Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has denied claims that Bagan MP Lim Guan Eng, as then finance minister, revoked the Albukhary Foundation's tax-exempt status. Anwar told the Dewan Rakyat that under sub-section 44(6) of the Income Tax Act 1967, the Inland Revenue Board's director-general has full power over matters related to tax exemption, with no interference from the finance minister or prime minister.
"The Albukhary Foundation has been given approval for tax exemption under subsection 44(6) of the Income Tax Act 1967, and the government has confirmed based on finance ministry's records that YB Bagan (Lim) as then finance minister had never revoked the status as alleged," said Anwar during the Prime Minister's Question Time.
"Therefore, the allegation that he (Lim) revoked the tax exemption is not true because the fact is that the unprecedented approval for tax exemption involving the Albukhary Foundation and Albukhary Group was only given on Feb 25, 2021," said Anwar, who is also the finance minister.
DAP national chairperson Lim Guan Eng has warned Perikatan Nasional chairperson Muhyiddin Yassin against mounting a racially charged election campaign based on alleged slander linked to the Albukhary Foundation's tax-exempt status.
Speaking to reporters outside the Dang Wangi district police station, Lim said his police report against Muhyiddin was intended to prevent the matter from being used as campaign fodder for the upcoming six state elections. "If we don't stop these (lies) then, they (PN) will use it in the next state elections. I think that's extremely dangerous. "It is something that we must stop. Please campaign based on fact.
"Don't be like Donald Trump. Campaigning on lies," said Lim in reference to the US former president's 2016 presidential campaign known for its right-wing message to “Make America Great Again”.
On March 9, former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin accused Lim of revoking the tax exemption granted to the Albukhary Foundation when the latter was finance minister. Muhyiddin made the claim after he was summoned by the MACC to have his statement recorded, and among the issues raised by the anti-graft agency was the appeal against the cancellation of the tax exemption granted to the Albukhary Foundation. Lim has since denied the claim.
Lim, who was accompanied by Jelutong MP RSN Rayer as his lawyer, as well as other DAP MPs present in solidarity, said Muhyiddin has refused to retract the accusation even after Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's statement in Parliament yesterday.
Furthermore, Lim noted there could be consequences of alleged attempts to play up racial sentiments with a false narrative that a "non-Muslim finance minister is cancelling the tax-exempt status of a charitable Islamic institution".
"That is very sensitive. One, if it's true, and worse if it's not true [...] No matter how much explanation we say 'this is not true', the damage is done."People believe it because it comes from a former prime minister," he said. Lim in his police report urged police to probe Muhyiddin for criminal defamation and also attempt to incite a breach of peace. - mk
Dr.M the peddler of lies,
unless history lies...
Former PM Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has come out with some startling statements without batting an eyelid. That is typical of him! But these are nothing but blatant and unvarnished lies – and Dr Mahathir is a master at this! What he recently said and claimed left many flabbergasted and in shock. He painted PM Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim “as an oppressor – one that is worse than the British colonials”.
“During the British era, we can speak out, form parties, and fight for the Malays. During my time Malays could speak out too but in Anwar’s ‘democratic’ era, Malays can’t speak up” was Dr Mahathir’s outlandish and outrageous claim.
When he asserted that “in Anwar’s ‘democratic’ era, Malays can’t speak up”, wasn’t Dr Mahathir speaking up as a Malay? Or has he gone back to his roots in order to speak boldly? Has there been any consequence for Dr Mahathir when spewing his lies?
He refers to Anwar’s ‘era’. What is an era? It is “a long and distinct period of history”. But Anwar has been in office for hardly four months and Dr Mahathir refers to that as an era! Can these four months be referred to as an “era”? Is there any substance in Dr Mahathir’s reference?
Anwar has declared an unrelenting war against corruption. People without a clean past have reason to fear. For them, each day Anwar continues to be in office is a long period of time! And they feel threatened! They feel entrapped!
Spewing lies
The atrocities the British committed in Malaya cannot be compared or equated to Anwar’s time in office. The British had all the time at their disposal to do whatever they wanted – and they did a lot to oppress, to rob the country of its wealth, to live as they pleased and lord over us. They discriminated against us even after our independence. Certain clubs were barred to Asians. It was common to have “whites only” clubs and spaces – even certain urinals were exclusively for whites only!
We must ask Dr Mahathir, did Anwar outdo them in all this in less than four months? During the British era, there was the infamous Batang Kali massacre of innocent people. Did Anwar massacre anyone within these four months? Dr Mahathir boasts vainly, “During my time Malays could speak out too ….”
But Dr Mahathir, do you remember what happened on Oct 27, 1987 to those who did? You locked them up without any charge and robbed them of their freedom. A total of 106 (or more) of them! Let me refresh your memory, Tun. Some women who were locked up on that day of infamy had their period while in detention, and they faced difficulty getting sanitary pads. How callous and cruel could one be!
Tun, do you remember your inspector general of police IGP) Tan Sri Rahim Noor’s cowardly assault on a blind-folded Anwar with his hands tied behind him? Anwar appeared with a black eye in court on Sept 29, 1998 to face charges of corruption and sodomy.
