KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 11 — Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil today withdrew her RM100 million defamation suit against two PKR federal lawmakers Rafizi Ramli and Zuraida Kamaruddin.
Shahrizat had filed the case against the duo on January 19 last year over their statements on the National Feedlot Centre (NFC) cattle-farming project involving a RM250 million federal loan that was allegedly abused.
The former minister's husband and children held positions in the National Feedlot Corporation (NFCorp), the company involved in the NFC project.
Speaking to the media today, Rafizi said that the duo welcomed Shahrizat’s decision but will continue to speak out on the NFC issue.
“There are no conditions, which means, in spite of her decision to withdraw the lawsuit, there is nothing imposed on us so we can continue to pursue the matter after this,” the Pandan MP said in the courthouse lobby here.
Rafizi said Shahrizat’s decision has strengthened his resolve to continue monitoring the NFC case to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice.
“What is missing now is accountability,” he said, stressing that both Zuraida and himself were determined to ensure that the NFC issue does not suffer the fate of other major financial scandals where no one is held accountable in the end.
Zuraida, who was also present at the news conference, said that the duo will work to ensure the revival of the failed NFC project which she said is meant to benefit the people.
Both of them appeared unfazed at the possibility of more lawsuits over their future statements on NFC.
Shahrizat’s unconditional withdrawal of the case today was done in chambers before High Court Judicial Commissioner Vazeer Alam Mydin Meera, with no order made on costs and no liberty to file the same case again.
Rafizi today also withdrew his counterclaim against Shahrizat.
Rafizi and Zuraida were represented by Ranjit Singh and Razlan Hadri, while Datuk Ahmad Redza Abdullah represented Shahrizat today in place of her lead counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah.
The trial of Shahrizat’s defamation suit against Rafizi revealed last March that NFCorp had purchased a RM534,622 Mercedes-Benz in 2009 as a company car that was parked in her house.
In the trial, Shahrizat had also defended NFCorp’s purchase of three luxury condominium units in the Orchard Scotts Residences and Marina Bay Sands in Singapore worth RM42 million, saying that the buy was part of the company’s investment portfolio, according to her husband Datuk Seri Mohamad Salleh Ismail, the executive chairman of NFCorp.
Mohamad Salleh is currently on trial over charges of criminal breach of trust and violations of the Companies Act involving the alleged misuse of funds from the project, with the court set to decide on his striking out application on November 22.
The Wanita Umno chief had also testified that the RM42 million condominiums in Singapore and two condominium units in Bangsar here costing RM30 million in total made up more than one-fifth of the RM250 million government loan.
In the defamation suit, Shahrizat had sought a total of RM100 million in damages, as well as an injunction against Rafizi and Zuraida from making defamatory statements against her in relation to the NFC issue.
Shahrizat’s senatorship was not renewed in April 2012, causing her to lose her women, family and community development portfolio in the Cabinet.
After the 13th general election this year, Shahrizat was appointed as a special adviser to the prime minister on women, family and community development matters, and has recently successfully defended her position as Wanita Umno chief.
