Arrogant DPM tells public: Up to you what you wish to think of NFC

Melissa Lee

As Umno leaders, one after another, trooped out to defend Wanita chief Shahrizat Jalil, with many shortsightedly going to extent of tarnishing their own credibility and reputation, Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin – also the Umno deputy president – outdid them all.

He was not at all bothered what everyday Malaysians think about the RM250 million NFC financial debacle involving a national beef production project and accusations that it had been corruptly granted to Shahrizat’s family.

“We will leave it to the people to decide whether to accept the NFC’s explanation or not because the NFC has explained each issue that has surfaced,” Muhyiddin told reporters at a press conference.

“For us, the government, we know the truth. We don’t buy stories made up by the Opposition.”

Salleh backs down on RM70,000 rental

Whichever version of truth, Muhyiddin was peddling, it is clear from the growing public rumblings that it does not synchronize with majority view in the country.

Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim’s PKR party has for the past few weeks exposed the rot in the NFC or National Feedlot Centre. Despite a clear mandate to raise the cattle farming industry in the country, NFC funds have been used to buy luxury condominiums in high-end Bangsar as well as extend whopping discounts to firm controlled by Shahrizat’s  family.

Refusing to acknowledge that this was questionable practice, NFC chief Salleh Ibrahim – who is also Shahrizat’s husband – insisted it was proper and that the condos fetched a rental of RM70,000-00 each. When real estate practitioners ridiculed his claims of such high rental, Salleh quickly backed off and claimed the amount included rebates on the purchase price.

But the damage may have been done. How Salleh or NFC accountants could make such an error as to include the rebates with the rental of RM18,000 each per month and tout it as the rate of investment return remains a mystery to accountants and financial experts.

However, Salleh is an interested party in the entire fiasco which is now being investigated by the police. Muhyiddin is not, and as such, pundits say there is no call for him to close his mind to the possibility that there was corruption. If anything, he should lead the call to the police and the MACC to do a proper investigation.

“Muhyiddin’s response is most disappointing. He is not interested in saving the people’s money. He doesn’t care that the ordinary people have to work so hard to earn so little. Then the Umno big shots just sweep in and siphon it away,” Batu MP Tian Chua told Malaysia Chronicle.

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