KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 25): National Feedlot Corp Sdn Bhd (NFCorp), its chairman Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Salleh Ismail and nine others are in talks with the Malaysian government to reach a settlement in the RM250 million lawsuit initiated by the government against them.

Mohamad Salleh and the nine others are accused of misappropriating RM118 million from a RM250 million loan granted to NFCorp by the government in December 2007 to set up and operate a national feedlot centre in Gemas, Negeri Sembilan.

The government is seeking from the accused RM253.62 million, which includes accrued annual interest of 2% from May 1, 2019.

On Tuesday (Jan 25, 2022), High Court Judicial Commissioner Anand Ponnudurai adjourned hearing of the case after lawyers representing the government and the accused informed Ponnudurai that both sides were in the midst of a settlement.

Hearing of the case was originally scheduled to resume on Tuesday following a postponement from 2021.

Ponnudurai said: “This is just not purely a monetary claim. I also take into account that this is a national project. There is a possibility that this project may be revived.

"I normally would be hard-pressed to give the adjournment but seeing the facts of this case, I take it there is a good chance of the matter being settled.

“Under the circumstances, I would have to grant the adjournment to allow [the] parties to pursue a settlement,” he said.

Ponnudurai, however, warned that in the event the settlement cannot be reached, he will not adjourn the trial any longer. 

He added that in the event of any delays, the trial will continue remotely via Zoom.

“If they do not reach a settlement, this case has to be completed by this year,” he said.

Earlier, senior federal counsel Azliza Ali, who was representing the government, informed the court that the Attorney General’s Chambers had no objection to Mohamad Salleh’s application for postponement of the trial pending settlement talks with the Ministry of Finance (MoF).

“We (the plaintiffs) have no objection to the postponement (application) from the defendants. Any settlement of the case will be reverted to the MoF,” Azliza said.

She subsequently proposed that the trial continues from May 17 to 20, 2022 should the plannned settlement between the government and accused is unsuccessful.

Mohamad Salleh is former women, family and community development minister Tan Sri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil’s husband.

Besides Mohamad Salleh and NFCorp, the accused include the couple’s three children Wan Shahinur Izran, Wan Shahinur Izmir and Wan Izzana Fatimah Zabedah besides six other companies owned by the family.

Mohamad Salleh is scheduled to enter his defence should the case continue in May.

The government is also seeking a personal declaration from Mohamad Salleh and his three children that they are personally liable for the RM118 million and that the money will be repaid by them to the government.

Wan Shahinur Izran and Wan Izzana were also directors of NFCorp.