PARLIAMENT Taxes collected from billionaires cannot be revealed as this is classified information under Section 138 of the Income Tax Act 1967, Deputy Finance Minister Ahmad Maslan said today.

"The Inland Revenue Board (LHDN) is bound by this and cannot reveal the amount paid by them.

"In line with Section 138, it is stated that every classified person shall regard and deal with every classified material as confidential," he said.

Ahmad Maslan was responding to opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim who wanted to know the amount of tax collected from 20 tycoons.

Among others, Anwar had named the son of former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Mokhzani, and business tycoons T Ananda Krishnan and Vincent Tan.

Meanwhile, Bayan Baru MP Sim Tze Tzin ( left ) called on Ahmad to reveal the total amount of the tax collected by the 20 individuals if their individual taxes cannot be revealed.

However, Ahmad told Sim he did not have the numbers and said he had to check whether it (the amounts of the individual taxes) was allowed to be revealed.

He then stressed that LHDN was responsible for collecting taxes without favouritism, regardless of whether the individual is the richest person in the country or otherwise.

He also refuted Anwar’s claim that some of the tycoons were given leeway to pay their taxes in instalments, with some given up to 18 months.

Ahmad said paying taxes in instalments is allowed when it involves tax audits and tax assessments made by the government.

‘It can be done in instalment according to their actual financial capacity, when it involves additional assessment after tax audits and tax interpretations are performed,” Ahmad, who is the MP for Pontian, added.

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