Kuala Lumpur—First they came for his son, and now they’re coming for former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s daughter. Earlier this month state news agency Bernama reported that the ex PM’s son, 36-year-old Datuk Mohd Nazifuddin Mohd Najib, owes the government more than RM37.6 million (S$52 million) in unpaid taxes from 2011 to 2017.
And now, it seems as though it’s the daughter’s turn. The country’s Inland Revenue Board (IRB) is seeking RM10.3 million (S$3.4 million) from Nooryana Najwa Najib in unpaid income taxes.
Bernama reported that the IRB filed a claim against the 31-year-old Ms Nooryana, who is the former Prime Minister’s youngest child, on July 24 at the Shah Alam High Court. The period of Ms Nooryana’s undeclared taxes is the same as her brother’s, 2011 to 2017.
The IRB has also filed a claim against the former Prime Minister himself, who, for the same period of 2011 to 2017, is said to have RM1.69 billion (S$ 558 million) in unpaid taxes.
The IRB’s filing against Ms Nooryana is scheduled for case management on Sept 12.
Ms Nooryana is married to the nephew of former Kazakhstani President, Nursultan Kessikbayev. She responded to the filing from the IRB in a Facebook post, writing, “The government is hell-bent on going against my entire family.”
Ms Nooryana claims that her income comes from her husband’s family and that she has already submitted documents that back these claims.
“Since last year when they started auditing me, I had long ago submitted all the proof including detailed bank transfer documents that shows most of these so-called income from abroad were transfers from my husband’s family.
I also furnished proof showing that my in-laws purchased a home directly using their funds from abroad.
My husband’s family then listed me as joint-owner of the home.
Somehow, this act of listing me as joint owner with my husband is now considered by the government as my “income”!
And this forms the bulk of these “tax due” even though the payment for the house did not even go through me.
Although I do not want to say this, but I have to so that the people understand my situation.
My husband and his family have been independently wealthy long before we met and even before my mother-in-law was married to one of Kazakhstan’s richest tycoon for ten years.
In any case, even if you consider payments from husband to wife as income, these transfers are from abroad and should not be taxed.
A smaller portion of these so-called income are also wang hantaran as well as gifts from family and friends.
At the age of 30 now and having spent many years studying and briefly working overseas, I have never operated any business in Malaysia and have never bid for nor received any government contracts of any sort.
And I have never had thought that my husband putting me as joint owner of the house and money that my husband gives me for household expenses can be considered income.
Just like in the case of my father and siblings who have been similarly hit on ridiculous basis, many who know the details of the case are shocked and speechless at how blatant the government is abusing the laws.
It looks like in the new Malaysia:
1) Husband giving money to wife is now considered income and need to be taxed.
2) Money from foreign sources which has always been exempt from tax is now also taxed.
3) Husband buying a house and putting wife as joint-owner is also now considered as income for the wife and is taxed.
4) Hantaran, engagement and wedding gifts are also considered as income and now must be taxed.
All of these evidence will come out in court one day and the world will know how ridiculous these charges are. Inshallah the truth will prevail. –/TISG
Read related: $52 million lawsuit filed against Najib’s son for unpaid taxes from 2011-2017