KUALA LUMPUR, July 17 — Former prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin testified in the High Court today, asserting that his comments regarding the Yayasan Albukhary tax exemption were not defamatory but merely clarifications. Muhyiddin explained that he addressed the media to clarify questions raised by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) following their investigation into him concerning the Jana Wibawa project and Yayasan Albukhary on March 9 last year.
Muhyiddin emphasized that his statements were not intended to defame Lim Guan Eng but to explain the situation. He highlighted that the previous Barisan Nasional government had granted the tax exemption, but Yayasan Albukhary had appealed to him in February 2021 after the Inland Revenue Board (IRB) ceased recognizing its exemption. He stated, “I did not accuse or defame him (Lim); I was merely referring to the fact that the government at the time was Pakatan Harapan, and it was a fact that the plaintiff was the Finance Minister.” The trial continues before Judicial Commissioner Roz Mawar Rozain.
