Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has labelled Shahrizat Abdul Jalil 'resignation' as a half-hearted decision to assuage public furore while plotting a comeback.

NONE "It is clear, that would be the public perception," said Lim, who is also Bagan MP and DAP secretary-general, when asked about the women, family and community development minister's intention to withdraw from the cabinet when her tenure as senator ends.

"She is doing so because she feels she still can come back.... but we say she cannot do half-heartedly. If she wants to resign, (then) resign (from) all posts," Lim said.

"Of course, she will not listen to the opposition voice, but I think she should listen to her own colleague, Umno Cheras division chief Syed Ali Syed Abas Alhabshee, who has used stronger words than me."

Lim said that, if her intention to resign is genuine, Shahrizat need not wait until April 8.

"So it is either you resign or you don't resign. Resigning her minister's post and not her Wanita Umno post shows this is a half-hearted resignation. No real remorse is shown.

"If Shahrizat (has) done nothing wrong, why (does) she (have to) resign? Don't resign at all! But by resigning, she (is) admitting something wrong."

Shahrizat's family runs the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC ), which was heavily criticised in the Auditor-General's Report 2010 for having not achieving its target to reduce beef imports by at least 40 percent.

The NFC, which is owned by Shahrizat's husband Mohamad Salleh Ismail and their three children, was awarded the government contract to run the cattle-rearing project and given a RM250 million soft loan.

Since the report was published, PKR has revealed several documents to back its claim that the soft loan was abused for various investments, including the purchase of prime land in Putrajaya and several luxury condominium units in Bangsar, Singapore and Kazakhstan.

'Admission of fault'

PAS Youth vice-chief Raja Ahmad Iskandar Raja Yaacob reacted to Shahrizat's announcement, saying it an admission that corrupt practices have occured in NFC.

NONE "What has happened to Shahrizat is evidence that Umno is a corrupt party. Shahrizat remaining in her post as Wanita Umno chief also shows that the party defends corrupt leaders," Raja Ahmad (left) said in a statement today.

Her intended resignation from the cabinet, he said, is a result of continuous pressure exerted by Pakatan Rakyat.

Regardless of her resignation, he added that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission must continue to investigate the scandal.

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