DAP national chairman Lim Guan Eng has given ex-prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin until Wednesday to retract a statement asserting that Lim had cancelled the tax exemption given to the Albukhary Foundation during his time as finance minister. 

Lim challenged Muhyiddin – who faces corruption and money laundering charges – to provide evidence to support his allegation. 

He also asked for an apology and withdrawal of the slander.   

“If he fails to apologize and retract his malicious slander against me, I will instruct my lawyer to initiate legal proceedings for a libel suit immediately.  

“Since he is busy with the case of charges against him by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, including facing another charge on Monday, I will give him until Wednesday to state the truth and clear my name,” he said in a statement.

Yesterday, Muhyiddin was charged with two counts of money laundering, where he was alleged to have received RM195 million from Bukhary Equity, which was deposited into Bersatu’s CIMB account. 

Bukhary Equity is linked to Albukhary Foundation. 

Muhyiddin had mentioned an appeal against a cancellation of the tax exemption granted to Albukhary Foundation during his questioning by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission. 

He said the tax exemption was called off by the then finance minister Lim after Pakatan Harapan (PH) came to power in 2018. 

He added that Syed Mokhtar had appealed to him to lift the cancellation after the PH government fell and Muhyiddin became prime minister. 

Lim said that during his tenure as finance minister, he did not issue any specific instruction to cancel the tax exemption that had been approved by the Barisan Nasional government against Albukhary Foundation.    

“Clearly, this baseless slander by Muhyiddin has malicious intent to play on sentiments to divert the people’s attention from the four charges of abuse of power and two charges of money laundering involving RM232.5 million that he is facing. 

“It is very easy to inflame or incite the feelings of people by accusing me of deliberately cancelling the tax exemption given to an Islamic welfare organization.” 

Lim said he had already challenged Muhyiddin to show the letter that proved he issued an order to cancel the tax exemption.  

“I am sure that Muhyiddin is unable to show the letter because it did not exist at all and was simply a fabrication of his.   

“It is clear that Muhyiddin did not repeat his slander against me in a press conference outside the Kuala Lumpur court on March 10. This is an indication that he himself is aware of his evil slander against me.” – March 11, 2023.