GEORGE TOWN, March 11 — DAP’s Lim Guan Eng has demanded that Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin retract his allegations that he had revoked Yayasan Albukhary’s tax exemption status during his time as finance minister.

The DAP national chairman also demanded that Muhyiddin apologise for issuing such a defamatory statement against him.

"Since he will be busy with another charge against him by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) on Monday, I will give him till Wednesday to state the truth on this matter and clear my name,” he said in a statement issued today.

The Bagan MP said if the former prime minister failed to apologise and withdraw his statement, he will instruct his lawyer to start defamation proceedings against Muhyiddin immediately.

Muhyiddin, during a press conference outside the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya on March 9, alleged that Lim had revoked the tax exemption which was approved for Yayasan Albukhary when Lim was finance minister after the 14th general election.

Lim reiterated that when he was finance minister, he had never issued any specific orders to revoke the tax exemption approved by the previous Barisan Nasional government for Yayasan Albukhary.

"It was clear that this baseless accusation by Muhyiddin was issued with ill intention to play on the sentiments of the people and to shift their attention from the four abuse of power and two money laundering charges against him involving RM232.5 million,” he said.

He claimed such accusations by Muhyiddin that he had revoked the tax exemption for an Islamic welfare organisation could easily instigate the public and disrupt the harmony of the public.

"I have challenged Muhyiddin to show a letter of me issuing instructions as finance minister to revoke Yayasan Albukhary’s tax exemption,” he said.

He added that he is confident that Muhyiddin will not be able to show such as letter as it does not exist.

He also said that the fact that Muhyiddin did not repeat his allegations outside the courthouse yesterday showed that the latter knew his earlier statement against him was untrue.