Much anticipation for Shahrizat's next move

KUALA LUMPUR: The latest development on the National Feedlot Corporation scandal has sparked a frenzy of speculations in the blogosphere on the future of Wanita Umno chief and Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Jalil.

Several blog postings are anticipating Shahrizat’s reactions, especially after the latest raid by Malaysia Anti- Corruption Commission (MACC) at the NFC office in Solaris Mont Kiara on Friday.

A news report quoted Parti Keadilan Rakyat director of strategy Rafizi Raml'si statement that the party would be capitalising on the graft allegation in the scandal to gain more votes especially in rural areas.

A blog posting at The Benchmark said it would be interesting to see Shahrizat's next course of action in the fiasco.

Shahrizat Jalil during Umno General Assembly last monthThe posting read: “As a senior politician, government minister and particularly as Wanita Umno chief, is Shahrizat prepared to take the necessary step?”

“The writing is on the wall and many are of the opinion that everybody else could read the bold writing, except for those entangled in the (RM) 250 million scandal."

A pro-opposition blog stated the NFC scandal would decide Shahrizat fate in politics, especially with Umno.

“Umno has no choice. If Shahrizat is to be dropped due to corruption, the person who awarded the RM250 million project is an Umno member too.

"But if they did not drop Shahrizat, the whole party will be blamed for protecting a corrupt leader and practice corruption, cronyism and nepotism.”

Another latest posting at rights2write, said it is a matter of time for Shahrizat to step down from her cabinet post.

“It’s a matter of time and I predict, Shahrizat  will step down as Minister and will maintain as Wanita Chief until GE 13,” it speculated

“The question is who will pull out the knife first? In this case, someone already pulled the knife and it is not Shahrizat.”

Shahrizat faced mounting pressure to resign from her post and it was recently reported that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak denied speculation of her resignation from the Cabinet.

During the raid on Friday, documents and a computer central processing unit (CPU) were taken away by eight-man MACC team, led by Supt Wan Abdul Rahman Wan Mohd Salleh from MACC headquarters in Putrajaya.

In a statement on Thursday, MACC investigation director Datuk Mustafar Ali confirmed a task force had been set up to investigate reports against the NFC cattle breeding project.

The NFC scandal was brought to a new height when a 45-year-old businessman who allegedly carried the tite Datuk was detained by police before being handed over to MACC.

The controversy surrounding NFC started following the 2010 Auditor-General’s report which described the project as messy.

NFC executive chairman Datuk Seri Dr Mohamed Salleh Ismail is the husband of Shahrizat. Their three children are also directors of the company.

A blog posting at iamamalaysian stated: “The more she stays in her position the more disrepute and angst of the rakyat she will perhaps incur, not only against herself, but also against her party, her party position, the ministership, the coalition, the cabinet, the administrative, regulatory and enforcement public bodies and agencies, and, the government of the day.”

Source: MOLE