NFC donated cattle to NS Umno leaders, paid Shahrizat’s expenses, says PKR

UPDATED @ 05:07:20 PM 16-11-2011

By Shannon Teoh

November 16, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 16 — The National Feedlot Centre (NFC) donated cattle to Datuk Shaziman Mansor and a “YB Yunus” in 2009, as well as spent RM26,400 on expenses for Datuk Seri Shahrizat Jalil, PKR said today, suggesting more financial irregularities in the company owned by the women, family and community development minister’s family.

Its secretary-general, Saifuddin Nasution (picture), told reporters that the national cattle farming project’s financial records show that RM5,300 of cattle was donated to Works Minister Shaziman on September 1, 2009.

The Machang MP also said the records showed that RM2,600 of cattle was donated on November 30, 2009 to “YB Yunus”, adding that “there is only one YB Yunus in Negri Sembilan.”

Datuk Yunus Rahmat is currently Klawang assemblyman and a state executive councillor.

“These transactions should not happen if the government is really monitoring NFC,” he said of the project.

He also told reporters NFC paid RM26,400 in expenses to Shahrizat, who is women, family and community development minister in 2008.

“If the NFC really has nothing to do with her, then she should not be involved in its operations let alone using it to pay for her expenses.

“The records do not say what it was for but I hope it was not for handbags or makeup,” he said.

Saifuddin also said RM70,000 worth of cattle was sold on credit to former Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Zulhasnan Rafique in 2008 who only paid off the debt in 2009.

PKR has repeatedly attacked the project and called for Shahrizat to resign over various allegations including over RM84 million in “loans” given by NFC to two other companies owned by her family.

This includes an upfront payment for a RM10 million luxury condominium in December 2009.

But both Tun Abdullah Badawi and Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who were prime minister and agriculture minister respectively when the project was awarded, have said that Shahrizat need not resign as she is not directly involved in NFC.

This came after Umno MP Datuk Bung Mokhtar Radin called on the Wanita Umno chief to quit instead of “troubling others” in Umno.

Shahrizat has called the allegations a political attack to “destroy Wanita Umno” and insisted her family “does not deserve what the opposition has said. They work very hard.”

The Auditor-General’s Report released last month had criticised the NFC, pointing out that it was now “in a mess”.

The report said production in 2010 was only 3,289 head of cattle or 41.1 per cent of the target set.

But Agriculture Minister Datuk Seri Noh Omar responded on October 31 that the project was a success as it met its target of 8,000 cattle by 2010 once 5,742 slaughtered cattle were taken into account.