The daughter of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak has questioned the government over the Inland Revenue Board’s (IRB) move to get her pay RM10.3 million in unpaid income taxes between 2011 and 2017.
Nooryana Najwa Najib, via her Instagram account, questioned the IRB for taxing her on money given by her husband Daniyar Kessikbayev and his family.
“The government is hell-bent on going against my entire family. I do not blame the people in IRB since I know their hands are tied. There are politicians higher up who are the masterminds behind this,” she said via her ‘Instagram-story’.
Nooryana claimed that the IRB taxed her over her house which her husband listed her as joint-owner as well as the dowry she received from her husband.
“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,” she said.
The Harvard graduate said she had submitted the related documents to the taxmen last year, including bank documents that showed most of her so-called income from abroad were transferred from her husband’s family, as well as documents showing her in-laws purchased a home using their funds from abroad.
“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 tycoons for 10 years,” she said.
Kessikbayev’s mother, socialite Maira Kesikbayev, was once married to Kazakh businessman Bolat Nazarbayev, the brother of the country’s former president Nursultan Nazarbayev.
Nooryana then pointed out that she was listed as joint-owner of the house, but she did not pay for it.
“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 this so-called income were dowry as well as gifts from family and friends,” she said.
Nooryana said it appeared that the government is taxing the wives who received money from husbands, money transferred from overseas as well as dowry and wedding gifts and engagement gifts.
“Just like in the case of my father and siblings who have been similarly hit on a ridiculous basis, many who know the details of the case are shocked and speechless at how blatant the government is abusing the laws.
“All of this evidence will come out in court one day, and the world will know how ridiculous these charges are. The truth will prevail,” she added.
The IRB, saying Nooryana had not submitted tax returns between 2011 and 2017, filed a suit at the Shah Alam High Court on July 24 to claim arrears ranging from RM21,084 to RM6 million.
It was the second suit slapped on Najib’s children after his son Nazifuddin was sued for RM37.6 million in tax arrears over seven years.
LHDN is also seeking RM1.69 billion from Najib in additional taxes, in what has been described as the largest tax suit against an individual in the country.
Earlier report: Aug 26, Taxman After Najib’s Daughter for RM10.3M Unpaid Taxes