KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 7 — The High Court here today set January 24 to hear former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s application for a stay of the proceedings of the Inland Revenue Board (IRB) lawsuit seeking him to pay RM1.69 billion in income tax, pending an appeal on the tax assessment to IRB.

Lawyer Muhammad Farhan Shafee, who is representing Najib, informed reporters of the date after the case management before Justice Datuk Ahmad Bache in chambers, which was also attended by lawyer Datuk DP Naban acting for the IRB.

Muhammad Farhan also said the hearing date for IRB’s application for summary judgment against Najib has yet to be fixed by the court.

Summary judgment is a judgment entered by a court without a full trial.

Datuk Seri Najib Razak defence lawyer Muhammad Farhan Shafee is seen during SRC Trial at Kuala Lumpur High Court October 22,2019. — Picture by Miera Zulyana

On August 8 last year Najib filed an application for a stay of proceedings of IRB’s suit seeking him to pay RM1.69 billion in income tax, pending his appeal on the tax assessment to IRB.

However, the IRB, in its supporting affidavit, said that Najib still has to pay the total amount of RM1.69 billion even if he has filed an appeal against the tax assessment.

IRB Monitoring Unit assistant director Hisyamuddin Mohd Hassan, in his supporting affidavit, said that according to Section 103 of the Income Tax Act 1967, all the assessed tax shall be due and payable on the day the notice of assessment is served whether or not the person appeals against the assessment.

On June 25 last year, the government through IRB filed the suit against Najib seeking him to pay RM1.69 billion in unpaid tax with interest at 5 per cent a year from the date of judgment, as well as cost and other relief deemed fit by the court. — Bernama