Lim Guan Eng pushes for RM20b tax refunds for two million Malaysians despite personal attacks

Lim Guan Eng pushes for RM20b tax refunds for two million Malaysians despite personal attacks



According to Lim Guan Eng, the MOF reply only confirmed that more than three million taxpayers had been issued refunds totalling RM9.35 billion as of June 30, 2025, with only 1.07 million receiving full refunds amounting to RM2.73 billion. — Picture by Sayuti Zainudin

Wednesday, 10 Dec 2025 12:02 PM MYT


KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 10 — Former finance minister Lim Guan Eng has vowed to continue pressing the government to ensure two million Malaysians receive full refunds of excess taxes paid to the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN) since 2020, despite facing personal attacks over his claims.

In a statement, Lim said DAP’s Teng Chang Khim had launched personal attacks against him twice on Facebook, questioning his figures and ridiculing his proposal for LHDN to issue RM20 billion in refunds next month.

“Teng even used a parliamentary reply by the Ministry of Finance on August 20, 2025 to DAP Stampin MP Chong Chieng Jen as proof of my mistake, to use some of his more polite language,” the statement read.

According to Lim, the MOF reply only confirmed that more than three million taxpayers had been issued refunds totalling RM9.35 billion as of June 30, 2025, with only 1.07 million receiving full refunds amounting to RM2.73 billion.


“This indicates that at least two million taxpayers have not received their full refunds,” Lim said.

“From my estimate of such cases, the amount of excess taxes paid not fully refunded by LHDN amounts to tens of billions ringgit.”

Lim said he had welcomed Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s decision in December to increase the allocation for refunds from RM2 billion to RM4 billion, but argued that this sum is still insufficient.


“I had urged the prime minister to increase the sum of refunds by LHDN to RM20 billion next month in January 2026. This RM20 billion will go a long way towards ensuring a joyous and prosperous Chinese New Year of the Horse in February for employers and their workers who can get better ang pows,” he said.

He also defended his calculations against Teng’s criticism.

“Obviously Teng has forgotten how to dissect and understand parliamentary replies. Nowhere in the parliamentary reply by MOF did they state the actual amount owed by LHDN to taxpayers of excess taxes not refunded,” Lim said.

“The Ministry of Finance has neither denied nor confirmed my figure of tens of billions ringgit of excess taxes paid not fully refunded. MOF has only verified that such a problem of taxpayers not getting back their own excess taxes paid since 2020 by LHDN exists,” he added.

Lim urged Malaysians to support the affected taxpayers, saying, “I would urge all right-thinking Malaysians to side with these unfortunate two million taxpayers attempting to get their full refunds of excess taxes paid since 2020 from LHDN.”

Despite the criticism, he vowed to continue his efforts.

“Despite facing personal attacks, I will not stop but persevere to strive on behalf of these two million Malaysian taxpayers owed tens of billions of ringgit of excess taxes paid to LHDN since 2020 to get back their full refunds from LHDN,” Lim said.