FORMER prime minister Najib Razak has disputed a RM1.5 billion tax bill sent by the Inland Revenue Board (IRB) and insisted that he has never shirked his responsibility of paying annual personal income tax.

In a Facebook post last night, Najib slammed the move by the IRB as “propaganda” by Pakatan Harapan ahead of his first trial related to 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) corruption charges.

“I have never shirked my responsibility of paying personal income tax every year,” he said.

“This PH propaganda is a penalty of a new tax which has suddenly been imposed on me. This doesn’t mean that I did not pay my taxes every year or that there was tax arrears.”

The RM1.5 billion penalty was for Najib’s failure to declare RM4 billion in income, which included the RM2.6 billion discovered in his bank account in 2013.

Najib said the money was a donation from the Saudi government.

Yesterday, Najib maintained that political donations were exempted from being taxed and challenged the IRB’s ruling that all income, whether donated or gained through illegal means, was taxable.

In the post yesterday, Najib also questioned who leaked the information.

“It needs to be asked why the penalty for a new personal tax could suddenly be leaked by the government to the local media. Who leaked it?”

Najib’s trial is due to begin tomorrow where he will face seven of the 42 counts of corruption and embezzlement over his role in 1MDB. He has pleaded not guilty to all the charges. – April 2, 2019.