Liow need not answer for Malindo, just instruct the airline to pay its tax arrears: Puad
Beatrice Nita Jay
New Straits TimesAugust 2, 2017
KUALA LUMPUR: Umno Supreme Council member, Datuk Dr Puad Zarkashi has once again stressed that Malindo Air needs to pay up its airport tax arrears amounting to RM70 million.
Responding to Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai’s refute on claims that the airport tax collection mechanism is flawed, Puad said the minister do not have to answer on behalf of the airline, but just to instruct them to pay up.
“There is no need for the minister to answer on behalf of Malindo Air. He should just instruct them to pay up the arrears; more so since the tax money belongs to the government,” said Puad in a statement today.
“I am very much surprised on the reason Malindo Air had been given the special treatment when it is a foreign airlines. I also understand that other airline companies are only given one month to pay up the arrears,” he added.
He said the airline must be pressured to settle all its arrears as soon as possible.
Yesterday, Liow said that he is aware of the arrears by the airline, however rebutted claims that the existing airport tax collection mechanism is flawed.
Liow said that he is confident that Malindo Air would be able to pay the outstanding airport tax and added that the usual practice was to give six months for airlines to settle its arrears.
He was responding to Puad’s earlier statement on Malindo Air’s outstanding airport tax
