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Wednesday August 10, 2005

Rafidah to face Cabinet

BY JOCELINE TAN

PETALING JAYA: Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz will face the Cabinet today to answer crucial questions regarding the Approved Permits controversy.

The International Trade and Industry Minister would have to convince the Cabinet that the AP matter was above board and in the interest of the national automotive policy, said Putrajaya sources.

The sources said she had to come clean on at least three pressing questions regarding the APs for car imports.

“First, she will have to convince the Cabinet that the policy on APs has not undermined the national car industry,” said the source.

This means she will have to explain why the APs issued for foreign vehicles in 2004 and 2005 amounted to 10% of the total vehicle output instead of 10% of the national car production.

She has to tackle complaints that too many permits have been issued to allow in cheap foreign imports to compete unfairly with Proton cars.

HOLDING COURT: Rafidah addressing participants of the Sarawak Trade and Investment Seminar and Dialogue in Kuching last night. — Utusan Malaysiapic
Second, she is expected to explain the criteria for giving out the APs and the basis for having as many as six types of AP – open APs, franchise APs, tuner APs, student APs, diplomatic APs and “Member of Parliament APs”.

Finally, Rafidah will have to account for how the AP scheme seems to be monopolised by a few bumiputra businessmen.

She will have to address the perception that the policy has given rise to the so-called “AP kings”.

Of the 67,000 APs issued this year, more than 28,000 went to four individuals – Tan Sri Nasimuddin S.M. Amin, Datuk Syed Azman Syed Ibrahim, Datuk Mohd Haniff Abdul Aziz and Datuk Azzuddin Ahmad.

“She has to justify why so many APs were given to just a handful of people,” said a source.

Government Backbenchers Club chief Datuk Shahrir Samad said Rafidah would have to defend her ministry’s policy and secure the Cabinet’s backing for it.

“She has to get the ministers to endorse her policy if she wants to bring the issue to a close,” said Shahrir.

Rafidah, who is also Wanita Umno leader, did not attend last week’s Cabinet meeting after pleading that she had problems with her knee, which forced her to cancel a golfing holiday in Perth, Australia, that same day.

The Cabinet had objected to an 18-page explanation on the issue which she had intended to release to the media.

The ministers felt that she should explain the matter to the Cabinet before releasing it to the press.

Related story:
Answer all queries, PM tells Rafidah

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