The Inland Revenue Board (IRB) today denied there was "political interference" from Putrajaya in the recent tax raids targeting firms belonging to Dr Mahathir Mohamad's sons and friends.

"There is no political interference," its CEO Sabin Samitah told a press conference at the IRB headquarters in Cyberjaya today.

Sabin also denied that IRB was specifically targeting Mahathir, his sons and their associates.

However, he said, the raids on the firms owned by the former prime minister's sons, Mokhzani, Mirzan and Mukhriz, were carried out as there was a "need to" and was done according to IRB's procedure...