Heads must roll for NFC failure, DAP tells PM
(MM) – The DAP demanded today immediate punishment on all those in the government responsible for the failed National Feedlot Centre (NFC) project as identified in the just-released report by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua told Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak that there was no longer any need to set up more “super” committees to investigate cases like the NFC, now that the anti-graft body had clearly agreed there had been negligence on the part of the Agriculture Ministry.
“While we were disappointed that the MACC has failed to find elements of corruption in the RM250 million NFC scandal, we must commend the report put forward by the commission which detailed elements of where the whole deal went wrong.
“It is a report long overdue, but it is certainly better late than never,” Pua said in a statement here.
He pointed out that in the report released yesterday, the MACC had revealed that the Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Ministry, then under the helm of current Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, had awarded the RM250 million NFC project to a company without technical or financial capabilities.
“What is perhaps most damning of the report is the finding that the Agriculture Ministry ‘did not do due diligence’ on the company awarded the project,” Pua said, quoting from the report.
The report, he added, had also observed that, “The Agriculture Ministry failed to select a truly competent company to run NFC as it was selected through limited tender. The company which was allowed to present their proposals did not have technical background or strong financial standing.”
This point, however, has been known by many since the scandal hit media headlines in 2010, Pua said, but added that the key question today is “why” the ministry had awarded such an important project to an unqualified firm.
“Such awards, including the RM12.5 billion Port Klang Free Zone project which tends to be the norm rather than the exception in the BN administration leads to the suspicions of cronyism and corruption.
“If not cronyism and corruption, then at best it could be excused for incompetence and negligence,” he pointed out.
The NFC cattle-farming scandal blew up in the media when the Auditor-General’s Report found fault in its operations, which was handled by project operator National Feedlot Corporation (NFCorp), a firm owned and run by the husband of former minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abd Jalil and the couple’s children.
The federal audit had found, among others, widespread discrepancies in the cattle-breeding enterprise, including the purchase of posh private properties and a luxury car by family members of the contractor.
Last year, MACC Operations Evaluation Panel (PPO) chairman Tan Sri Datuk Dr Hadenan Abdul Jalil revealed that Shahrizat has been cleared of any wrongdoing in the RM250 million NFC scandal, which has been dominating media headlines for months since 2011.
Hadenen told reporters the MACC has declared investigations into Shahrizat’s involvement closed after finding that the former minister had not been directly involved in the process of awarding the loan to NFCorp.
Shahrizat stepped down as minister after her double-term as senator expired on April 8.
Her husband, Datuk Seri Mohamed Salleh Ismail, however, was charged with criminal breach of trust and violating the Companies Act in relation to RM49 million in federal funds given to NFCorp last March 12.
The 64-year-old was charged under Section 409 of the Penal Code relating to CBT for misappropriating RM9,758,140 from NFCorp’s funds to purchase two condominium units at the One Menerung complex in Bangsar for the National Meat and Livestock Corporation (NMLC) on December 1 and December 4, 2009.
He was also charged under the same section for transferring RM40 million of NFCorp’s funds to the NMLC between May 6 and November 16, 2009.
He was further charged in both cases for using the said funds without any approval from company’s annual general meeting, which is an offence under Section 132 of the Companies Act 1965.
Yesterday, graft-busters MACC proposed stricter conditions for future government projects, including proposals for civil servants to declare links to any family members obtaining government loans, following public uproar over the NFC scandal.
The commission also suggested that any future direct tender projects be tabled for Cabinet approval and be subjected to assessment by an Authorised Technical Committee or its officers.
“We believe the recommendations will help prevent future recurrences in other projects,” MACC chief Tan Sri Abu Kassim told a press conference after submitting the commission’s 2012 report to Parliament here.
But Pua insisted today that heads must roll and urged the government to punish those identified as responsible for causing the project to go awry.
He reminded Najib of his pledges in his speech for Budget 2014 and how he had specifically said that his government views seriously the issues highlighted in the A-G’s 2012 report.
“To enhance confidence of the rakyat as well as uphold the image and credibility of the civil service, a special committee has been established, chaired by the Chief Secretary to the Government, to investigate and take stern action against errant civil servants,” Najib had said during his speech.
“The time for talk is over and Najib must prove, once and for all that Malaysians can still count on him beyond the empty rhetoric,” Pua replied.
“The MACC has presented its report. We are also looking forward to the release of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report on NFC which has been completed in the last Parliamentary session, and is awaiting the endorsement of the current one.
“There is no longer any need for the Prime Minister to set up another ‘super’ committee or taskforce for further investigations, as he has been inclined to do.
“Punish the relevant Ministers and senior civil servants responsible for the wanton negligence in the award of the NFC project, as he has promised all Malaysians,” he said.
