KUCHING: The appointment of representatives or members in the lnland Revenue Board (IRB) for Sarawak and Sabah is fair, said Datuk Snowdan Lawan.
The state Deputy Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts said that Sarawak should have liberty and power to appoint their representatives as board members of IRB.
Snowdan, who is also Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) Youth chief said that the power to appoint representatives or members in the IRB for Sarawak and Sabah be given to the Chief Minister or the Premier of the two states accordingly.
“I believe every MP from Sarawak and Sabah will support this suggestion by Tanjung Manis MP
Yusuf Abdul Wahab in Parliament, whereby the Bill of the Inland Revenue Board (Amendment) 2023 is being debated.
“Sarawak had voiced that the state must have a representative sitting in the Board in order to have a fair share in scrutinising the balance sheet of the board,” he said in a statement yesterday.
Adding further, Snowdan said that this was in view of the significant contributions of the state to the federal coffers over the past few decades, and It was only fair.
“Imperatively, the appointment of representatives from the two states shall be endorsed by their respective Chief Minister or Premier,” he added.
Snowdan has no doubts that the appointment would be the most credible candidate who is able to serve the states’ interest best.
As of now, he said the amendment has not materialised and will be brought forward to the next sitting which will take into consideration this suggestion to empower the Premier or Chief Minister of the two states into the amendment.
“Once deliberated, debated and passed in Parliament, it will ink the IRB Bill Malaysia (Amendment) 2023 permanently.
“From then on, the appointment of the representative will not be bypassed and shall become the prerogative of the Chief Minister or the Premier,” Snowdan said.
