Shahrizat says stepped down because did not want to be a burden

File photo of Shahrizat and her husband Mohamad Salleh at a court appearance earlier this month. — Picture by Choo Choy May

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 15 — Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil told the High Court today that she stepped down as minister for women, family and community development because she did not want to be a burden to the government and her family.

She left her Cabinet post this year after her senatorship was not renewed by Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s administration.

The Wanita Umno chief was testifying during cross-examination by defence lawyer Ranjit Singh in her defamation suit against PKR’s Rafizi Ramli and Zuraida Kamaruddin over their statements in relation to the National Feedlot Centre (NFC) scandal.

“...I did not want to burden the government with my own, with what has happened to me and my family. I wanted to spend some time in search of the truth,” Shahrizat said.

She was answering Ranjit on why she had this April said: “As a responsible member of government, I feel the right thing for me to do is to step down.”

Asked why she had in the same April news report said “I’m also a wife and mother”, Shahrizat said: “Because this attack on me was so evil that it attacked my role, all my responsibilities as a wife, a mother, as a leader, was attacked by defendant...”

She also said: “I felt I did not want to burden the family. I wanted to clear my name and my family’s name...”

PKR has repeatedly attacked the NFC project with various allegations surrounding the “loans” of over RM84 million given by the NFC to companies owned by Shahrizat’s family, including RM13.8 million for two luxury condominiums in Bangsar.

Shahrizat, who is the wife of National Feedlot Corp (NF Corp) chairman Datuk Seri Mohamad Salleh Ismail, had been linked to the scandal by PKR because of her husband’s position, and their three children’s directorships in the same firm.

Mohamed Salleh was charged with criminal breach of trust and violating the Companies Act in relation to RM49 million in federal funds given to NFCorp on March 12.

The 64-year-old was charged under the Penal Code relating to CBT for misappropriating RM9,758,140 from NFCorp’s funds to purchase two condominium units at the One Menerung complex in Bangsar for the National Meat and Livestock Corporation (NMLC) on December 1 and December 4, 2009.

He was also charged with transferring RM40 million of NFCorp’s funds to the NMLC between May 6 and November 16, 2009.

He was further charged in both cases for using the said funds without any approval from the company’s annual general meeting, which is an offence under the Companies Act.

If found guilty, he faces between two and 20 years’ jail, whipping, and a fine for the offences under the Penal Code.

Mohamad Salleh also faces a five-year jail term or RM30,000 fine for the charges proffered under the Companies Act.

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