PARLIAMENT | Deputy Speaker Nga Kor Ming took a sarcastic swipe at the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC), which Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Minister Salahuddin Ayub, intends to continue.

“Minister, please make sure the cows do not stay in condominiums," said the deputy speaker.

This was in response to previous claims that the RM250 million soft loan for NFC was used to purchase an upscale condominium in Kuala Lumpur.

Earlier, Salahuddin said what happened in the past should be set aside and the focus now must be on achieving the government's targets.

"Let the past remain as memories. What was good, we take as examples and what was not good, we take as boundaries," he said during the Ministers' Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat.

Salahuddin was responding to Nurul Izzah Anwar (PKR-Permatang Pauh), who asked about the ministry's memorandum to the cabinet to continue with the NFC to increase consumers' meat supply to 30 percent.

Nurul Izzah noted NFC's negative image and legal actions, including that involving PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli.

"If we keep talking about NFC, we will never get anywhere,"  Salahuddin said. "We should instead look forward and develop (the industry) responsibly."

Earlier, Hasan Bahrom (PKR-Tampin) had asked the minister to reveal efforts to ensure sufficient livestock supply for the Hari Raya Aidiladha celebration.

Salahuddin said his ministry had taken steps months before to ensure the supply of livestock would be sufficient.

Currently, he said, there are 50,125 cows and 31,729 goats and sheep.

"The ministry gives its guarantee that the supply is sufficient and no one is taking advantage of the situation and manipulating prices," he said.

Previously, the NFC project was headed by former Wanita Umno chief Shahrizat Abdul Jalil's husband Mohamad Salleh Ismail.

Their children Wan Shahinur Izran, Wan Izzana Fatimah Zabedah and Wan Shahinur Izmir, were directors of NFC.

In November 2016, Rafizi lost a defamation suit and was ordered to pay Salleh and NFC RM200,000 in damages for claiming that NFC had purchased the luxury condominium with a bank loan.

The PKR leader is appealing against this decision.