Cowgate Scandal: To Laugh or Cry For Malaysia

Following Auditor-General Ambrin Buang’s report on the National Feedlot Centre’s as in a mess, a series of allegations by the opposition on the misappropriation and mismanagement of the NFC’s funds by Shahizat family controlled company surfaced.

Corruption has become a way of life for UMNO politicians in this country. For the record, NFC is supposed to be a high-impact project under the Ninth Malaysia Plan and this project will be instrumental in attaining the 40 per cent self sufficiency in beef production by 2010. The project was initially a JV between NFC and main operator Lamberts Agricultural Trade (M) Sdn Bhd (LAT). LAT later withdrew from the project that leads to the dismal performance of the NFC in failing to train 130 farmers for the project.


Signing of the RM 250 million at Project Launch

Nobody wants to admit the award of NFC to Minister’s family. Muhyiddin was the Agriculture Minister when Abdullah Badawi’s was Prime Minister but was reluctant to admit that he was instrumental in awarding the project to Shahrizat’s family.


Muhyiddin as the then Agriculture Minister visiting the National Feedlot Centre in Gemas.


The then Agriculture Minister given a press conference after his visit

The basis on which Shahrizat’s family was awarded the project had not been revealed. Shahrizat’s hubby, Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Salleh Ismail is NFC executive chairman. He has neither the experience nor the knowledge to lead the high impact cow breeding and meat production scheme. Similarly, Shahrizat’s sons and daughter were appointed to the executive positions in the company and commanded salaries not commensurate with their age and experience.

Mohamad Salleh Ismail as NFC executive chairman salary is RM100,000 per month.
Son, Wan Shahinur Izmir, age 31, as Executive Director draws a monthly salary of RM45,000.
NFC’s CEO is Wan Shahinur Izran (her other son, age 27) commands a salary of RM35,000.
Wan Izzana Fatimah (her daughter, age 25) is the executive director with a monthly pay of RM35,000



The public demands to know in clear and uncertain terms :-

1. How a high impact project of such magnitude and national importance is awarded to a Minister’s family with no cattle rearing and butchery experience?
2. Who determines the salary remuneration of the Chairman , Executive Directors and CEO?
3. What is the total amount of money spend by the government in connection with the project initiation besides the RM 250 million soft loan given?
4. What is the interest charged on the soft loan and what is the repayment schedule?
5. What is the cost of establishing the 5,000 acres Gemas infrastructure complete with buildings and fencing and whether this cost is borne by the government.

Feeling the heat from the public, Mohamad Salleh had made three major admissions when addressing the issue namely,
- that his company had no experience in the cattle farming industry prior to the project award
- that the RM250 million government loan had not been accompanied by a repayment schedule; and
- that the company had purchased in Bangsar, not one, but two luxury condominium units at a whopping RM13.8 million in total.

However, the opposition in a series of scheduled release to the media on the improprieties in the management of NFC the following :-

1. The latest revelation by Rafizi is that Shahrizat’s family used NFC’s Federal funds as collateral to buy two condominiums in Marina Bay Suites, Singapore costing over RM17 million each.


Marina Bay Suites

The bigger question is, how does the family pay back the monthly repayments for these two units at Marina Bay Suites? Assuming a 25 year-loan, they must pay RM173,000 each month for these two condos.

How can the bank approved their loans when the combined family income including Minister’s income is only RM215,000 per month and other commitments elsewhere?

2. Two units of luxury condominiums costing over RM13.8 million in One Menerung in the upmarket Bangsar area using NFC funds. What is even more nauseating is that the unit was registered directly under the names of Shahrizat’s family members, instead of the company. They were jointly registered under (husband) Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Salleh Ismail and their two children Izran and Izzana. Rafizi told a press conference today.


Two units purchased in this up-market area

3. The opposition also revealed yet another startling expose in the ongoing NFC controversy, alleging that some RM10 million was siphoned to purchase another luxury condominium — this time in Singapore in the prestigious Orchard Scotts Residences — for Datuk Seri Shahrizat’s family


Posh Orchard Scotts Residences

4. Mohammed Salleh was accused of using NFC’s funds to purchase 2 lots of residential land in Presint 10, Putrajaya costing RM3,363,507.

5. Rafizi alleged that the RM534,622 Mercedes-Benz CLS350 was bought using NFC funds channeled through the National Meat and Livestock Corporation (NMLC) a company owned by the Minister’s family.


Mercedes CLS350 costing RM535,000

6. Rafizi alleged that NFC released RM182,525, RM160,673, RM127,900 and RM122,402 (totaling RM 594,000) to pay credit card bills belonging to Shahrizat’s husband Datuk Seri Mohamad Salleh and her three children respectively in 2009.

7. NFC also paid RM 26,400 for Shahrizat’s expenses in 2009.

8. Rafizi also alleged that NFC disbursed RM588,585 in cash to companies belonging to Datuk Seri Shahrizat’s family.

9. NFC financial records show that RM5,300 of cattle was donated to Works Minister Shaziman on September 1, 2009.

Going by the scandal revelations, it seems someone has hijacked the RM250 million (soft-loan) project to become the person’s own self sufficiency agenda.

Indeed, a new and deadly strain of mad cow disease has mutated in Malaysia. The outbreak of the virus (aka as corruption) is cancerous and will demolish the nation.