‘Why must Salleh approve my NFC takeover?’

“Is there a conspiracy to protect Sharizat Jalil’s family,” businessman asks.

KUALA LUMPUR – Former National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) consultant Shamsubahrin Ismail today questioned the Ministry of Finance’s (MOF) motives in requiring him to secure NFC’s approval for his proposed takeover of NFC’s cattle farming project.

MOF is asking me to talk to former NFC chairman Mohamed Salleh Ismail first before going to the Ministry, he complained.

“I do not understand why,” he said. “I had expressed my clear intention to take over the project as well as absorb all the liabilities there.”

Pointing out that MOF had a golden share in NFC he asked why the Ministry could not decide on the matter itself.

“Is there a conspiracy to protect Sharizat Jalil’s family who are involved in NFC,” the businessman questioned.

He said that he had sent letters to the Deputy Prime Minister’s office, the Agriculture Ministry, MOF and Negeri Sembilan’s Menteri Besar office on Feb 26, expressing his intention to take over the project.

“The DPM’s office received the letter well. The office had stated in their written reply on March 13 that they had extended the suggestion to the Menteri Besar’s office for further talks,” he said.

However, he said that he was baffled as to why MOF would refer him to Salleh.

“This is a project with high potential, he said when asked why he was eager on taking over the debt ridden project, adding that Malaysians consume an estimated 20,000 head of cattle a month.

“The numbers may rise in the month of Hari Raya Korban,” he said.

He said that he has a 300-acre piece of land in Pahang to carry out the project. For the first eight to ten years we will import cattle from abroad, he added, saying further that imports will stop after the tenth year as the cattle will be able breed on their own by then.

Shamsubahrin, who was sentenced by the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court on Monday on five counts of cheating Salleh, faces a five-year jail term and four strokes of rotan.

He said he had appealed against the decision.

Even if the High Court upholds the verdict against me, I will still be able to run the project, he said, claiming that he has a team in place to implement the project.