http://blog.limkitsiang.com/2012/01/27/why-patriotic-malaysians-must-unite-as-on\
e-people-and-in-loud-and-clear-voice-demand-for-a-rci-into-the-rm336-64-million-\
nfcnfcorp-cattle-condo-scandal/

Why patriotic Malaysians must unite as one and in loud and clear voice
demand for a RCI into the RM336.64 million NFC/NFCorp "cattle condo" scandal

posted on Friday, 27 January 2012, 10:50 am

Four things are clear.

First, that there is something very rotten about the RM336.64 million
National Feedlot Centre (NFC)/National Feedlot Corporation (NFCorp) "cattle
condo" scandal - what with a RM250 million soft loan at 2% interest to
promote cattle production used to buy two units of luxury condominiums in
Kuala Lumpur and another condominium in Singapore, purchase of land in
Precinct 10 Putrajaya, close to a million ringgit expenditures on overseas
trips and extraordinarily high salaries for the family members of Datuk Seri
Shahrizat, Minister for Women, Family and Community Development.

Second, that very high-level personalities are involved whether in the
scandal or in the decision-making process resulting in the scandal, and that
the personalities who must clear themselves include not only Shahrizat but
also the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak who was then Chairman of the
Cabinet Committee on High Impact Projects which approved the NFC project in
2006, Deputy Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who was then the
Minister for Agriculture and Agro-Based Industries, Datuk Seri Nor Omar,
current Minister for Agriculture and Agro-Based Industries, even the former
Prime Minister, Tun Abdullah as well as the entire former Cabinet before the
12th General Elections on March 8, 2008.

Third, the initial reactions of the various authorities unanimously trying
to avoid touching the NFC/NF Corp scandal with a "barge pole", although the
Auditor-General, Tan Sri Ambrin Buang signed off the Auditor-General's
Report 2010 on 8th July 2011 with copies sent to the various relevant
authorities, including the Cabinet - which probably explains the
irresponsible inactions for more than six months, the delayed presentation
of the Auditor-General's Report in Parliament on October 25 when it should
have been tabled in Parliament more than three weeks earlier on the first
day of the Budget Parliament on 3rd October; the initial five-month refusal
of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to investigate the
scandal; the refusal of the Public Accounts Committee Chairman Datuk Seri
Azmi Khalid to allow the PAC to conduct immediate and urgent investigations
into the scandal although the PAC may cease to exist any time with the
imminent dissolution of Parliament for the 13th General Elections and the
continued refusal of the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister to
agree to a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the scandal.

Fourth, latest efforts by various personalities in a "cover up" and to
wriggle out of responsibility for the "cattle condo" scandal - whether by
using semantics claiming that the Auditor-General had never used the word
"mess" in his report (when the facts that have emerged reveal that it was
more than a "mess" and was indeed a "terrible mess") and that the
Auditor-General had mixed up the two entities of NFC and NFCorp.

All in all, the building block for a grand conspiracy to cover up the
NFC/NFCorp "cattle condo" scandal.

Such a conspiracy must not be allowed to succeed, as the NFC/NFCorp "cattle
condo" scandal has become a symbol of the utter lack of seriousness of the
Najib administration to combat corruption and head an accountable and
transparent government, making nonsense of all the alphabet soup of GTP,
NKRAs, MKRAs, etc as all propaganda with little real meaning.

Even without the RM336.64 million NFC/NFCorp "cattle condo" scandal,
Malaysia has plunged to the worst ranking of 60th place and lowest score of
4.3 in 17 years in the 2011 Transparency International Corruption Perception
Index.

With the continued obstruction and impediment placed in the way of a
no-holds-barred investigation and full public accounting into the NFC/NFCorp
"cattle condo" scandal, Malaysia can expect an even worse ranking and score
in the 2012 Transparency International Corruption Perception Index.

Patriotic Malaysians, regardless of race, religion or political affiliation
should unite as one to demand in a loud and clear voice for a Royal
Commission of Inquiry into the NFC/NFCorp "cattle condo" scandal.
____

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/litee/malaysia/article/muhyiddin-says-no-to-r\
oyal-probe-on-nfcorp/

Muhyiddin says no to royal probe on NFCorp
January 27, 2012

The investigations by the police and MACC as well as the audit of NFCorp's
books were adequate, said Muhyiddin. - File pic
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/images/uploads/mugshots/muhyiddinyassin400px_\
5.jpg


PUTRAJAYA, Jan 27 - Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin dismissed
today calls for the formation of a Royal Commission of Inquiry to probe the
National Feedlot Corporation scandal.

