Special MACC team to probe NFC

The anti-graft body makes an about-turn after saying its Complaints Assessment Committee found no elements of corruption.

PETALING JAYA: A special team in the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) is investigating allegations of corruption in the management of public funds for the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC).

The commission made the announcement this morning, just days after issuing a media statement explaining that it had referred the allegations to the police because its Complaints Assessment Committee did not find any element of corruption in the corporation’s management.


According to today’s statement, the special team is headed by the commission’s Director of Investigations, Mustafar Ali.

“The commission takes all corruption complaints seriously and would take action without fear or favour,” the latest statement said.

“We urge all parties to give their full cooperation and not politicise this issue and stir various speculations that could affect the work of MACC.”

However, the commission said it would not reveal details of its investigation, claiming that the MACC Act prevented it from doing so.

NFC, which is run by the husband of Women, Family and Community Development Minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, has been the target of attack from the opposition, especially PKR, since the release of the Auditor-General’s 2010 report, which said the corporation was “in a mess”.

In the latest in its series of exposés, PKR said Shahrizat’s family owned a luxury condominium worth RM10 million in Singapore.

The party’s secretary-general, Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, said on Tuesday that the 2,282 sq ft unit at Anthony Road, Orchard Scotts, was purchased in January 2010, and was registered under the name of Shahrizat’s husband, Mohamad Salleh Ismail, and their children. Mohamed Salleh is NFC’s executive chairman.

PKR accuses Shahrizat’s family of misappropriating the RM250 million of public funds meant for NFC.

In earlier revelations, it said large sums were used to purchase a luxury condominium in Bangsar and a luxury car. It also claimed that the beef that NFC produced was channelled to restaurants belonging to Shahrizat’s family.

Shahrizat, who heads Wanita Umno, denies that she has been involved in any wrongdoing. However, she faces growing calls to quit as minister, not only from the opposition parties, but from within Barisan Nasional and Umno as well.


Teoh El Sen | December 22, 2011