Deputy speaker asks minister to ensure cows do not stay in condominiums

KUALA LUMPUR (July 24): Cows and condos. Some may consider it a tired old joke but that has not prevented newly-minted deputy speaker of Parliament (pictured) Nga Kor Ming from taking a crack at it.

The opportunity came about when Agriculture and Agro-based Industries minister Salahuddin Ayub announced that the National Feedlot Corp (NFC) started by the Barisan Nasional administration will be continued by the Pakatan Harapan government.

“Minister, please make sure the cows do not stay in condominiums," the deputy speaker was reported by the Malaysiakini news portal saying today in Parliament in reaction to the plans.

The NFC was embroiled in controversy with allegations that a RM250 million soft loan for the corporation was used to purchase a luxury condominium in Kuala Lumpur.

The NFC was headed by former Wanita Umno boss Shahrizat Abdul Jalil's husband Mohamad Salleh Ismail when the BN was still in power at Putrajaya.

The couple's children Wan Shahinur Izran, Wan Izzana Fatimah Zabedah and Wan Shahinur Izmir were also made directors of the corporation.

During question time, Nurul Izzah Anwar (PKR-Permatang Pauh) also asked about the ministry's memorandum to the cabinet to continue with the NFC to boost consumers' meat supply to 30%.

Salahuddin made this philosophical reply: "Let the past remain as memories. What was good, we take as examples and what was not good, we take as boundaries," reported Malaysiakini.

"If we keep talking about NFC, we will never get anywhere. We should instead look forward and develop (the industry) responsibly, " he added.