Condo instead of cows: MACC report filed

A PKR-linked NGO turns up the heat on the NFC scandal by lodging a report with the MACC, demanding that those responsible be brought to book.

SHAH ALAM: A report has been filed with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) over the RM10 million luxury condominium allegedly purchased with money from the National Feedlot Centre (NFC), run by a minister’s family.

The report was lodged with MACC’s Selangor office here by PKR-linked NGO, Jingga 13.

“Jingga 13 urges MACC to immediately investigate this serious finding and the attorney-general to charge and bring those involved in betraying the trust of the rakyat to justice,” said its chief coordinator Fariz Musa.

Fariz alleged that PKR has solid evidence to show that the family of Women, Family and Community Development Minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, who allegedly holds the majority of shares in NFC, is linked to the buying of the said condominium (One Menerung) in Bangsar.

“On Dec 2, 2009, NFC made four money transfers from its current account at CIMB Bank, Taman Tun Dr Ismail to Bandar Raya Developments Bhd as a full payment to purchase the One Menerung condominium,” he said.

Fariz said the four transfers were: RM699,870, RM694,150, RM4,199,220, RM4164,900; and the total amounted to RM9,758,140.

‘We have to protect our source’

Asked if Jingga 13 brought with it supporting documents for MACC, Fariz said that Jingga 13 has to protect its source, who he claimed is reliable.

He also said that Jingga 13 has no details of how many units were purchased but revealed that the units in One Menerung ranged from RM3 million to over RM10.3 million, depending on the unit sizes.

“This payment of almost RM9.8 million was recorded as “hutang” (debt) from National Meat and Livestocks Corporation Sdn Bhd (NMLC), which is also owned by Shahrizat’s family, to NFC,” he added.

He alleged that this sum of almost RM9.8 million was part of the RM83 million owed by NMLC to NFC as of Dec 31, 2009. He also alleged that the sum was part of the RM250 million soft loan given by the government to NFC.

“This payment for a luxury condominium on behalf of another company that is fully owned by Shahrizat’s family is a form of misappropriation of the rakyat’s money which was given as a loan to NFC. This is a form of criminal breach of trust,” he said.

“You’re supposed to buy cows, but you bought a condo. There is no basis, whatsoever, for NFC to purchase a condominium and it is clearly a gross misuse of power,” said Fariz, adding that Jingga 13 visited the condominium but could not obtain further information as they were chased out by security.

Fariz said the latest information also disproves the statements by Umno leaders on the NFC issue, and those who manipulated and distorted facts must be brought to book.

“These include Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin (who was the former minister of agriculture and agro-based industries who approved the loan), the Minister of Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Noh Omar, Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin and Shahrizat,” he added.

The NFC, a project to create Malaysia’s “Beef Valley”, made headlines after the 2010 Auditor-General’s Report criticised the project, saying it was in a “mess”. The report said production in 2010 was only 3,289 head of cattle, 41.1% of the target set.

However, the government defended the project, stressing that it was a “success” as adjusted targets were actually met.

PKR, however, continually attacked the project, questioning its “failure” despite being given a soft loan of RM250 million and 5,000 acres of land.