Shahrizat says her family has independent lives

KUALA LUMPUR: Wanita Umno chief Shahrizat Abdul Jalil was today grilled over her testimony that she was not aware of her husband’s role in the National Feedlot Centre (NFC) project.

Shahrizat told the court it was not until 2007 that she became certain that her husband was involved in the project.

“In 2007, my husband said he wanted our children [Wan Shahinur Izmir Salleh and Wan Shahinur Izanna Salleh] to come back from abroad and work on this project,” Shahrizat told the court.

“Only then I knew what was happening for certain.”

Shahrizat is suing PKR strategy director Rafizi Ramli and PKR Wanita chief Zuraida Kamaruddin for RM100 million over comments that allegedly implicated her in the National Feedlot Corporation Sdn Bhd (NFCorp) debacle.

Shahrizat’s replies to the defendants’ lawyer, Ranjit Singh, implied that she did know that her son Wan Shahinur Izran, who lived with her, had become one of NFCorp’s directors in 2006.

When Ranjit noted that this was unusual, Shahrizat responded by saying members of her family lived independent lives.

She said she had “no idea” where her son drove to work every day or what he worked as”.

“He was trying out a few business ventures,” she said to questions from Ranjit.

She said she knew of her son’s involvement in cattle breeding only when her husband told her of it, about a year after Wan Shahinur Izran Salleh’s appointment as a NFCorp director.

On Monday, Shahrizat told the court she felt the statements made by Rafizi and Zuraida were “not only offensive and defamatory, but they are outright insulting.” She referred to Rafizi’s call on her to show remorse and his urging her to apologise to the public.

Ranjit today asked her whether she felt Rafizi’s statements were worse than the statements she had made about him.

“You said to Rafizi that he is an ‘anak derhaka’ [unfilial son], that he ‘menjual agama’ (has sold his religion) and ‘hancur bangsa’ (destroyed his race),” said Ranjit.

“Which is more heinous? What my client was alleged to have said, or your statement?”

Shahrizat searched for words to respond to Ranjit, and finally said: “His statement was more heinous.”

The hearing continues on Sept 18.