremacy and independence of the Parliament,” he added.

Yesterday, Wan Fayhsal told reporters outside Dang Wangi police station that Anwar had knowingly misled the Dewan Rakyat by backing the Bagan MP and leaving out key details about the purported revocation of Yayasan Albukhary’s tax exemption status when the latter was finance minister in the then Pakatan Harapan government.

He said that Yayasan Albukhary had received tax exemption from 2016 to 2018 during Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s administration, but that the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN) had rejected the foundation’s request during the subsequent PH administration when Lim held the finance minister’s portfolio.

On Wednesday, Lim lodged a police report against Muhyiddin to prevent the latter’s claims about Yayasan Albukhary from being used as campaign fodder during state elections that are expected later this year.

Despite Lim’s repeated warnings, the Pagoh MP has said he would not retract his allegation.

Lim first warned Muhyiddin on March 4 that he will take legal action.

He said Muhyiddin had failed to produce evidence to support his allegations.