KUCHING, Nov 7 — Sarawak Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said many Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) leaders have received Inland Revenue Board (IRB) notices for them to furnish their income details and tax records

He said he was among those to receive the letter after the general election.

“But of course there are many ways of harassment against the GPS leaders, which are what we call occupational hazards,” he said.

“When you are in this (political) line, you have to be prepared for ir,” Karim told reporters at the Sarawak State Legislative here.

Advertisement

He said the notices were a personal matter between the GPS leaders and the IRB.

“I have made my income tax deduction right from the time I was made an assistant minister. But, of course, you miss small things here and there,” he said, adding he is addressing the notices by himself.

“It should not be a problem because I am not someone who doesn’t pay tax from the time I was working,” he said.

Advertisement

Karim also claimed the extension of the Village Community Management Council (MPKK) is an attempt by the PH federal government to destabilise the state government at the grassroots level.

He said the federal government should instead focus on uniting the country.

He said that the federal government knows that there is already the Village Security and Development Committee (JKKK), a good administrative system at the grassroots level.

“Can you imagine where a longhouse has two heads, one from JKKK and the other from MPKK?” he asked.

“They (PH federal government) know that the strength of GPS is in the rural areas. So, they must have strategised where they break this strength. That is why they come up with this MPKK,” he said.

He said the extension of MPKK to Sarawak from Peninsular Malaysia is wrong.

He said state PH leaders like Chong Chieng Jen and Baru Bian must be prepared to challenge the setting up of MPKK at the federal level, but they have not.