Fadillah (right) hands over the contribution to one of the recipients while others look on.
KUCHING (Jan 21): Deputy Prime Minister Dato Sri Fadillah Yusof today said the federal government will be tabling the proposal to amend the Inland Board of Malaysia (LHDN) Act 1995 in this upcoming Parliament session next month.
Fadillah said the proposal to amend the provision was to allow one of the government representatives from the Finance Ministry to be reappointed back into LHDN board of directors.
He explained the decision to reappoint the Finance Ministry’s representative on the board following the Prime Minister Dato Sri Anwar Ibrahim’s announcement yesterday on the appointment of the Sarawak Financial State Secretary on the board .
He said the government representative had to step down in order to make the position vacant for Sarawak to have its representatives sit on the LHDN board.
“Supposedly, we have to table a bill to amend the Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia (LHDN) Act 1995 in Parliament this term.
“However, during the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) Technical Committee meeting yesterday, the Prime Minister Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim has decided to directly appoint Sarawak Financial Secretary (Dato Sri Dr Wan Lizozman Wan Omar) on the board.
“But the provision does not permit the appointment of another government servant on the board because it only allows three government servants to sit on the board
“So because of this composition of the board of directors and the prime minister’s instruction to appoint Sarawak on the board, one of the finance ministry representatives on the board had to resign for the position to be vacant and given to the state financial secretary,” he told reporters after giving away contributions to the needy of Sungai Tengah Matang in conjunction with the Chinese New Year celebration at the Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Hall at Jalan Sungai Tengah here today.
Elaborating further, Fadillah said the reappointment of the government representative will be made once the amendment of the bill is passed in the Parliament.
“This means, we still have to amend the act and it will be brought to the parliament this coming session.
“The Finance Ministry representative will be reappointed back when the amendment is approved in the Parliament,” he told The Borneo Post when asked whether the proposal to amend the bill will be brought into the parliament next month.
On Friday, State Financial Secretary Dato Sri Dr Wan Lizozman Wan Omar was appointed as Sarawak’s representative on the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN).
His appointment was announced by the prime minister after chairing the Malaysian Agreement (MA63) Technical Committee meeting at the State Legislative Assembly building.