KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 7): Bintulu Port Holdings Bhd (KL:BIPORT) has obtained the High Court's permission to challenge the Inland Revenue Board's additional tax assessment of RM44.2 million.
The group, which is challenging the tax bills issued for the years 2020 through 2023, announced in a filing Tuesday that the High Court had granted leave for the judicial review application on Aug 28.
At the same time, the court also granted an interim stay of proceedings, which was supposed to last until the next hearing date on Sept 25. But the hearing on Sept 25 was converted to case management to allow Bintulu Port to file its response to IRB's affidavit.
Hence, the interim stay has now been extended until the substantive hearing of the case on Nov 20, according to Bintulu Port's bourse filing on Tuesday.
"The interim stay granted on 28 August 2025 shall remain in effect until the inter partes stay (between the parties) application is heard and a decision is rendered by the Court. As such, Bintulu Port is not required to settle the disputed tax assessments and penalties amounting to RM44.2 million until further order of the court," the group said.
The group, Sarawak's largest port operator, first announced the additional tax bills on Aug 1.
Bintulu Port's share price closed unchanged at RM5.85 on Tuesday, valuing the group at RM2.69 billion.