The National Feedlot Corporation controversy, which has implicated Women, Family and Community Development Minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil's family, is likely to put the government off from calling a general election soon.
This, PAS vice-president Mahfuz Omar (right) said, was among several reasons why the general election would not take place in the next two months.
"It is unlikely that the government will call a general election while NFC haunts its and Umno's leadership," Mahfuz told a press conference at the PAS headquarters in Kuala Lumpur today.
Another problem plaguing the government, he said, was the Public Service New Remuneration Scheme (SBPA), which was still under review. The scheme in its current form, Mahfuz said, has created anger in the public service, a key voting bloc for the government, as it sees huge pay rises for top-tier government officers but only nominal increases for the lower tier workers.
Mahfuz said changes being implemented by the Election Commission (EC), such as the use of indelible ink, would also indicate that the general election would take place later.
“The EC will need a few months to train its people and produce new procedural manuals on managing the next general election (because of the changes being made),” he said. Instead, Mahfuz speculated that the general election may be in April or May, shortly after the Agong’s coronation to take advantage of the ‘feel good’ atmosphere.
“The Agong has been sworn in, but his coronation has yet to be held. The government will likely use the atmosphere of the Agong’s coronation and call the general election after that,” he said.
Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak has been coy about when the 13th general election will be called. However, the premier and his deputy Muhiyddin Yassin have been on a campaign blitz in several states in the past months to rally BN members.- malaysiakini
Najib's olive branch to Shahrizat? Repay RM250mil and you don't have to quit
Nazri Aziz, widely regarded as Prime Minister Najib Razak's spokesman, has given Cabinet colleague Shahrizat Jalil an olive branch loaded with implications - repay a RM250mil government soft loan extended to her family and she won't have to resign.
Even so, it is unlikely that any move other than Shahrizat resigning and the Najib administration carrying out a full-scale probe would satisfy Malaysians. Shahrizat is the Women's minister, whose family is at the centre of a corruption probe into the NFC cattle breeding project.
"We hope this is not Najib's idea of a solution. It will teach young Malaysians it is okay to be corrupt. Cheat, lie and embezzle until you get caught and then repay back the money and you are not only scot-free. You won't even be considered as having done something wrong," PKR vice president Chua Jui Meng told Malaysia Chronicle.
Nazri was reported by Malay daily Sinar Harian as saying it was the best solution to put and end to the ongoing controversy without forcing a resignation from Shahrziat, who is also the Wanita Umno chief.
“She does not have to resign. The main thing is, return the money to the government. But after this, it is better to use open tender to avoid such unwanted incidents,” said Nazri.
Insult to the Malays?
Indeed that Nazri, a seasoned politician and senior Cabinet minister himself, could utter such comments show the depth of depravity in Umno, a party that has been accused of succumbing to the maxim 'absolute power corrupts absolutely'. Umno has ruled Malaysia for 55 years and relies on a brand of racial favoritism and religious bigotry to stay in power.
Those in Shahrizat's camp, which includes Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and former premier Abdullah Badawi, who were the ones approved the project to her family in 2006, have been spreading the word that any move to oust Shahrzat as Umno Wanita chief or drop her from the Cabinet was tantamount to insulting the Malay race.
Caught in a Catch-22 of his own making, all eyes are back on Prime Minister Najib, who has tried to avoid coming to any decision on the Shahrizat issue despite growing calls from the public, the opposition and other factions in Umno including former premier Mahathir Mohamad to sack Shahrizat immediately or face greater damage to Umno's credibility.
Within Wanita Umno, moves are already afoot to call for an EGM to pass a no-conifdence move against Shahrizat. The NFC debacle, given that it involves the inappropriate purchase of super-luxury bungalows in Singapore, has attracted foreign attention. Without realizing it, Umno is confirming to the world how corrupt it is, according to Jui Meng.
"Here they are playing politics and patting themselves on the back at how great they are at intrigue. But the rest of the nation is thoroughly disgusted and the international community caught between disbelief and laughter at the fools Umno is making of itself over what is a clear cut case of corruption that should have been resolved decisively," said Jui Meng.
Wishy-washy
Of the RM250 million soft loan, the Shahrizats have purchased 5 condos, a super-class Mercedes Benz, chalked up huge credit card bills, extended million-ringgit discounts and cash remittances to family-controlled firms.
In the next few weeks, in the Umno style of damage control that Malaysians have become accustomed to, the mainstream media can be expected to downplay the misappropriations by the Shahrizats in a bid to help the party gloss over the incident.
Shahrizat has refused to step down despite an ultimatum extended by Najib and although she is the one on the defensive, he is not expected to pressure her further given his weak hold on the government, and his own wishy-washy characteristics.
Najib too is hounded by scandals galore and is still fighting accusations of having taken a RM570 million kickback from the government's purchase of 2 Scorpene submarines.
Shahrizat has said no one is Umno was free of 'problems', a statement that may believe was aimed to tell her Umno colleagues including Najib that she will not hesitate to spill the beans on them if they did not help her. - Malaysia Chronicle
Kemelut NFC akan lambatkan PRU13
Kemelut projek ternakan lembu syarikat Perbadanan Fidlot Kebangsaan (NFC) yang dikaitkan dengan Menteri Wanita, Keluarga dan Pembangunan Masyarakat Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, mungkin melewatkan kerajaan daripada membubarkan Dewan Rakyat supaya pilihan raya umum dapat diadakan.
Ini, menurut naib presiden PAS, Datuk Mahfuz Omar, adalah antara beberapa sebab mengapa pilihan raya umum tidak akan diadakan pada tempoh dua bulan akan datang.
"Tidak mungkin kerajaan akan adakan pilihan raya umum apabila isu NFC ini menghantui kepimpinannya dan Umno," kata Mahfuz pada sidang akhbar di ibu pejabat PAS di Kuala Lumpur hari ini.
Selain itu, katanya satu lagi masalah yang membelenggu kerajaan, adalah skim Saraan Baru Perkhidmatan Awam (SBPA) yang masih dalam kajian.
Skim berkenaan dalam bentuk semasa, kata Mahfuz, telah menimbulkan kemarahan kakitangan awam yang merupakan penyokong utama bagi kerajaan, kerana kenaikan gaji yang besar hanya dinikmati pegawai tinggi tetapi peningkatan nominal untuk pekerja peringkat bawahan.- malaysiakini
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