THE Kedah government will hold a meeting with the state Inland Revenue Board (IRB) to discuss the issue of Kedah Football Association’s (KFA) tax arrears that have risen to RM10 million.

Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor said the meeting has been arranged by the state secretary and likely to be held soon, with the hope that the tax arrears could be written off.

“I’ve received informal feedback that the state secretary has arranged a meeting with the IRB, KFA, KDA FC (Kedah Darul Aman FC), with KDA FC not having any arrears for now… this is the old tax arrears.

“… we ask that it be written off because football is not a profitable business, none at all. All are through sponsorships, CSR (corporate social responsibility)... we accepted the challenge to be involved in football for the sake of national sports,” he told a media conference after closing the online exhibition programme of #MyDigitalMaker “MaiReka” 2021 in Alor Setar today.

The Kedah state legislative assembly meeting on September 23 was told that the amount of tax arrears owed to IRB had risen to RM10 million.

State Tourism, Arts and Culture, Youth and Sports and Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives chairman Mohd Firdaus Ahmad was reported to have said the amount was obtained after IRB reviewed documents pertaining to employment from 2014-2019 in March.

As such, Sanusi hoped that IRB would consider writing off the tax arrears as the RM10 million could be allocated for development purposes as well as the well-being of Kedah folk.

He said he had previously held a meeting with IRB officials to review the tax arrears apart from looking for a solution to qualify for a club licence to play in the 2022 season as KDA FC would need a permission letter from IRB to apply for that licence. – Bernama, October 31, 2021.