16-6-2023 (KUALA LUMPUR) Kuala Lumpur witnessed a raid on the residence of Malaysian opposition leader Hamzah Zainudin on Tuesday (Jun 13) by investigators from the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN) following allegations of unreported taxes. According to a source cited by The Star, Mr. Hamzah was present at home during the raid.
The source revealed on Thursday that files and documents related to bank accounts and asset ownership were seized during the operation. Razali Idris, the information chief of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu), confirmed the raid on the party’s secretary-general in a report by the Malay Mail.
Sources close to Mr. Hamzah, as reported by The Star, claimed that the raid was politically motivated. They maintained that the Larut Member of Parliament (MP) had filed his taxes and criticized the authorities for not providing detailed reasons for the raid or clarifying whether it was related to company taxes or specific projects. The sources stated that Mr. Hamzah is awaiting documentation from the board.
According to Free Malaysia Today, a Bersatu source expressed that the raid failed to uncover any negative findings related to Mr. Hamzah. Another source accused the authorities of attempting to tarnish their reputation and create a negative perception against them.
In February, Mr. Hamzah had accused the government of utilizing the country’s anti-graft agency as a political tool to undermine the credibility of Bersatu and the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition. Bersatu is part of the PN coalition, along with Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) and Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia (Gerakan).
In April, Mr. Hamzah’s son, Muhammad Faisal Hamzah, who serves as the director of Rimba Merpati Sdn Bhd, faced charges in the Sessions Court related to violations of the federal government’s controlled goods list. Rimba Merpati Sdn Bhd holds a wholesale cooking oil license, and cooking oil is classified as a controlled item under the Control of Supplies Act 1961.
Muhammad Faisal and another director, Azizul Abdul Halim, were accused of producing fake invoices regarding the sale of subsidized cooking oil and possessing an excessive quantity of cooking oil, surpassing the allowed limit of 50 metric tonnes.
