February 14, 2012
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 14 — The DAP said today Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz’s suggestion that Cabinet colleague Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil return the RM250 million federal loan for the controversial National Feedlot Centre (NFC) is an admission of wrongdoing in the national cattle-farming project.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nazri had said yesterday that the Wanita Umno chief need not resign from Cabinet but ensure the loan given to a company owned by her family to implement the project is returned.
But DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng (picture) said today “this is a first-ever admission by a Cabinet minister that not only Sharizat is tied to the cows and condos scandal but that there is wrongdoing.
“Why should the money be returned if there is no wrongdoing? Even, returning the money is inadequate. Action must be taken against those responsible and Sharizat should also resign,” the Penang chief minister said in a statement.
The DAP’s coalition partner PKR has made several claims of abuse of the federal loan involving over RM62 million in land, property and expenses unrelated to cattle farming.
The National Feedlot Corporation (NFCorp), tasked with running the national cattle-farming project, is chaired by Shahrizat’s husband Datuk Seri Mohamad Salleh Ismail and their three children are directors in the company.
But de facto law minister Nazri was quoted as saying by Sinar Harian that “she does not have to resign. The main thing is, return the money to the government. But after this, it is better to use open tender to avoid such unwanted incidents.”
Shahrizat’s son Wan Shahinur Izmir Salleh has insisted that the company decided it would make better use of the money by investing in property during a break in business operations due to the government’s decision to suspend construction of an abattoir that would have been rented to NFCorp.
The NFC hit the headlines following last year’s Auditor-General’s Report, and has continued to hog the limelight after it was linked to Women, Family and Community Development Minister Shahrizat and her family.
The senator applied for three weeks’ leave from her ministerial duties last month after new allegations of bribery surfaced. She has since resumed her duties.
Last Wednesday, she was called in for questioning by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced last month Putrajaya would appoint an auditor to scrutinise NFCorp’s books in light of accusations made against the company but dismissed calls for a royal commission of inquiry into the NFC.
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