Finance Ministry: Guan Eng never cancelled Yayasan Albukhary's tax exemption

KUALA LUMPUR, March 23 — The Ministry of Finance (MOF) has come to the defence of its former minister Lim Guan Eng by stating that he had never revoked Yayasan Albukhary’s tax exemption when he was in office.

MOF said the tax exemption had always existed and that no ministers in the past or present had ever revoked the organisation’s privileges.

“In light of the accusations hurled at former finance minister Lim Guan Eng, MOF would like to state that whether through former ministers or ministry officers we have never revoked any tax exemption status that was offered to Yayasan Albukhary.

“This matter had also been clarified by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in Parliament on March 21, 2023. We take the allegations seriously and a police report will be lodged against those who made these false accusations,” MOF said in a statement today.

DAP chairman Lim said yesterday lodged a police report against former prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to prevent the latter’s claims about Yayasan Albukhary from being used as campaign fodder during state elections which are expected later this year.

Muhyiddin has been told to retract and apologise for accusing Lim of revoking the tax exemption for Yayasan Albukhary as then finance minister during the first Pakatan Harapan administration.

The Pagoh MP repeated the same remarks at a PAS centre in Taman Melewar, Gombak, in Selangor that same night.

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

The Bagan Datuk MP said that his police report will be based on Sections 499, 504 and 505 (c) of the Penal Code.

Section 499 is the offence of criminal defamation covering situations such as when words are published with the intention to harm or with the knowledge or with reason to believe that the accusation made will harm the reputation of any person, and is punishable under Section 500 with a maximum two-year jail term or fine or both.

Section 504 of the Penal Code deals with intentional insult with intent to provoke a breach of peace, and carries imprisonment for up to two years, or a fine, or both, if found guilty.