And now, a RM10 mil condo across the causeway

Dec 20: The scandal-plagued National Feedlot Corporation is back in the limelight after a brief media lull, this time with a revelation that a RM10 million condominium unit was purchased by the company in Singapore. Continuing a series of shocking exposures over how the NFC had been spending RM250 million government funds to assist is main business of cattle rearing, PKR today claimed that the 2,282-square feet unit at Orchard Scotts, a luxury development a stone's throw away from the busy Orchard Road shopping district, had a price  tag of S$4,107,600. LOCATION, LOCATION, CORRUPTION? ... The Orchard Scotts condominium in Singapore The latest revelation would mean that the NFC, under the control of the family of Wanita UMNO chief Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, had not only purchased luxury properties in the country. According to PKR secretary general Saifuddin Nasution, Shahrizat Jalil’s husband Mohamad Salleh Ismail, their children Wan Shahinur Izran and Wan Izzana Fatimah Zabedah bought the unit in January 2010. “The official finding shows it was registered under Salleh, Wan Shahinur and Wan Izzana's name,” said a statement by Saifuddin, PKR women chief Zuraida Kamarudin and the party's strategic director Rafizi Ramli. Email leak The trio also revealed an email between Wan Shahinur and Donna Yong discussing transfer of funds to operate a restaurant in Singapore on behalf of Shahrizat’s family. For three months between October and December 2010, it was claimed that Shahrizat’s family transferred a total of S$530,000 (RM1.3 million) of public funds to fund their private businesses in Singapore. The family owns companies in Singapore, namely Meatworks (Singapore) Pte Ltd and Global Biofuture Pte Ltd, both separate entities from the NFC which is a Malaysia government venture. “If this had taken place throughout 2010 and 2011, then the total could top RM10 million for a business in Singapore. And because these companies are fully owned by Shahrizat’s family, the money from NFC could be channelled to these companies, and then used by her family to make personal purchases such as the condominium in Orchard Scotts,” the PKR trio added in their statement. They again urged prime minister Najib Razak to act by freezing all bank accounts and expenditure of the NFC as well as other companies owned by Shahrizat’s family so that an investigation can be launched. Earlier revelations on NFC's purchases include a luxury Mercedes Benz car, holiday packages and cash payment to Shahrizat. The former Lembah Pantai member of parliament, who claimed she had nothing to do with her family's business activities, had already drawn flak for refusing to resign, most notably from former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who urged her to throw in the towel before being forced out. More recently, PAS leaders have called for those involved in approving the awarding of the NFC tender to Shahrizat's family to be probed, and said then Agriculture minister Muhyiddin Yassin should also take responsibility and resign.