Former Bagan Dalam assemblyperson Satees Muniandy denied having started or circulated the claim that Deputy National Unity Minister Saraswathy Kandasamy had tax arrears totalling RM200,000.
In a statement, Satees (above, right) called on Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to explain the appointment of Saraswathy as deputy minister considering that she was blacklisted by the Inland Revenue Board (IRB).
His checks had shown that the blacklist had been in place until last Sunday, but had been lifted today, he said.
“Anwar is the right person to answer the questions regarding the appointment of Saraswathy as deputy minister.
“After seeing the relevant documents, I question how a person who is blacklisted by the IRB for tax offences can be nominated to be appointed as a senator and deputy minister, with the PM boasting uncompromising integrity.
“Was the Prime Minister’s Office careless in the security screening before the appointment of the deputy minister or were the screening results ignored?” he asked.
Yesterday, Malaysiakini reported that Saraswathy lodged a police report against Satees and local Tamil news portal Makkal Osai for allegedly spreading misinformation.
Previously, Malaysiakini sighted a document from the IRB granting Saraswathy a “temporary permit” for the PKR vice-president to travel abroad for medical purposes.
Questions over Tamil press targeting
There was also a breakdown of the annual income tax, from 2010 until 2020, that Saraswathy allegedly failed to settle.
Meanwhile, Satees questioned why Saraswathy had targeted only the Tamil press for her defamation suit when Malaysiakini had also reported on the issue.
“The news was first published by Makkal Osai, without naming the deputy minister involved in the tax blacklist. In fact, Malaysiakini reported the news, naming Saraswathy as the deputy minister and also contacted the IRB to confirm the matter.
“I asked why only Tamil press is being targeted in a defamation suit when Malaysiakini named the person with confirmation as well,” he said.
He said the authorities had yet to call him up to take his statement, but he will cooperate with them in their investigation.
However, Malaysians have the right to know if the prime minister had appointed an individual blacklisted for tax offences as a deputy minister despite claims of anti-corruption, Satees added.
Earlier, Saraswathy said she has been forced to take legal action as this is the second time a news portal has spread misinformation about her.
Makkal Osai had reported that it had sighted documents including the temporary permit from the IRB and a purported letter to Inspector-General of Police Razarudin Husain and IRB director-general Abu Tariq Jamaluddin stating that the temporary permit was to allow her to travel abroad for medical purposes. - Mkini
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