DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang has slammed Women, Family and Community Development Minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil’s three-week leave as a “charade”, in the wake of revelations that she had not been questioned by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

Shahrizat had been on leave since Jan 13 and would resume work tomorrow, supposedly to enable MACC to investigate whether she was associated with the scandal-hit National Feedlot Corporation (NFC), where her husband is the executive chairperson.

However, when contacted yesterday, MACC director of investigations Mustafar Ali said Shahrizat would be called in for questioning only if necessary.

NONE “One would have thought that the first thing she would have done when starting her three-week leave would be to visit the MACC to give a full statement to enable the MACC to clear her name. Why didn’t she do it?” asked Lim ( left ).

“It would appear that Shahrizat’s three-week leave is nothing but a charade.”

The Ipoh Timur MP added that the NFC scandal is set to plunge Malaysia’s Corruption Perception Index scores and ranking even lower next year. It currently stands at 4.4 out of 10, placing Malaysia at 60th place.

He added that the MACC would “completely destroy its reputation” if it could not re-establish its credibility in investigating NFC.

The corporation was given a RM250 million government soft loan to help develop the nation’s cattle industry, but it was allegedly misused for unrelated expenses by Shahrizat’s family members such as RM13.8 million spent on luxury condominiums in Bangsar.

Shahrizat and her family have denied the allegations.