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Malaysia’s Najib, son face bankruptcy, ordered to pay over US$407 million in taxes

Malaysia’s revenue board initiated the proceedings after the former prime minister and his son failed to settle their tax arrears

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Malaysia’s former prime minister Najib Razak attends an appeal hearing at the High Court on April 17 last year. Photo: AFP
The Star
The Malaysian High Court has dismissed an appeal by former prime minister Najib Razak and his son, Mohd Nazifuddin Najib, to stay bankruptcy proceedings against them.
The bankruptcy proceedings were initiated by the Inland Revenue Board following Najib and Nazifuddin’s failure to settle tax arrears amounting to 1.69 billion ringgit (US$407 million) and 37.6 million ringgit, respectively.

Judicial Commissioner Suhendran Sockanathan alias Saheran Abdullah made the dismissal after finding that there was no reason to grant a stay.

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“I don’t see any other damages that would warrant a stay,” he said on Monday.

Mohd Nazifuddin Najib at the Paris Olympic Games last year. Photo: Olympic Council of Malaysia
Mohd Nazifuddin Najib at the Paris Olympic Games last year. Photo: Olympic Council of Malaysia

In his dismissal, Suhendran stated that the merits of a tax assessment were to be determined by the Special Commissioners of Income Tax and not by a court of law.

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“The court’s role is only to facilitate the collection and recovery of tax. The formula of ‘pay now, dispute later’ is, again, to facilitate the collection of tax,” he added.

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