Bung Moktar: Shahrizat liabiliti kepada Umno & BN!

BN backbenchers deputy chief Bung Moktar Radin mentioned in passing that the cabinet minister responsible for the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) fiasco should resign, during the debate on Transport Minister Kong Chor Har’s winding up speech on the Supply Bill 2012 in the Dewan Rakyat today. 

 

When BN MPs veered into the topic of budget carrier AirAsia’s recent share swap deal with Malaysia Airlines, Bung Moktar (left), the Kinabatangan MP, told the House, “My position is very clear. Just like the feedlot issue. I agree that this is not the work of Umno. This is the work of individuals. To me, the person should be responsible. If I was in (the person’s) position, I would resign. (The person) is causing problems. Everything the person does, semua musnah (ends up in ruins). Whatever that is not right, we must correct, even if the person is a minister from Umno. Who is the person? If the person is wrong, resigning is better than being a liability to Umno and BN. We must be firm because we administer this country based on justice.”

 At no point did Bung Moktar mention the minister’s name in the House although he did  mention that he was referring to a cabinet minister,

'Resign and apologise'

When contacted by Malaysiakini later in the evening, Bung Moktar confirmed that he was referring to Women, Family and Community Development Minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil and said, “She should take responsibility and face the music.”

To another question, Bung Moktar said Shahrizat should resign as soon as possible, because the NFC controversy had damaged the reputation of BN and Umno.

Since she was holding government and party positions, an apology to Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak was also in order, added Bung Mokhtar.

Neverthless, Bung Moktar stressed that he had nothing personal against Shahrizat and that he did not blame Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Minister Noh Omar for the NFC scandal.

At a time when  fellow backbenchers, including Khairy Jamaluddin, are scrambling to control the damage caused by the controversy, Bung Moktar is believed to be the first BN Member of Parliament to have publicly criticised Shahrizat over the matter.