By Nigel Aw
Umno Wanita chief Shahrizat Abdul Jalil today brushed aside her predecessor Rafidah Aziz’s call for her to step down in light of the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) scandal.
Speaking at the Kuala Lumpur General Hospital after handing out hampers here today, Shahrizat said she will not comment as she did not want to be rude to her seniors.
“I don’t want to attack people who are older than me, I come from a family where my parents taught me not to be rude to anyone, more so to people who are older than me, so I’ll shut my mouth,” she said.
On Thursday, Malay Mail ran a front page report quoting Rafidah calling for Shahrizat to step down for causing problems to Umno.
On whether her refusal to step down from her government and party positions would affect Umno’s reputation, Shahrizat controversies are common to all political parties.
“Look, get real okay, all over the world, every government and political party, be it government or opposition are going through challenging times, there is nothing extraordinary or peculiar of what is happening to me or any other leaders,” she said.
Three trips to Mecca
She said it was normal for leaders to be subjected to various accusations and that she was answerable only to God.
“Why have I went to Mecca three times in two and a half months? Because I’m god-fearing, I ask for guidance from Allah,” said Shahrizat, who is also Women, Family and Community Development Minister.
She said that she will not reply questions related to the NFC because investigations are ongoing but stressed that she should not be labelled guilty without due process.
“As a lawyer and former magistrate, don’t find people guilty until proven so. So no, I am not quitting,” she said.
NFC, which chairperson Mohamed Salleh Ismail is Shahrizat’s husband, is accused of mishandling a RM250 million in government soft loan for the NFC.
The NFC project is meant to reduce Malaysia’s beef imports but the Auditor-General 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 finance purchases of luxury condominiums in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.
The funds were also allegedly used for a plot of prime land in Putrajaya and for the purchase of a luxury car.
Shahrizat takes dig at opposition ‘stalker’
Shahrizat Abdul Jalil today took a veiled dig at an opposition figure who have dogged her over the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) scandal for the last three months.
“Yesterday, when I went to Perak, many Wanita (Umno members) told me, there is a young opposition member who has been stalking me in the last three months.
“They said this person as aspirations to become Umno Wanita chief, so it will be appropriate we send our red and white uniform to him,” she said after visiting new born babies at Hospital Kuala Lumpur in conjunction with Maulidur Rasul.
Asked if she was referring to Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah or PKR strategies director Rafizi Ramli, she replied: “It’s a man”.
“If he wears it (umno wanita uniform), he would look quite cun (good looking) because he looks a little jambu (pretty boy).”
When pressed further if she was taking aim at Rafizi, she said this person was an aspiring politician who wants to contest in the next general election. – Mkini