Tun, you and Rahim Noor explained that Anwar’s black eye was “self-inflicted” by “pressing a glass over his eyes”. It took a royal commission of inquiry to expose that both of you had lied! How shameful it was that the PM and the IGP back then were exposed as liars!
Tun, has any political opponent been beaten up in the lock-up during Anwar’s term in office? Has any adversary of Anwar been detained for speaking up? Name them if it is true! You can’t because nothing of that sort has taken place under Anwar’s watch.
Tun, do you recall how thousands of Reformasi protesters were brutally treated by the police with water cannons and baton charges? In contrast, have any protesters been assaulted cruelly during Anwar’s term in office?
Tun, you have lost your credibility and your followers. We understand your desperate situation and your helpless position. But that should be no excuse to resort to blatant lies – unless you are a compulsive and pathological liar! – P. Ramakrishnan
Mahathir’s dilemma...
There is only one dilemma. Mahathir’s! Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, Malaysia’s longest serving prime minister, is faced with the dilemma of whether or not to abandon his political ambitions. Age is against him and political support has waned.
He lost his deposit at GE15 and should not have contested, but left on a high, and been remembered for his past good deeds to Malaysia. Instead, he allowed his ego to get the better of him. He would like history to judge him as the leader of the Malay community, but if truth be known, many Malays have rejected him.
Despite ruling Malaysia in two separate sessions, the first for 22 years and the second for 22 months, Mahathir views himself as the Malay savior. He refuses to accept that he has become an irrelevance to the Malays. His book, “The Malay Dilemma,” is a reflection of his muddled thinking.
His age-old rivalry against his former deputy Anwar Ibrahim has consumed him and left him a bitter old man. He simply cannot accept the fact that Anwar is now the prime minister and is making sweeping changes in an effort to introduce the reforms he promised the rakyat, undo many of Mahathir’s unjust policies, and in particular, eradicate corruption, especially in Putrajaya.
Last week, the nation saw how dangerous Mahathir had become in his latest attempt to scupper Anwar’s leadership and destabilize his administration. Mahathir issued a 12-point proclamation and laid several plans to lead a Malay rally in Kuala Lumpur, but these had to be canceled when various organizations refused to allow him to hold his event at their establishments. Mahathir issued many provocative remarks which had the potential to cause unrest in the rakyat, in particular the Malay community. Shame on him!
One would have thought that age would have made him wiser and more inclusive, instead we find that he is more vindictive than ever. Instead of thinking of the nation and the well-being of the rakyat, Mahathir acted irresponsibly and only had his own selfish agenda in mind.
Another point in his proclamation was that the “Malays have never controlled the nation’s economy. Even their little stalls have been taken by others.” What did he expect? Affirmative action policies kept the Malays dependent on government handouts. Why work hard when aid just lands on your lap? Why work and learn the skills of the trade when it is easier to get others to do it for you?
That is when Malay stall-holders sublet their stalls and shops to mostly Indonesians. They were then freed from problems with workers, poor sales, compliance issues and competition. They were content receiving a hassle-free regular income every month.
Mahathir is aware that non-Malay traders face additional difficulties because, unlike the Malays, they cannot access government aid for small traders. Malaysia should have become a high-income nation by 2020, but we fell short of that too. We encouraged migrant workers because they accept low wages (which translates to higher profits). We deny adequate insurance to cover their health and accidents at work.
Malay politicians fueled by their affirmative action policies stole the bulk of the nation’s wealth for themselves and their cronies instead of distributing and sharing their wealth fairly. Past Malay leaders placed conditions on non-Malay companies, demanding that they split their profits with the Malays besides demanding that ownership be shared. What did Mahathir expect because this is the behavior exhibited by many Malay leaders and Malay elites?
He also said that “the only power the Malays possessed, political power, has also slipped out of their hands” and that “the fate of the Malays at present and in the future can no longer be determined by them.”
This is classic Mahathir. He excels in sowing seeds of discord. He knows that the PM and his deputy are both Malay. The major ministries like defense, finance, home and education are all helmed by the Malays.
The heads of GLCs, various government departments, Bank Negara, vice chancellors of public universities, and police and the armed forces chiefs are all Malay. The civil servants are majority Malay. Despite Mahathir’s remarks, the Malays occupy a position of strength.
Another point in his proclamation was to say that “Malays are so weak that even the sovereignty of their homeland will slip from their hands. Their future is bleak. Poverty is forcing the Malays to sell their lands.” Why blame the Malays? Blame the politicians, their affirmative action policies and how they dumbed-down education.
In many cases, the Malays are not taught about hard work and discipline, or how to invest for the future by spending time, effort and money on the present. Instead, the Malays discover that they can make easy money by selling valuable assets like land for quick profit.
Mahathir claimed that “the Malay party built on the foundation of religion, race and nation has been turned into a party to enrich oneself” and that “jostling for power and money has destroyed Malay unity.”
The irony is that Mahathir is the architect of all that has gone wrong in Malaysia today, and he will neither admit nor acknowledge the role he played in dividing the nation, in making the country a poorer place, socially, financially and morally, and worst of all, making many Malays extremely insecure and entitled. - Mariam Mokhtar
cheers.
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