KUCHING, Aug 6: The successful claim of RM10.9 billion tax allowance by Baleh Hydro Power Generation Sdn Bhd from the Finance Ministry (MOF) is a huge saving that can be used to develop Sarawak further.
Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) secretary-general Datuk Sebastian Ting in stating this, applauded Baleh Hydro’s insistence on filing a judicial review to challenge the then Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng’s decision to reject the company’s application for a tax incentive claim without providing reasons.
“We need to reiterate that the decision of the High Court will effectively allow Baleh Hydro to claim 100 per cent of the investment tax allowance of the qualifying capital expenditure incurred between 2018 and 2027.
“There will be huge savings which will undoubtedly be used further to develop Sarawak for the best interest of the people,” he said in a statement today.
If Baleh Hydro had not stood firm on its ground, Ting said, this matter might have never surfaced and made known to the people of Sarawak.
Based on feedback from the ground, Ting said that most Sarawakians were shocked and unhappy with the alleged mistreatment by the previous Pakatan Harapan (PH) government and DAP Finance Minister Lim.
Touching on Sarawak Democratic Action Party (DAP), Ting said, Sarawak DAP leaders have been “very quiet regarding Lim Guan Eng’s decision”.
“Either Lim Guan Eng did not brag to Sarawak DAP leaders, or he did. But, if he did, why didn’t Sarawak DAP leaders speak up for Sarawak and the people of Sarawak?
“Unless the Sarawak DAP leaders fully agreed with Lim Guan Eng’s decision, or they dared not tell him that he was wrong and he could not punish or bully Sarawakians.
“In any case, both federal and Sarawak DAP leaders knew exactly that Lim Guan Eng’s decision would surely harm Sarawak and her road to development,” said Ting, who is also Piasau assemblyman.
He thus condemned Sarawak DAP for failing to protect the best interest of Sarawak and its people by speaking up for Sarawak in this matter. — DayakDaily
