The government has embarked on necessary actions to ensure personal information provided by recipients of the 1Malaysia People's Aid (BR1M) will not be accessible to the Inland Revenue Board (IRB).

Deputy Finance Minister Awang Adek Hussin said the proactive measures were taken as there were some BR1M recipients who declined to give their personal particulars for fear that the information would be obtained by IRB for tax collection purpose.

"We have taken action to ensure IRB does not use the information that was provided for BR1M applications," Awanf Adek said when winding up the debate on the Supplementary Supply Bill 2012 in the Dewan Rakyat today.

He refuted an allegation by Chong Chieng Jen (DAP-Bandar Kuching) that the IRB had raided the premises of some businesses to demand the operators concerned to pay tax after they received BR1M.

Awang Adek advised BR1M recipients who felt that they were being "chased" by the IRB to lodge a report.

- Bernama