Explain 'sloppy' feedlot centre award, DPM told

Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin must explain why the awarding of the controversial National Feedlot Centre project was so "sloppy", said Ampang MP Zuraida Kamaruddin.

Citing the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) 2012 report, which found a slew of faults with the NFC award process, she said this is because he was the Agriculture Minister at the time of award.

"(Then cabinet minister) Shahrizat Abdul Jalil ... resigned, so Muhyiddin should also be up front and explain why the award of this tender was so sloppy.

"Taking action just on the person who sits on the (National Feedlot Corporation) board of directors on behalf of the government is not fair, as it is the minister who is responsible for the sloppiness," Zuraida (left) told reporters.

The MACC report released yesterday found that the Agriculture Ministry did not carry out due diligence, while the government failed to place clauses to safeguard the RM250 million soft loan disbursed to the company.

The National Feedlot Corporation, who was awarded the project via direct negotiations, belongs to Shahrizat's husband and children.

Although resigning as Women, Family and Community Development Minister, Shahrizat insists that she had no knowledge of her family's business activities.

The MACC, too, cleared her of having had a hand in the of the awarding the multi-million ringgit project to her family members.

[More to follow]