Nurul Izzah should not have been malicious, says NFCorp chief

Datuk Seri Mohamad Salleh Ismail was awarded the National Feedlot Corporation project with a government loan of RM250 million, but some of the funds were allegedly used for the purchase of luxury apartments. – The Malaysian Insider pic, January 5, 2015.National Feedlot Corporation Sdn Bhd (NFCorp) executive chairman Datuk Seri Mohamad Salleh Ismail went on the attack against Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar in his testimony at the High Court today.

Admitting that Nurul Izzah had every right to address public concerns regarding the Eco City project coming up within her constituency in Kg Abdullah Hukum, Salleh said, however, that "she should not have been malicious".

Salleh was testifying in his defamation suit against Nurul Izzah and Datuk Saifuddin Nasution, in his capacity as PKR secretary-general at the material time.

NFCorp is the second plaintiff in the suit filed in December last year, over a press conference held by Nurul Izzah and then PKR strategy director Rafizi Ramli, on the purchase of the eight properties in KL Eco City.

Salleh also testified that the PKR politician should have left his wife, Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, out of her statement, instead of implying that as former MP for the constituency, Shahrizat would have known about the development plans and could have influenced her husband in the purchase of the eight properties.

Salleh, however, said that he was not aware that the occupants of the land in Abdullah Hukum where Eco City came up was not given enough compensation.

He also mentioned that the impact of the press conference on March 7, 2012 by PKR's Rafizi Ramli and Nurul Izzah had caused his wife to step down as a minister.

Salleh disagreed with a suggestion by the defendants' lawyer Joshua Kevin during cross-examination that even members of the Barisan Nasional coalition, including former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, had asked Shahrizat to step down before the March 7 press conference.

"I don't agree. I asked Dr Mahathir. He did not pressure her. He just said that maybe she should leave because of unnecessary attacks by PKR," Salleh testified.

Salleh also insisted that his wife's resignation, the subsequent criminal charge against him and the seizure of his assets was a result of said press conference and the 110 news reports that resulted from it.

Joshua: Do you agree that on 10 November 2011, there was disclosure pertaining to your purchase in 1Menerung?

Salleh: I can't remember.

Joshua: Do you remember that the prime minister announced on January 14, 2012, two months after the 1Menerung issue came up, that NFCorp's assets would be frozen?

Salleh: Don't remember.

Joshua: Can you confirm that after the disclosure of 1Menerung, your entire family was called up by the police for questioning?

Salleh: I think the police called up after Rafizi made a press release because every time he makes a statement it would be followed up by a police report and I would be called in by the police for questioning.

During re-examination by Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, Salleh explained the claim made during the press conference that he only had RM421 to his name in a Public Bank account.

Earlier, Salleh had said during his testimony that Rafizi had alleged that he was not credit worthy given that he only had RM421 in his Public Bank account.

But the NFCorp boss told the High Court today that the account was to service his bank loan for the purchase of two units in Plaza Damas 3, which was a joint private purchase by him and his son.

He said the amount was just a means to keep the account active, adding that he banked in the instalment amount for the two units on a monthly basis and had never defaulted.

In the lawsuit, Salleh and NFCorp are seeking general, exemplary, and aggravated damages against the defendants.

Salleh is suing Rafizi in a separate suit over the disclosure of his accounts in Public Bank which were revealed during the March 2012 press conference.

Hearing before High Court judge Datuk Hue Siew Kheng will resume on Wednesday.

- TMI