The Finance Ministry (MOF) has tried to justify the Inland Revenue Board's (IRB) rent for its Kuantan office, which reportedly runs up to RM680,000 a month, or RM8.16 million a year.

The Treasury neither confirmed nor denied the figure in a written parliamentary response to Fuziah Salleh (PKR-Kuantan) that is dated Nov 11.

It said the rent was at a rate set by the MOF's Valuation and Property Services Department and based on the rental rates of offices in Kuantan town...