Facing mounting pressure demanding her sacking from the cabinet over the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) scandal, Shahrizat Abdul Jalil today hit back at two of her key critics.

NONEThe minister for women, family and community development filed a law suit against PKR women's wing chief Zuraida Kamaruddin and the party's head of strategy Mohd Rafizi Ramli (left).

Shahrizat, who is currently on a three-week leave, filed her civil suit at the Kuala Lumpur High Court, claiming Zuraida and Rafizi libelled and slandered her.

She is seeking RM50 million as general damages and another RM50 million as aggravated and exemplary damages.

Asked the grounds for filing the suit, Shahrizat's lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah said the Umno Wanita chief was confident that the ongoing investigations into the NFC would prove her innocence.

“To take this matter to the court is a big risk, because it allows your character to be examined. But we are confident that she is not involved (in NFC),” Shafee told reporters after filing the suit.

NONEShahrizat is accusing Zuraida (left) of making libellous statements by accusing her (Shahrizat) of being involved in the "mark up" of NFC's meat products, that she (Shahrizat) influenced the cabinet decision to award the RM250 million project to her husband and that the minister abused her powers.

On the other hand, Shahrizat states in her suit that Rafizi's statements, which include among others that Shahrizat committed some serious legal or moral transgressions and she ought to apologise to the Malaysian public, are deemed defamatory.

Culture of impunity

The lawyer has filed a certificate of urgency to expedite court proceedings and will consider naming more defendants to the case, depending on “how much misbehave is on the ground”.

“There is a culture of impunity going on in this country. People just don’t care what they say,” Shafee said.

In Shahrizat’s statement of claim, she states that the Agriculture Ministry in 2006 had invited various companies to submit tenders to develop the national feedlot project.

Two companies, Agro Science Industry Sdn Bhd and Lamberts Agriculture Trade Sdn Bhd, were shortlisted after the government’s selection process, via a special committee.

“Prior to the official award, Lamberts Agriculture Trade Sdn Bhd withdrew from the project and hence it was awarded solely to Agro-Science Industry Sdn Bhd,” the statement says.

It said the decision of award was not brought before the cabinet and hence Shahrizat was not in a position to influence the Agriculture Ministry.

In an immediate response to the suit, Rafizi posted a tweet in his micro-blogging account saying that the RM100 million claim was “a bit excessive”.

“If Shahrizat wins, she can take my cheap car and medium-cost apartment, no problem. If we win, can we get the condominiums?” he jeered.


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