National Feedlot Centre passes ball to agri minister

The National Feedlot Centre (NFC), a RM73.64 million project described as "a mess" by the Auditor-General's 2010 report, declined to comment on its dismal performance.

Instead, spokesperson Wan Zurina Saaran said that Malaysiakini's queries will be answered by the Minister of Agriculture and Agro-based Industries, Noh Omar (left).

"(Noh) will be explaining the issues raised in Parliament during the winding-up debate next week," she said in an email to the portal yesterday.

The portal had approached NFC on the audit findings that NFC failed to meet its obligations, as well asclaims made by PKR that the project is run by the husband and children of a cabinet minister.

PKR had said if they will "expose" evidence to support their claim if the cabinet minister and then-agriculture minister Muhyiddin Yassin do not respond by next Monday.

4,000 cows short

Malaysiakini had also asked for comment on findings that it was more than 4,000 cows short of its obligations and failed to carry out an entrepreneurship programme as required by the government.

NFC also refused to comment on PKR's claim that the project only fulfilled 0.6 percent of Malaysia's demand for beef, falling far behind the 40 percent target in the Ninth Malaysia Plan.

The Auditor-General noted that the project is plagued with problems, with Pemerbadanan Menteri Besar Negeri Sembilan having taken back 3,000 acres of the 5,000 acres set aside for the project.

Also, NFC only received RM6.52 million of the RM13 million grant promised, while only RM134.72 million of its RM250 million soft loan was released to the company.

This, the report states, was because the Finance Ministry had deferred disbursement until a 'viability and business model project" study is completed.

The ministry is also going through a viability report it requested from UPM Consultancy and Services, received in April this year.

The project, which received a government soft loan of RM250 million, will also be probed by the Public Accounts Committee.