The apology Rafidah Aziz must really make for the APs scandal

The apology Rafidah must really make is to the 26 million Malaysians for the APs scandal under her 18-year watch as Minister for International Trade and Industry resulting in APs becoming the symbol for greed and abuse of power detrimental to the interests of both the people and the national car industry

Lim Kit Siang

With the Minister for Culture, Arts and Heritage Datuk Seri Dr. Rais Yatim joining the chorus against the  Wanita UMNO chief Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz, saying that it was not too late for her  to meet  former Prime Minister and Proton Adviser, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad to clear the air over the issue of Approved Permits (APs) to import cars, the pressure for Rafidah to apologise to Mahathir is becoming so irresistible that no one will be surprised if such an apology is tendered  before the end of the UMNO General Assembly tomorrow.

However,  the apology Rafidah must really  make is to the nation  for the APs scandal under her 18-year watch as Minister for International Trade and Industry resulting in  APs becoming the symbol for greed and  abuse of power detrimental to the interests of  both the people and the national car industry.

There was thunderous applause from the UMNO delegates yesterday when Abdullah in his UMNO Presidential speech admitted  to  government “failures and injustices”  –  “that in the past, there are those among us who have received too much assistance and too many chances” while “there are those who have not received enough assistance and those who have not been given opportunities at all”.

There is no doubt that to  the delegates, Rafidah was the face of the government “failures and injustices”, especially  after the release by the Prime Minister’s Office on Monday of the shocking list of 67,158 APs for 2005 – comprising 17,526 Open APs and 49,632 Franchise APs, with the bulk monopolized by the four “APs King and Kings”!

It is unfortunate that although UMNO delegates have pressured Rafidah to apologise to Mahathir, not a single voice has been raised so far in the UMNO General Assembly  to demand that Rafidah should emulate the “best practice” example of  transparency and good governance  of the Prime Minister by  making  public the full list of AP holders during the 18 years she was the Minister in charge of APs, especially as she has asserted that she had “nothing to hide or protect” in the issue of APs.

I hope that apart from calls to Rafidah to apologise to Mahathir, there will also be calls in the UMNO General Assembly to Rafidah to apologise to the 26 million Malaysians for the APs mess under her 18-year watch as Minister for International Trade and Industry where APs have become the symbol of greed and abuse of power. (22/07/2005)