PUA:KDSB DIDN'T PAY TAXES FOR 13 YEARS?

PJ Utara MP Tony Pua today revealed that Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd (KDSB), the key contractor in the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) project, has not paid taxes for the past 13 years totalling RM328.4 million.

“A business newspaper report today revealed that KDSB has not paid its taxes since 1997 because it disputed the figure given by the Internal Revenue Board (IRB). If there is a dispute, why didn’t KDSB solve it as soon as possible instead of allowing it to drag on for so long?” he asked.

Pua also criticised KDSB’s owner, Tiong King Sing (who holds a 64% stake in company), and is the chairman of Barisan Nasional Backbenchers Club.

“It doesn’t mean that just because he (Tiong) is a prominent banker of BN, he allows his company to get away with not paying taxes,” he added.

A report released by the Companies Commission of Malaysia on KDSB’s key financial information stated that KDSB has RM932.6 million in current assets.

Pua said that legally IRB can seize KDSB’s assets to recover the tax money.

“KDSB has more than enough assets for IRB to seize and I think IRB should do it immediately, without having to go to the Port Klang Authority (PKA),” he said.

“If not, at the very least, charge the directors as they are the ones responsible for tax matters,” Pua said.

‘Crazy figures’

Faizal Abdullah, a former Kapar Umno Youth chief, has recently been appointed the new chief executive officer of KDSB to replace Tiong.

In an interview with a local newspaper, Faizal denied that the company has outstanding taxes of RM328.4 million, saying the tax figures released by the IRB were “crazy”.

Faizal also challenged IRB to bring the company to court to prove its figures, saying that KDSB always clears its taxes on time.

PKA was due to pay the next instalment amounting to RM772 million in 2010 to various bondholders on behalf of KDSB. But it was forced to back down when it was discovered that KDSB has outstanding taxes due amounting to RM 328.4 million.

In 2009, PKA sued KDSB for RM1.4 billion, citing huge cost overruns associated with the PKFZ project.