Muhyiddin says no to royal probe on NFCorp

The investigations by the police and MACC as well as the audit of  NFCorp’s books were adequate, said Muhyiddin. —File pic—File pic

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.