On her first day back at work after three weeks’ leave, Women, Family and Community Development Minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil has been summoned to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters in Putrajaya.
According to an eyewitness, Shahrizat - who is the Umno Wanita chief - entered the building around 4pm.
It is believed that she was questioned in connection with the ongoing investigation into National Feedlot Corporation scandal, which allegedly involves members of her family.
NFC, the chairperson of which is Mohamed Salleh Ismail, Shahrizat’s husband, is accused of mishandling a RM250 million in government soft loan for the NFC.
The National Feedlot Corporation project is meant to reduce Malaysia’s beef imports but the Auditor-General’s Report 2010 stated that the project is very far off-target.
Following this, several PKR leaders exposed how the RM250 million soft loan was used for non-cattle rearing related matters, such as financing purchases of luxury condominiums in Kuala Lumpur, a plot of prime land in Putrajaya and a luxury car.
In its latest
expose
, PKR suspected Shahrizat's family members had misused the soft loan to purchase two upmarket condominiums in Singapore worth RM34.6 million.
MACC investigation director Mustafar Ali confirmed to Malaysiakini that Shahrizat is currently in its office, but did not elaborate.
Reporters, who got wind of the summons at the very last minute, began to flock to the MACC headquarter in Putrajaya around 4pm.
Two hours later, Shahrizat finally emerged and gave a brief statement about the questioning.
Brief statement
Below is the transcript of the questions posed to her by reporters and the answers:
Actually I took leave with the intention that MACC would call me to assist in the investigation. So alhamdulillah , today is finally my turn, so I came with much willingness. In the two hours of questioning, I gave my clear answers, that I am not involved in the decision-making of NFC. I thanked them (for calling me up).
Q: So why did you only come here today?
A: It’s their procedure. I went on leave with the hope that I would be called. I really wanted no stone unturned. I have been subject to a lot of wild allegations, but I waited patiently.
I knew this is their procedure. I thought I will be called during my leave. But they didn’t call me. Only yesterday they called me, so I came.
Q: Speaking about wild allegations…
A: I don’t want to talk about this.
Q: Will you be called for a second time?
A: That I don’t know.
Q: Did you come here as a suspect or a witness?
(Shahrizat reacted to the question by approaching the reporter concerned up close, saying: “Excuse me? Excuse me?” This was followed by a stiff smile.)
A: I came here because I’m married to the chairperson of NFC, so they want to check whether there was a conflict of interest in decision-making. But this is a clear-cut issue.
So I want to make it known that I was never part of it. Anyway, there (are) specific people to verify the issue.
Additional reporting by Kow Gah Chie
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