Shahrizat not involved in NFC, DPM tells Bung Moktar

Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin today brushed aside calls by a BN backbencher for Women, Family and Community Development Minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil to resign.


Muhyiddin said the call by Kinabatangan MP Bung Moktar Radin to resign was “unnecessary” because she was not directly involved in the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC), which is currently being scrutinised over the alleged misuse of a RM260 million soft loan.

“I think Bung Mokhtar’s call is not too necessary. Such matters should be just between us because it indirectly implies that Shahrizat is involved.

“The truth is, this is a question of business operation which is managed by her family, but Shahrizat herself is not involved,” he was quoted as saying.

According to Bernama, the deputy premier said the NFC should be the one to come forward to clarify many questions that are being posed on its business dealings and shortcomings.

“Now the government has clarified (the issue)… maybe up to to one stage. It is up to the party involved to explain so that the situation is more clearly understood by the community.

“(An explanation is necessary), on how the issue cropped up, how to handle, how about the situation of livestock industries and the response to what happened in the 2010 Auditor-General’s report.

“It is up to them,” he told media after chairing a special meeting on preparations for floods at his office in Putrajaya today.

Khairy to debate Rafizi?

He adds that Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Minister Noh Omar had explained the matter last week and it should have been well-received by the parties involved.

According to the news agency, former prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi also suggested that NFC executive chairman Mohamad Salleh Ismail give an explanation to MPs on issues raised on the cattle rearing project.

Asked to comment on the purchase of a luxury condominium using NFC funds, Abdullah said it was a good question to ask Mohamad Salleh.

NFC was reported to have used the funds to buy a luxury condominium valued at RM9.8 million.
Speaking on the same matter, Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin said he was looking into an invitation to debate the issue with PKR’s strategic director Rafizi Ramli.

“I will discuss the matter and annouce a date later,” he told reporters.