FORMER minister Khairy Jamaluddin has lodged a police report over claims that the previous Barisan Nasional (BN) government had “robbed” some RM18 billion in goods and services tax (GST) refund claims.

The Rembau MP wants the police to investigate the claims made by Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng in Parliament yesterday.

Lim had said that some RM18 billion of the RM19.4 billion input tax credit (refunds) under the GST system since 2015 had been “robbed” by the previous BN administration helmed by former prime minister Najib Razak.

Khairy, the youth and sport minister in the BN administration, will be lodging a similar report with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) tomorrow.

Briefly speaking to reporters after lodging his report at the Sentul police district headquarters at 2pm today, Khairy said the purpose of his report was for the police to investigate the matter.

“He (Lim) alleged that the previous government had robbed RM18 billion in GST refunds.

“I don’t think that is sufficient which is why I lodged a report with the police today… I will lodge a report with the MACC tomorrow,” Khairy said.

Earlier today, opposition leader and Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi disputed Lim’s claims, saying that the RM18 billion went to the Treasury’s consolidated account and cannot be considered stolen.

“If the money was spent on matters that did not follow Treasury regulations, then it was stolen.

“But if the money was spent on projects decided through a budget, then it should be presented to Parliament to be debated,” Zahid said at Parliament’s lobby today.

In another development, Umno Youth chief Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki has urged the government to set up a royal commission of inquiry to look into the missing GST funds. – August 9, 2018.