Shahrizat grilled by the MACC: Will charges ever be pressed or is it 'for-show'?

UPDATED To some, it looks like the noose is closing in on Umno minister Shahrizat Jalil, who is being questioned by the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission over the RM250 million NFC financial debacle.

Yet her insistence that she had "requested to be questioned and investigated" and not that she was summoned by the MACC underscored how weak the anti-graft agency is when dealing with senior Umno politicians, the majority of whom expect the MACC to close an eye to their wheeling and dealing.

“Excuse me !! I am here at SPRM willingly. Have requested to be questioned and investigated so that no stone is left unturned. Enuff of wild allegations!” the Star reported Shahrizat as saying.

Wild allegations and knowing Ismail from Adam!

Shahrizat went into the MACC office at 4pm, and left after hours. She told reporters who were waiting for her that she welcomed the interview.

“I’m married to the chairman of the NFC. So this is a clear-cut question of whether there was conflict of interest in the award, decision-making. But I made it clear to the MACC I have never been a part of it,” said Shahrizat.

This is the same line that she took when the scandal initially erupted. However, even her own Wanita Umno members ridiculed the suggestion that her husband and children would not keep her apprised of what was happening at the NFC.

As for her not having had any hand in influencing the government decision to award the NFC to her family, a Wanita Umno member even bluntly said, "Who knows him from Adam", referring to Ismail, who has neither the experience nor background to support the selection as overseer for the cattle breeding project.

Few Malaysians expect much to come out from the latest development, pointing out that the MACC has always been under Umno's thumb and would never dare to prosecute Shahrizat or her family without the all-clear from Prime Minister Najib Razak.

More than 3 months have passed since the NFC allegations erupted into the open. But it is only now that the MACC has begun to question Shahrizat, something that Pakatan leaders have insisted should have been done much earlier.

"We would, of course, hope that this will result in concrete investigations and charges to be finally pressed where necessary. But because of the MACC's past record, don't be surprised that this is just to appease the public and to frighten Shahrziat into stepping down," PKR vice president Chua Jui Meng told Malaysia Chronicle.

Don't just meet for show, there is already enough evidence to press charges

According to PKR strategy director Rafizi Ramli, he and his colleagues have already sent to the MACC "more than enough" documentary evidence of corruption at the NFC, a government-controlled cattle breeding project and there was no reason for any delay in pressing charges.

So far, Shahrizat's husband Salleh Ismail, the NFC chairman, and three children have been accused of abusing their power and spending public money to enrich and benefit themselves, for example to buy 5 luxury condos, a Mercedes Benz, overseas holiday trips, million-ringgit discounts and cash transfers to family-owned companies.

The opposition has called for Shahrizat to quit pending the police probe or at least remain on leave until the police complete their investigations. Within Umno, Shahrizat's senior such as Mahathir Mohamad and Rafidah Aziz have called on her to resign and not "damn it" "burden" Umno.

But the former Lembah Pantai Member of Parliament has been stubborn about the NFC scandal, insisting that it involved her family but not herself. Her supporters are also openly griping at Prime Minister Najib Razak for initiating the fiasco, aimed to kick Shahrizat out, but which has now enveloped all of Umno in corruption controversy.

Speculation remains rife Najib had wanted to put FT minister Raja Nong Chik in Shahrizat's place to contest Lembah Pantai incumbent Nurul Izzah Anwar. Unwitting, Najib's fiasco created a huge chain reaction within Umno and the entire scandal could now blow up its chances of winning the 13th general election.

Tit for tat on the way

Umno insiders fear that Shahrizat may leak out similar corruption scandals about her Umno colleagues in a bid to exact vengeance for her husband and children, who face a possibly lengthy and embarrassing trial.

"Just this morning, we gave out the information about another 2 Marina Bay condos that Shahrizat's husband and son bought in Singapore. All in, there are now 5 condos that need to be probed," said Rafizi.

"To finance these condos, Shahrizat's family would need to make a monthly income of at least RM500,000. It certainly doesn't look plausible but if she can explain how she can come by RM500,000 per month, we welcome her to come clean to the Malaysian public."

Malaysia Chronicle