Following several Umno MPs, a MCA Youth leader joined the call for Wanita Umno chief Shahrizat Abdul Jalil to step down over the National Feedlot Centre (NFC) controversy and refrain from contesting in the next general election.
He is the first BN component party leader outside Umno to take such a strong stance on the issue.
Previously, MCA Youth chief Wee Ka Siong had urged the government to immediately investigate the controversy to prevent it from being exploited by the opposition and become a “time bomb” for the BN in the next general election.
In the last general polls, Shahrizat failed to defend her Lembah Pantai parliamentary constituency against PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar.
She was then appointed a senator and assumed the post of women, family and community development minister.
As a result of Shahrizat's failure to explain the NFC scandal, Loh warned that BN's ‘safe seats’ could become ‘dangerous seats’ if the opposition exploits and sensationalises the issue across the nation.
He also urged Shahrizat to give a clear explanation on all the allegations related to the issue.
No official stand yet
Loh added that it would be unfortunate if the efforts of all BN component parties to regain the people's trust after the 2008 ‘political tsunami’ is offset by Shahrizat's personal problem.
Several Umno leaders including Kalabakan MP Abdul Ghapur Sallehand Kinabatangan MP Bung Mokhtar Radin had openly urged Shahrizat to make a gracious exit.
Even Umno vice-president Hishammuddin Hussein said that party leaders should know when tostep down “when the time is up”.
The controversy surrounds the appointment of a company owned by Shahrizat’s family in 2007 to handle the cattle rearing project.
The 2010 Auditor-General's Report had called the NFC accounts a “mess” while PKR had unveiled questionable investments by the company.
This includes purchasing luxury condominiums, a luxury car and prime land - all of which are not related to cattle rearing - using a RM250 million soft loan footed by taxpayers.
