VIDEO | 1.53 min

Umno Wanita chief Shahrizat Abdul Jalil today explained the stunt of rolling up her sleeves and pulling up her baju kurung slightly during her party's annual general assembly last year was not intended to show she was picking a fight with PKR director of strategy Rafizi Ramli.

"I have also rolled up my sleeves here (in court) several times, I am not spoiling for a fight. I'm a naturally aggressive woman," she testified at the Kuala Lumpur High Court this afternoon when being cross-examined by Rafizi's lawyer Ranjit Singh.

NONE She explained her reaction was an expression of her anger and regret over Rafizi's ( right ) attacks against her. "Basically it is my reaction to the defamation I suffered.

"They (PKR) made it a big issue during the Umno Wanita AGM and as chief, my reputation was questioned even by my own wanita.

"Although we tried to restrain ourselves, it was a natural reaction when we are angry or feel done in. (Besides,) the rolling up of sleeves is quite feminine.

"It is an expression of regret and that we women must not be done in," she said.

She added it was also a natural reaction by a Penangite.

"I am from Penang, we are very prone to gestures," she said, to which an amused Ranjit quipped he too was from Penang and was similarly "prone to gestures".

RM100 million suit

The defamation trial today is part of Shahrizat's RM100 million suit against Rafizi and PKR Wanita chief Zuraida Kamaruddin for their statements made on National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) scandal which she claims had defamed her.

Ranjit had questioned Shahrizat over the matter as she is suing on Rafizi's statement which was in response to the stunt. It criticised her for failing to show remorse over the NFC scandal.

This, Shahrizat had said, implied that she had done something wrong and also suggested that she was arrogant.

NONE Ranjit opined that Rafizi was merely responding to Shahrizat who appeared to have presented the impression that she was spoiling for a fight.

"Wooooo... you mean your client is frightened of me? He thinks I am spoiling for a fight just because I rolled up my sleeves? I just lift my sleeves a little and he is already afraid," Shahrizat mocked as both Rafizi and Zuraida ( left ) appeared amused and smiled.

Earlier, Ranjit had also remarked that Shahrizat had " angkat kain " (lifted her baju kurung) during the Umno Wanita AGM but the latter corrected that she did not lift it all the way but only allowed a peek at her ankle.

This invited laughter in the court room which was largely comprised of Umno Wanita supporters and some PKR supporters. Even justice Vazeer Alam Mydin Meera appeared amused.

'Rafizi is evil'

Shahrizat had also disagreed that Rafizi's queries on NFC were to seek the truth, instead describing the latter as "evil" and having bad faith against her.

Ranjit had suggested to Shahrizat that NFC's so called ‘farm to fork' strategy was never part of the National Feedlot Centre project and was merely a creation to benefit her family.

"The centre was to be a master farm to feed the satellite farms around Malaysia under the 10th Malaysian plan for food security.

"Farm to fork is your family strategy because while the farm belong to NFC, the fork - including Meatworks in Malaysia and Singapore, belonged only to your family," he said.

However, Shahrizat denied that this was the case.

The trial will resume on April 10 with the cross-examination of Shahrizat by Zuraida's defence team.

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