FORMER finance minister Guan Eng today urged the police to investigate Muhyiddin Yassin for criminal defamation and breach of peace.

This was after Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim cleared the DAP chairman of allegations that the former had revoked the tax-exempt status of Albukhary Foundation when he was in office.

Lim filed a police report today stating Muhyiddin had tried to fan religious and racial sentiments with false claims. The report was lodged after the former prime minister failed to make a public apology to the ex-finance minister for the allegations.

“Muhyiddin, after he was released from the custody of MACC on March 9, made a criminal defamation against me, the Bagan MP and a former finance minister,” said Lim.

“He accused me of revoking Albukhary Foundation’s tax exemption after (the 2018 election) when Pakatan Harapan was the government.

“He repeated the slander in a media statement on March 11 and again on March 12 during a press conference. To date, he has yet to provide any proof to back up his claim.

“It is easy to play up religious and racial sentiments that could lead up to disharmony. A non-Muslim ex-finance minister is accused of revoking a tax exemption for Islamic organisation. Muhyiddin’s accusations were made in bad faith and was an attempt to tarnish my image.”

Yesterday Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Lim did not revoke Yayasan Albukhary’s tax exemption.

Anwar said allegations that Lim had done so when he was finance minister were false.

“The government, from the Finance Ministry’s records, has verified that Yang Berhormat Bagan when he was finance minister did not issue a cancellation of the tax exemption for Yayasan Albukhary,” Anwar told parliament.

Anwar was responding to Cha Kee Chin (Rasah-PH), who asked whether Lim during his tenure as finance minister had cancelled the Yayasan Albukhary tax exemption and if so, why. – March 22, 2023.