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Why is National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) chairperson Mohamad Salleh Ismail travelling abroad on business, when the government has called for new bids for the company’s cattle-rearing project?
PKR’s Ampang MP Zuraida Kamaruddin asked this when referring to news reports that the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court hadtemporarily returnedMohamad Salleh's passport to allow him to travel to Singapore from April 23-26 and to Kazakstan from May 11-15.
"On March 27, Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Noh Omar had told the Dewan Rakyat that the project will be tendered out to ensure continuity... (and) that the company's accounts have been frozen until investigations are over," Zuraida told reporters at the Parliament lobby.
"So why is he allowed to travel to Singapore and Kazakhstan for business, as though it is business as usual?"
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"On March 27, Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Noh Omar had told the Dewan Rakyat that the project will be tendered out to ensure continuity... (and) that the company's accounts have been frozen until investigations are over," Zuraida told reporters at the Parliament lobby.
"So why is he allowed to travel to Singapore and Kazakhstan for business, as though it is business as usual?"
Scouting trip
Mohamad Salleh's trip to Kazakhstan, according to Zuraida, was to scout for locations to open up new cattle ranch.
"Why is the NFC pursuing the partnership and opening up a ranch in Kazakhstan when the objective of the project is to reduce beef imports?" she quizzed.
Last week, the Session Court returned Mohamad Salleh's passport until May 16, although he has been charged for two counts of Criminal Breach of Trust (CBT) amounting to RM49.7 million.
Besides the trips to Singapore and Kazakstan, Mohamad Salleh will also be travelling to Mecca, Saudi Arabia to perform the umrah.
He is also scheduled to visit his daughter Wan Izzana Fatimah Zabedah, who is currently studying at the Imperial College Business School in London, England, from May 11 to 15.
Zuraida urged Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and Noh to explain the matter, as it involved swindling government funds.
NFC's operations attracted negative comments in the 2010 Auditor-General's Report, which highlighted weaknesses in the National Feedlot Centre, a federally funded project to reduce the country's beef imports by 40 percent.
Among the accusations made by the opposition was that a huge chunk of the RM250 million government soft loan had been allegedly abused to benefit Mohamad Salleh's family.
This led to Mohamad Salleh's wife, Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, relinquishing her post as women, family and community development minister.
"Why is the NFC pursuing the partnership and opening up a ranch in Kazakhstan when the objective of the project is to reduce beef imports?" she quizzed.
Last week, the Session Court returned Mohamad Salleh's passport until May 16, although he has been charged for two counts of Criminal Breach of Trust (CBT) amounting to RM49.7 million.
Besides the trips to Singapore and Kazakstan, Mohamad Salleh will also be travelling to Mecca, Saudi Arabia to perform the umrah.
He is also scheduled to visit his daughter Wan Izzana Fatimah Zabedah, who is currently studying at the Imperial College Business School in London, England, from May 11 to 15.
Zuraida urged Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and Noh to explain the matter, as it involved swindling government funds.
NFC's operations attracted negative comments in the 2010 Auditor-General's Report, which highlighted weaknesses in the National Feedlot Centre, a federally funded project to reduce the country's beef imports by 40 percent.
Among the accusations made by the opposition was that a huge chunk of the RM250 million government soft loan had been allegedly abused to benefit Mohamad Salleh's family.
This led to Mohamad Salleh's wife, Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, relinquishing her post as women, family and community development minister.
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