He pointed out instead that the police and Malaysian Anti-Corruption
Commission (MACC) were capable of handling the matter.

The DPM also added that the government had appointed an accounting firm to
conduct an audit of the company.

"I think these are sufficient to handle the matter," he said.

Earlier today, DAP's Lim Kit Siang urged Malaysians to pool their efforts
and pressure the government into forming a royal commission of inquiry on
the matter.

Calling the NFC a "grand conspiracy", the veteran politician took pains in a
statement here to list several reasons why the government - particularly key
leaders like Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, Muhyiddin and Datuk Seri
Shahrizat Jalil - should face the book for their alleged involvement in the
scandal.

Shahrizat, a minister in Najib's Cabinet, has been repeatedly linked to the
project because of her husband's role as NFCorp chairman, and children's
directorships in the same company.

The RM250 million federally-funded cattle-farming project was first coined a
"mess" in an article in English daily The Star after it made it into the
pages of the A-G's 2010 Report.

The term was later repeatedly reused by various media organisations to
describe the NFC after PKR launched a series of exposés to show the project's
funds were being abused.

PKR had claimed that at least RM27 million was used for land and property
purchases as well as expenses unrelated to cattle farming by Wanita Umno
chief Shahrizat and her family.

The opposition party also alleged that Shahrizat's family used nearly
RM600,000 from NFCorp's funds to settle their credit card bills in 2009.

But the management of NFCorp has maintained that the credit card expenses
were solely for business purposes.

The women, family and community development minister has since sued PKR
strategic director Rafizi Ramli and Wanita chief Zuraida Kamaruddin over the
claims.

Shahrizat is due to return to ministerial duties next week after taking
three weeks' leave to facilitate investigations.
____

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/litee/sideviews/article/the-auditor-general-f\
ailed-us-lucius-goon/

The Auditor-General failed us - Lucius Goon
January 27, 2012

JAN 27 - So, the people at the National Feedlot Corporation (NFCorp) and
their great supporter, Perkasa, are now playing semantics.

They are arguing that the Auditor-General never mentioned that NFCorp was a
mess, that he instead mentioned the management of the project was weak or
some admin-speak to that effect.

In the English language, we say that this is someone trying to shut the barn
door after the horse has bolted or, should I say, after the cows have run
off. It is too late for your verbal gymnastics.

My advice to Shahrizat Jalil's family is just to seek forgiveness from the
people of Malaysia. Don't even bother relying on the Auditor-General for a
crutch.

In my eyes, the Auditor-General failed us the taxpayers miserably! I say
this because this was not some poor management or wrong allocation of
resources. This was a scandal of massive proportions.

If not for the whistleblower and the opposition, would we have known about
the condos, the umrah packages, and the personal expenses? And I have not
even touched on the running of the feedlot project in Gemas or why this
particular bunch of individuals were given this project.

Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin says there is no need for a Royal
Commission of Inquiry on the NFC. I agree with him on two counts.

One, RCIs are pointless exercises in Malaysia, mere mechanisms to allow the
incumbents to buy some time and hope that Malaysians forget about the
incident. Remember the Police RCI, the VK Lingam RCI and Teoh Beng Hock RCI.

Secondly, there is no need for a RCI on the NFC scandal because we know who
the wrongdoers are. We don't even need the police or the MACC to tell us
anything.

The only question is when Malaysians mete out our form of justice.

* Lucius Goon reads The Malaysian Insider.
____

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/litee/malaysia/article/dont-sidetrack-probe-t\
i-m-tells-nfcorp/

Don't sidetrack probe, TI-M tells NFCorp
By Shannon Teoh January 27, 2012

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 27 - Transparency International Malaysia (TI-M)
slammed today the National Feedlot Corporation (NFCorp) for attempting
to divert attention from investigations over allegations of abuse of
public funds in the controversial RM250 million national
cattle-farming project.

The graft watchdog said in a statement that the Auditor-General had only
clarified that he did not call the project "a mess" but confirmed the
project had not fulfilled its objectives for reasons including the failure
of NFCorp, which belongs to the family of minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat
Abdul Jalil, to meet obligations.

