The Star
7 AUGUST 2012, KUALA LUMPUR - Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil maintained that she was never involved in approving the NFC project to Agroscience Industries Sdn Bhd.
“The NFC is owned by my husband and children and has nothing to do with me or my position,” she said while testifying in her RM100mil defamation suit against PKR strategic director Mohd Rafizi Ramli and Wanita chief Zuraida Kamaruddin.
Shahrizat, 59, claimed the two PKR leaders had focused all their accusations primarily on her as (then) Women, Family and Commu-nity Development Minister and Wanita Umno chief.
Questioned by her lead counsel Datuk Seri Dr Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, Shahrizat said that NFC was used as an instrument to attack her personally even though she was not aware that her husband Datuk Seri Dr Mohamed Salleh Ismail, who is NFC executive chairman, was bidding for the National Feedlot Corporation project as they had never discussed the matter.
“We have never interfered nor encroached into each other’s work,” she testified before High Court Judicial Commissioner Vazeer Alam Mydin Meera."
Shahrizat said neither her husband nor her children requested her help over the project.
“They know better than to ask me,” she said, adding that she had never participated in any way whether directly or indirectly to assist them in securing the commercial project.
She said Mohd Rafizi had published an article in his blog which among others imputed that she was involved in wrongdoings concerning the NFC and had abused her position to influence the decision.
She said that Zuraida among others accused her, together with her family of unlawfully profiteering by way of marking up prices of meat sold by the NFC at a discount.
She said the investigations by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Com-mission cleared her of any impropriety.
“The humiliation, mental anguish and devastation suffered by my family and myself as a result of the lies written and orchestrated by the defendants is beyond expression,” said Shahrizat, adding that she resigned as minister as she did not want her position as wife of the chairman of NFC to malign or cast aspersions on the Government.
The hearing continues on Friday.
In the lawsuit filed on Jan 19, Shahrizat is seeking an injunction to restrain the two PKR leaders from making further statements.
Mohd Rafizi, in his defence, said his statement on Nov 8 last year constituted fair comment on a matter of public interest and that he would rely on a qualified privilege.
He filed a counter-claim on March 8 against Shahrizat over her alleged defamatory remarks implying that he is a traitor.
He accused Shahrizat of embarking on a personal and vindictive attack against him in her opening address at the Wanita Umno general assembly on Nov 30 last year.