PKR director of strategy Rafizi Ramli has called on the federal government to stop the re-tendering of the National Feedlot Centre project until all issues related to the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) are fully resolved.

NONE Rafizi ( left ), who has been at the forefront in exposing the NFC fiasco, said the announcement by the Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Minister Noh Omar is an attempt to divert the attention of the present state of affairs and the financial liability carried by NFC, owned by former cabinet minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil’s family

He said till today, Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak has failed to confirm three issues regarding the scandal.

"Firstly, the freezing of NFC assets on Jan 14, and how much of the fund allocated which had been abused with the purchase of condominium and Putrajaya land was recovered. Secondly, the findings and results of the independent audit team announced by Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin which has been for seven months now.

"Thirdly has NFC, owned by Shahrizat's family, paid back every single sen of the RM250 million of public funds," he said.

All these answers, Rafizi said, must be given before the project is re-tendered out again as there is the concern that the new company appointed will get new funding which may also be subject of abuse.

Also, he added the new firm may be asked to absorb the RM250 million liability resulting in whatever properties or wrongdoing done by Shahrizat’s family being closed.

Personal guarantee

Rafizi, who along with Ampang MP Zuraida Kamaruddin are also facing a RM100 million defamation suit from Shahrizat, maintained that these issues must be resolved first before the project is tendered again.

He said it is incumbent on Najib, his deputy Muhyiddin who was the then-agriculture minister and Noh to have the Shahrizat family ensure they give a personal guarantee that the RM250 million is fully paid.

“I think all of us know a personal guarantee is required when we take something valuable or a loan from a financial institution. What more to a loan amounting to RM250 million for the NFC project,” he said.

The PKR director of strategy said through a personal guarantee, the government could then take other actions like seizing the assets which had been frozen for them to repay the loan.

“Is the BN trying to divert from the real issues at hand by asking the project to be re-tendered again? Are they hoping that the public would forget what happened to the assets which were obtained by the Shahrizat family using the government loan?

“Surely these are issues which needs to be addressed. Is the re-tender process a ploy to cover the NFC debt without the people realising it? I am not confident that the three ministers are committed to recovering the public funds as they had in the past tried to shy away from the issue,” he said.

Rafizi, who is also faced with a charge under the Banking and Financial Institution Act 1984, said Najib should guarantee that no NFC debts had been written off and that the government is serious in recouping the RM250 million.

He also wants the government to ensure that no additional capital injections are made to the cattle project until the full RM250 million loan is utilised and recovered from the present NFC company.