KUALA LUMPUR – Former Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng told the high court here today that he had never issued any order to revoke the tax exemption for the Albukhary Foundation during his tenure as finance minister.
Lim said the defamatory statements over the tax exemption issue made by former prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin were baseless and without any supporting evidence.
“Before the commencement of this action against the defendant (Muhyiddin), I had given the defendant opportunities by issuing several statements to retract and apologise regarding the defamatory statements.
“However, the defendant failed and refused to do so. This shows how arrogant the defendant is. It has also tarnished my reputation and image as a politician due to the defamatory statements issued by the defendant,” he said while reading his witness statement during the first day of trial of his suit against Muhyiddin over the cancellation of the tax exemption for the Albukhary Foundation.
Lim further said the defamatory statements have been widely circulated through the defendant’s Facebook accounts, which attract a large number of readers and comments, and were covered in various press releases and portals.
On an additional question posted by his counsel, Guok Ngek Seong, Lim said the defendant also touched on the 3R (race, religion and royalty) issues that may cause disharmony.
“The issue involved the revocation of the tax exemption to Yayasan Albukhary, which is a Muslim charitable organisation.
“I didn’t issue such revocation and the defendant’s action was distracting the attention of an investigation by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and charges against him about Jana Wibawa,” he said.
On March 27 last year, Lim filed a suit against Muhyiddin for allegedly issuing three defamatory statements on Facebook over the tax exemption issue on March 9, 11 and 12, 2023.
Reports on the matter were then published by several newspapers and news portals.
The former Penang chief minister also claimed that the slanderous statements also inferred that he had abused his position and power by authorising or ordering the Inland Revenue Board to impose taxes and penalties on the charitable foundation when it should not be taxed.
The hearing before Judicial Commissioner Roz Mawar Rozain continues tomorrow. – July 15, 2024