NFC case: court moves hearing to Nov 7 after failure to reach settlement

KUALA LUMPUR – The National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) and its related parties that have been sued by the Malaysian government for recovery of RM263.6 million in loan payments and interests have yet to reach a settlement with Putrajaya despite the deadline to do so passing today.

Due to this, the Kuala Lumpur High Court has now granted for the hearing to be moved to November 7, effectively giving the parties more time to come to a settlement.

On January 25 this year, the court had set today as the deadline for the trial to resume if all parties fail to achieve a settlement.

The trial had commenced on January 13 last year and the plaintiff had closed their case on March 17 after calling seven witnesses to testify.

The trial was set to resume on January 25, but was postponed following NFC’s request to settle the suit. 

The parties were then told to inform the court on the status of the settlement of the case on May 17. 

However, The Edge reported today that NFC, its chairman Datuk Seri Mohamad Salleh Ismail, and nine others have yet to reach a settlement with the government and the parties informed the judge that they would require a further extension. 

It reported them as reasoning that the settlement is currently still in the works and has not been finalised yet. 

Defence lawyer Datuk Seri Rajan Navaratnam was quoted as saying that the court had granted an adjournment to the case, setting November 7 for it to continue. 

Should a settlement not be reached by both parties, the trial will continue from November 7 to 11, The Edge reported.

Datuk Mohamad Salleh Ismail, who is the husband of former women, family, and community development minister Tan Sri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, is the second defendant after NFC.

The other defendants are Salleh’s children Wan Shahinur Izran, Wan Shahinur Izmir, and Wan Izzana Fatimah Zabedah.

The remaining defendants are six companies controlled by Salleh’s family, comprising National Meat & Livestock Corporation Sdn Bhd, Real Food Corporation Sdn Bhd, Meatworks Corporation Sdn Bhd, Agroscience Industries Sdn Bhd, Asian Bioscience Corporation Sdn Bhd, and Techknowlogy Imageware (M) Sdn Bhd. – The Vibes, May 17, 2022