Lhdn Trolled For Going After Anchovies But Unable To Net One Giant Shark Who Owes Rm1 7b

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IT seems that every time the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN) shares updates on its anti-tax evasion drive, Malaysians are quick to remind the nation’s tax collector that it should first go after disgraced former premier Datuk Seri Najib Razak and family who collectively owe in excess of RM1.7 bil.
The latest backlash came via a report by mainstream New Straits Times (NST) on X that LHDN had flagged 5,800 evaders who failed to file tax returns with an estimated RM484 mil in undeclared income.
The tax non-compliance involves online traders, luxury car buyers and commission earners. These groups were previously difficult for authorities to trace.

“That’s RM484 mil in income, not taxes. So, just RM84.5k per pax,” former cybersecurity hack specialist Shawn Tan @sybreon.bsky.social (@sybreon) broke down the numbers.
“Even if they’re top rated 30%, that’s RM25k per pax. How much (does) it cost to track and recover this?”

Added the professional engineer and law graduate with a tinge of sarcasm: “Bunyi macam hebat (it sounds great) but actually peanuts. Just going after one VVIP already can get more than this.”
Another no-nuisance commenter has no qualms to lay bare the culprit’s identity in a plain and simple manner.
“5,800 individuals = RM484 mil. Najib Razak alone = RM 1.7 bil,” revealed Effi The Source Saharudin (@1Obefiend).

This was when cryptocurrency enthusiast Bitcoin Malaya (@bitcoinmalaya) chipped in lamenting lopsided enforcement:
“5,800 taxpayers → RM484m. Najib & family → RM1.7b. Yet the full force of enforcement is always on the average people.
“The sooner you realise taxation is designed to squeeze the honest, the sooner you will see why resisting taxation is your civil duty. It’s us vs the state.”

Recall that the latest trolling by netizens could well be a second within a month.
In early August, aghast Malaysians snubbed LHDN and the Madani government for lacking the political will to recover the so-called RM1.7 bil in tax arrears owed by the 1MDB scandal chief protagonist and son Datuk Nazifuddin Najib as instructed by the Federal Court in October 2023.
This came about after the nation’s tax collector has reportedly imposed travel bans on over 16,800 individuals from the period of January-May this year for over RM1.2 bil in unpaid taxes.

Well, the furore of man-on-the-street Malaysians seems to be quite prevalent judging from the brickbats hurled by commenters to the latest NST report. Below are some samples: 

 
Editor’s Note: The Star reported on July 30 last year that Najib and son Nazifuddin have failed to stay bankruptcy proceedings initiated by the LHDN to claim RM1.69 bil and RM37.6 mil in unpaid taxes.
This follows the High Court’s dismissal of Najib and Nazifuddin’s application for a stay on the bankruptcy proceedings.
- Focus Malaysia

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