By Karen Bong
KUCHING, Jan 4: A 28-year-old chef working in Singapore has been stranded in Kuching since October last year after being barred from leaving the country by the Immigration Department due to over RM800,000 in unpaid income tax linked to the fraudulent use of his identity to register a company in Kuala Lumpur without his knowledge.
The victim, identified as Fang, has been unable to return to work and is currently on unpaid leave, relying on the goodwill of his Singaporean employer. Seeking justice, Fang turned to counsel Wong King Wei and Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) Public Complaints Bureau (PCB) chief Milton Foo for assistance.
Foo criticised the Inland Revenue Board (IRB) for its handling of the case, noting that Fang was only issued two official letters demanding tax arrears—amounting to RM755,221.13 and RM48,543.68 for 2021—after being barred from leaving Malaysia.
“It was only then that he discovered his personal identification had been used to register a company in Klang, Selangor, on Aug 9, 2021, under the Business Act 1956, as revealed by Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM) records,” he said during a press conference at the SUPP headquarters today.
Fang visited the IRB to request further details but received no satisfactory answers. He also approached at least 20 banks to check if accounts had been opened under his name in connection with the fraudulent company but found none.
Foo raised serious concerns about how the IRB calculated the alleged tax arrears, given that the company did not have any registered bank accounts. “How could the company even file taxes without bank statements or an auditor’s report? This raises many doubts and questions.
“We need to know who used his thumbprint to open this company and if any bank accounts are linked. Fang is suffering financially and emotionally, and he needs a swift resolution to resume his life,” Foo added.
SSM records showed the company was only active for five months and did not renew its registration after it expired on Aug 8, 2022.
Wong described the situation as “strange and oppressive”, highlighting that restricting a person’s movement for such reasons violates human rights.
“More importantly, the IRB owes Fang answers. In this digital era, these agencies should have the necessary data and not leave it to him to run in circles.
“He is at risk of losing his job, and the IRB should lift the travel ban to allow him to return to work while investigations are conducted,” he said.
Both Wong and Foo urged the IRB to address the case with urgency, emphasising the significant financial and emotional toll on Fang and his family.
They plan to write to the IRB demanding a full explanation and are considering legal action to have the travel restriction lifted. — DayakDaily
