Media statement by Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday, 20^th November 2011: 

Would Muhyiddin have said in 2006 when approving the NFC project in 2006 that it was legally, morally and ethically proper for NFC to use 2%-interest RM250 million soft-loan to buy condos?

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has said that it was up to the public whether they wanted to accept the explanation given for the National Feedlot Corporation’s (NFC) “cattle condo” scandal.

Saying that the government “already knows the facts”, Muhyiddin had this to say after the NFC executive chairman Datuk Seri Dr. Mohamad Salleh Ismail had broken his three-week silence on the “cattle condo” scandal:

“We will leave that to the people to decide whether to accept the NFC’s explanation or not because the NFC has explained each issue that has surfaced.

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

Muhyiddin cannot be more wrong.

Malaysians not only want to hear what the NFC has got to say, but also what the government and in particular the Ministers directly involved in the RM300 million NFC scandal have got to say.

For instance, Muhyiddin was the Agriculture Minister who approved the RM300 million NFC project in 2006. Would Muhyiddin have said in 2006 when approving the NFC project in 2006 that it was legally, morally and ethically proper for NFC to use 2%=interest RM250 million soft-loan to buy condos?

In fact, that is a question every Cabinet Minister must now answer, especially as Muhyiddin claims that the government “know the truth” - whether they think it is proper for NFC to use a 2%-interest soft loan meant to promote cattle production to achieve greater beef self-sufficiency to buy two luxury condominiums, whether this is not criminal breach of trust and a gross abuse of powers and public funds?

Muhyiddin should realise that it is not just the NFC executive chairman Salleh and his wife, the Minister for Women, Family and Community Development Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil who are in the dock, Muhyiddin and the entire present Cabinet are also in the dock over the NFC “cattle condo” scandal!

It is clear that the Auditor-General was unaware of the NFC’s “cattle condo” scandals when conducting audit of the National Feedlot Centre project from January to March 2011 or his strictures would be more scathing than describing it as a “mess” and having failed to achieve the 2010 production target of 8,000 head of cattle, with only 3,289 head of cattle or 41.1 per cent of the target set.

As Salleh has said that NFC has nothing to hide, he should volunteer to appear before the Parliamentary Accounts Committee (PAC) which is meeting on Wednesday on the NFC issue, to put to rest all questions of impropriety, accountability and integrity swirling about the National Feedlot Centre and the NFC.

*Lim Kit Siang, DAP Parliamentary Leader & MP for Ipoh TimorTimor