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Writer's pictureYB Wong Chen

Response to The Release of the Inland Revenue Board Amendment Bill 2014

The IRB bill has just been posted up in the Parlimen Malaysia website this morning and here is the big surprise, line by line, it is exactly the same as the draft presented in June.

So why did the Deputy Finance Minister Ahmad Maslan withdraw the bill in June? Back then he used the pretext that he needed to review it and hinted that the Bank Governor shouldn’t be part of the investment panel. Now he is going to re-table it fully intact, with the Bank Governor in tow.

The bill was most probably withdrawn last June because of the intense media attention. Since then, the controversy has died down somewhat, and it appears that he is now trying his luck again.

Below is my press statement for immediate release:


MEDIA STATEMENT: REGARDING THE RELEASE OF THE INLAND REVENUE BOARD AMENDMENT BILL 2014

This morning, PKR discovered that the controversial IRB Bill has been posted on the Parliament website. We downloaded a copy and immediately cross-referenced the new Bill with the previous Bill. We found that they are exactly the same.

In other words, the IRB Amendment Bill that was controversially withdrawn in June is emerging again fully intact.

When the Deputy Minister retracted the Bill, we expected him to remove the more contentious parts of the Bill before it is re-tabled in Parliament.

To have it presented again in the exact form is a mockery to all. It also reflects poorly on the government’s credibility in engaging and listening to the Rakyat’s concerns.

I repeat my call to all Members of Parliament to prepare to fully debate this matter on Tuesday, 7 October 2014.


YB Wong Chen, Member of Parliament for Kelana Jaya 3 October 2014

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