Kuala Lumpur (dpa) – A senior Malaysian government minister announced her resignation Sunday over a scandal linking her family to the alleged misappropriation of millions of dollars in government loans. Women, Family and Community Development Minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil said her resignation as cabinet minister would be effective on April 8, coinciding with the end of her term as senator. Opposition lawmakers have accused her husband and children of using money from the government-funded National Feedlot Corporation (NFC), which is tasked with boosting country's livestock industry, to purchase luxury properties in Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and elsewhere. The NFC, which received 250 million ringgit (83.33 million dollars) in soft loan from the government, is controlled by Shahrizat's husband, Mohamad Salleh Ismail, and their children. The case is being investigated by the police. Malaysia's auditor-general reported last year that the corporation had failed in its primary task of boosting the country's livestock industry. Shahrizat was appointed to her current post in 2001 and held the position until 2008, when she lost in the general election. Prime Minister Najib Razak She later appointed her as special advisor on women affairs and social development. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/S1HTo Tags: Corruption, Malaysia, Shahrizat Abdul Jalil Section: East Asia, Latest News