"The NFC should not divert attention from the investigations being carried
out by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and the police to
determine if there was any misuse of public funds that were meant for the
feedlot project.

"The recent statements on what words were actually used in the A-G's report
should not distract attention from... whether public funds for a national
project were being used for other purposes," said TI-M secretary-general
Josie M. Fernandez.

NFCorp, which was awarded the project in 2006, had thanked Auditor-General
Tan Sri Ambrin Buang yesterday for clarifying that he had not called the
company a "mess" in his 2010 report, saying the explanation would help
strengthen public perception of its operations.

The company said the Auditor-General's statement on Friday would help put to
rest months of "tireless bashing from hardline critics" against NFCorp,
which operates the scandal-ridden National Feedlot Centre (NFC) project.

The RM250 million federally funded cattle-farming project was first coined a
"mess" in an article in English daily The Star after it made it into the
pages of the A-G's 2010 Report.

The term was later repeatedly reused by various media organisations to
describe the NFC after PKR launched a series of exposes to prove the project's
funds were being abused.

PKR had claimed that at least RM27 million was used for land, property and
expenses not related to cattle farming by Wanita Umno chief Shahrizat and
her family.

But the women, family and community development minister has sued PKR's
strategic director Rafizi Ramli and Wanita chief Zuraida Kamaruddin over the
claims.

She is due to return to ministerial duties next week after taking three
weeks' leave to facilitate investigations.
____

No matter the description, NFC in 'terrible mess'
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/187582

Muhyiddin: No royal commission on NFC
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/187614

MACC, police told to conclude NFC probes quickly
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/187616

PAC: Inquiry delays normal
http://www.mmail.com.my/content/89275-pac-inquiry-delays-normal

Auditor-general, why the clarification now?
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/187577

AG: NFC not in a mess, but weaknesses in project
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/187468
____

http://en.harakahdaily.net/index.php/berita-utama/4286-nfc-scapegoat-shamsubahri\
ns-safety-in-danger-claims-pkr.html

NFC 'scapegoat' Shamsubahrin's safety in danger, claims PKR
Harakahdaily Friday, 27 January 2012 15:50

Jan 27: PKR said businessman Shamsubahrin Ismail, who was
arrested over a cheating case linked to the probe on scandal-ridden National
Feedlot Corporation owned by the family of Wanita UMNO head, has been
threatened, and called for his personal security as a main witness in the
scandal.

Shamsubahrin, 45, (pic) pleaded not guilty after he was charged
at the Sessions Court last month for allegedly cheating NFC executive
chairman Mohamad Salleh Ismail, the husband of Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, of
RM1.76 million in consultation fees by offering fraudulent advisory
services.

http://en.harakahdaily.net/images/stories/newslocal/nfc_shamsubahri.jpg

Today, Shamsubahrin claimed trial to another cheating charge,
this time a taxi driver out of RM90,000 in a fraudulent investment deal two
years ago.

Shamsubahrin was first arrested on December 22 for attempting to
bribe investigating officers involved in the NFC probe, and had his remand
extended three times before being charged in court.

"What we are seeing now is Shamsubahrin has been made the
scapegoat in the NFC fiasco to cover someone's track," said Zuraida
Kamaruddin, Wanita PKR's head and Ampang member of parliament.

Earlier, PKR strategic director Rafizi Ramli had claimed that
Shamsubahrin was just the middleman for Salleh in the attempt to bribe
police and MACC officers to influence the course of the investigation into
NFC.

"PKR has ascertained through sources that the RM1.755 million
Mohamad Salleh paid (to Shamsubahrin Ismail) was intended to bribe police
and MACC investigators. Shamsubahrin was just the middleman, in collusion
with Mohamad Salleh," Rafizi said, adding that the bribe money was disguised
as 'consultancy fees'.

Shamsubahrin's counsel N. Surendran meanwhile said his client
had many information on NFC and he was being silenced by slapping on him a
corruption charge.

"Shamsubahrin will be making a police report for the first time
because earlier he did not know what had transpired," he said, adding that
PKR will reveal the police report to public.
____

Ex NFC consultant charged with cheating taxi driver over RM90,000 investment
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/1/27/nation/20120127110441&sec=n\
ation

Shamsubahrin faces two fresh cheating charges
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/187590
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