Former women, family and community development minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil does not consider calling PKR strategy director Rafizi Ramli a traitor to the Malays and Islam to be heinous and unIslamic.
In fact, Shahrizat admitted in court, what Rafizi had said in at a press conference in the lobby of Parliament was more maligning and defamatory to her.
Rafizi, she added, said that she was setting a bad example for women by not wanting to clarify and apologise to all Malaysians on the award of the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) project.
Responding to questions from Ranjit Singh, representing Rafizi, she agreed that all four quotes by Rafizi ( left in photo ) and Ampang MP Zuraida Kamaruddin ( right in photo ), which were stated in her RM100 million claim against the two, were slanderous, defamatory and against Islam.
Ranjit wanted her to compare between Rafizi’s alleged defamatory statement, and her statement which was more heinous and unIslamic.
In her witness statement Shahrizat had stated that slander is one of the biggest sins in Islam and something which is unforgivable.
Rafizi had, among others during the press conference on Nov 30, 2011, wanted Shahrizat to explain her family’s involvement in the NFC project, failing which, he claimed, it may drag Umno and BN down should she not wish to clarify it.
She, however, responded by calling Rafizi 'Si Tanggang' during her speech to the Umno Wanita wing, which she heads, during last year's Umno general assembly, describing him as a traitor, a person willing to sell his religion and race.
Rafizi and Zuraida have in turn filed a counter-claim over what Shahrizat had said during the assembly.
Throughout today’s cross-examination there were exchanges between Shahrizat, a former lawyer and magistrate, and Ranjit Singh as at times the former minister was seen to be hesitant in giving a direct answer.
‘I did not know my son is NFC director’
Asked by lawyer Ranjit when did she know her husband Mohd Salleh Ismail was awarded the NFC project, Shahrizat said sometime in late 2006 and 2007.
She said that she did not know the exact time as her husband had said that he wanted all three children to work in the project, where two of them, Wan Shahinur Izran ( left ) and Wan Izzan Fatimah Zabedah, were still overseas at that time.
Ranjit then proceeded in showing a company search which his law firm had done.
Ranjit: Your son who was born in 2004 at the age of 22 became a director of NFC on Dec 29, 2006.
Shahrizat: I do not know as we never discuss this. You see my husband is a professional and always busy. He has his work and I have mine as a minister.
Ranjit: You mean your son lives with you in the same house and you do not know about this?
Shahrizat: I only remember my husband telling me that he wanted the children to come back home and work with NFC that was sometime in 2007. He (Wan Shahinur Izran) graduated at the age of 19 in Computer Science from a university in Sacramento, California. He worked there for a year, and upon his return he told me he wanted to be an entrepreneur.
Ranjit: Did you not ask him what projects he was working on while he was at home or where he was leaving for work?
Shahrizat: No.
Ranjit: I would have asked my children where they are headed for work as I would want to know their whereabouts.
Ranjit: I put it to you that you know Izran was involved in the NFC project even when it was awarded in 2006.
Shahrizat: No.
Her other children Wan Izzan Fatimah became an NFC director on Sept 19, 2007 while Wan Shahinur Izmir was appointed director two months later, on Nov 7.
She testified before a packed courtroom of Umno and PKR supporters.
The hearing before Judicial Commissioner Vazeer Alam Mydin Meera continues on Sept 18.
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