The National Feedlot Corporation says there is no interruption or disruption despite the freeze on its assets.
KUALA LUMPUR: Despite having its assets frozen amid a probe by the police and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), the National Feedlot Corporation’s(NFC) operations will continue running uninterrupted.
“Business is as usual in the company,” NFC chief executive officer Wan Shahinur Izmir Salleh said in a statement today.
“Inventory of beef will continue to be supplied and all customer orders will be fulfilled. There is no interruption or disruption,” he said.
NFC today confirmed that its assets have been frozen since December 2011, but added that it would not cause interruptions in inventory and supplies.
It also reassured clients and vendors and employees that they will “continue to be served and gainfully employed”.
“… to facilitate smooth and thorough investigations, we have extended our fullest cooperation from the outset. However, our operations have continued to function normally…” Wan Shahinur said.
The statement pointed out that the company had received a further import shipment of 1,500 head of cattle from Australia last week.
It added that NFC supplies beef to more than 160 customers which include hypermarkets, supermarkets, mini markets, wet markets, processed meat manufacturers, hotels, restaurants and cafes.
It said the corporation’s centre in Gemas, Negri Sembilan, will continue to take care of its 4,500 head of cattle to meet the country’s beef supply targets. Its chain of Meatworks restaurants will also operate as usual.
Three-week leave
Yesterday, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak announced that the NFC’s assets have been frozen pending investigations by the police and the graftbusters.
The NFC is run by Dr Mohamad Salleh Ismail, the husband of Women, Family and Community Development Minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, and their children. Wan Shahinur is one of Shahrizat’s sons.
The NFC came under attack from the opposition parties , particularly PKR, after the release of the 2010 Auditor-General’s Report, which said the publicly-funded corporation was “in a mess” after it failed to meet targets for beef production.
Shahrizat’s family was accused of misappropriating RM250 million of public funds meant for NFC in the purchase of a luxury car and luxury condominiums in Bangsar and Singapore. It was also claimed that the beef produced by NFC was channelled to luxury restaurants owned by Shahrizat’s family.
Shahrizat, the Wanita Umno chief, has denied that she was involved in any wrongdoing. However, she faces growing calls to quit as minister, not only from the opposition parties, but from within the Barisan Nasional and Umno as well.
The company courted further controversy when it was revealed by PKR that it had made several questionable investments, using the RM250 million government soft loan, which includes luxury condominiums, prime land in Putrajaya and a luxury car.
Last week, Shahrizat said she was taking a three-week leave pending investigations into the NFC scandal.
