Umno media appear in a frenzy to save Prime Minister Najib Razak from the fallout of Women minister Shahrizat Jalil's RM250 million NFC financial scandal, busily assuring an angry public and their own party members that Shahrizat would resign.
According to the NST daily, Shahrizat was due to announce her resignation within the next few days, while a news portal said she would be doing so at press conference slated for this evening.
“Shahrizat told us she wanted to let go of both her posts. She was not happy with suggestions that she resign as minister but remain as Wanita Umno chief until the next party election. She sees no point in this. Therefore, she has made up her mind to relinquish both positions,” the NST quoted a state Wanita Umno chief as saying.
Deflecting attention from Najib's Kazakh links?
But PKR leaders, who have been the prime force exposing the NFC's questionable deals, were not unduly impressed. They said her resignation was already overdue and the latest revelations made her political positions untenable.
Additionally, they warned, Najib and Umno should not expect Malaysians to be satisfied or PKR to stop pursuing the complex trail of corruption including the NFC's business foray into Kazakhstan, where the link-up to Najib will be hard to cover up.
"If she does resign as the reports say she will, then I congratulate Datuk Seri Shahrizat for doing the right thing. The public expectation is that public office holders must be whiter than white in such dealings. It vindicates PKR's persistence to see this case through despite the pressure put on us to stop," PKR strategy director Rafizi Ramlit told Malaysia Chronicle.
Rafizi's colleagues echoed his vow that the Pakatan Rakyat led by Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim would not stop their revelations nor insistence on a thorough and full probe, even if that goes all the way up to Najib.
"The whole country has been calling for her resignation for months but she has been defiant and giving all sort of replies up until the Kazakhstan link cropped up. Then suddenly, she feels responsible to want to give up not just her Cabinet post but also the Wanita Umno post," PKR vice president Tian Chua told Malaysia Chronicle.
"This is obviously Najib's way of deflecting attention from himself because he is now under the microscope for his own misdeeds and the NFC link in Kazakhstan. Shahrizat's resignation would be just one step that pressure from the Pakatan Rakyat has helped to resolve, but there is still a long way to go to recover the monies due to Malaysians. What is sure is that the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission and the police will hinder rather than help."
Three startling pieces of news
Indeed, three startling pieces of news were revealed last week. One was that the NFC had purchased a RM1.7million luxury apartment in Kazakhstan to use as an office for its businesses there. Yet, signing the memorandum of understanding to import beef or livestock is outside the powers given to the management of the NFC, a national cattle breeding project that aims to supply up to 40% of Malaysia's needs.
The project was awarded to Shahrizat's family, who have been accused of using a RM250million government soft loan to buy luxury condominiums including in Singapore and on other personal items including expensive overseas holidays.
The Kazakhstan connection immediately stirred up Malaysians' ire as Najib's daughter had controversially married into a powerful political family there last year. Indeed, the Najibs were themselves accused of corruption by flying over scores of personal guests at public expense to attend the engagement party there.
Further allegations made by Rafizi that Najib had again passed on to taxpayers a RM400,000 bill for the Kuala Lumpur leg of his daughter's engagement party was the last straw. Despite the PM's Office insisting that the Najibs have paid the bill, the PM has not been able to answer Rafizi's 8-point reply to clear himself of abusing his power.
"PKR will press ahead with calls for accountability. Now that it is obvious Shahrizat has to do the right thing, Najib must take the moral high ground to ensure that no stone is left unturned to get every cent of the RM250million back and to ensure that all those who are responsible are made accountable," said Rafizi.
'Money laundering' to Singapore
The third shocking piece of news came from DAP MP for PJ Utara, Tony Pua, who accused Shahrizat's son - Wan Shahinur Izran Mohamad Salleh - of "money laundering" NFC money in Singapore. If true, the modus operandi would be a classic case of how BN leaders have been corruptly siphoning money out of the country into overseas accounts.
The Global Financial Integrity has reported that one trillion ringgit left Malaysian shores in illicit outflows since 2000, and despite the prestigious New York-based transparency outfit offering to help track this money trail, the Najib administration has spurned the offer.
According to Tony, Izran who is also a director at NFC had sold a food and beverage company, allegedly set up in the island republic using funds meant for the cattle-rearing firm. Izran’s actions are tantamount money-laundering, warned Tony, urging the police to freeze the overseas assets of the NFC pending an investigation to ensure public funds can be recovered.
“This proves that the NFCorp director is either disposing of or hiding his assets in Singapore. We call upon the police to not only investigate the disposal of assets in Singapore but also discover how much of NFCorp loan funds have been transferred to Straits Beverages before it was ‘sold’ to other parties for sums unknown,” Tony told a press conference on Friday.
Malaysia Chronicle
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