APPROVED permits, which created a lot of problems for former international trade and industry minister Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz three years ago, returned to haunt her yesterday when an opposition member alleged that her relatives had received them during her tenure.

Azmin Ali (PKR-Gombak) alleged that her ministry had issued approved permits, used for importing cars, to her relatives, including a niece, long after the government had decided to ban the issuing of franchise APs.

After the decision to ban franchise APs was made in 2005, Azmin said the then Miti secretary-general Tan Sri Sidek Hassan had approved the issue of permits to Autostadt Sdn Bhd for the import of Volkswagen cars.

"He did it without the knowledge of the committee formed specifically for the purpose of issuing APs.

"What is more disturbing is that Autostadt to this day has no showroom or sales and service centres which are a requisite for the issue of such franchise APs."
Azmin said this when he sought clarification from Deputy International Trade and Industry Minister Jacob Dungau Sagan, who was winding up the debate on allocations for the ministry at the committee stage.

Azmin said Autostadt's shareholder was Zulkifli Ishak and his wife, Annie Tajul Arus, who is said to be Rafidah's niece. Rafidah, who is the Kuala Kangsar MP, was not in the house yesterday.

Azmin alleged that another company, Amira Venture Sdn Bhd, which was also connected to Rafidah through a relative, had been issued open APs which allow any type of car to be brought in over a period of two years.

He did not give the names of the company directors or how they were related to Rafidah.

He said Amira received 150 APs in 2007 and was given 225 this year.

"How were they issued APs?" he asked Jacob.

In reply, Jacob said his ministry was carrying out an audit on all the APs that were issued and would be able to give a clearer picture later on.

Replying to a point made by Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh Timur), he said the issuing of APs by the government was in decline. He said 70,381 APs were issued in 2005, 60,460 in 2006, 50,304 in 2007 and 44,168 this year.

"This shows a declining trend and not as claimed by Ipoh Timur (Lim)."

Lim had alleged that APs were being issued as part of the Umno election power play and many Umno members, particularly delegates, had been given permits.

Speaking in the Parliament lobby later, Azmin said the ministry had to explain how the APs were being issued to market players.

He noted that 77 companies had been issued 45,686 permits from 2004 to 2007.

"The problem is not the issue of permits but the way they were being distributed. On the average, all 77 companies should each receive 600 APs, but that is not the case.

"Some, like Naza Konsortium Sdn Bhd were given 8,431 permits from 2004 to 2006. Surely, this is an unusually large number of APs for one company."

He said, at RM50,000 for each AP, Naza would stand to make more than RM420 million without even bringing in a single vehicle.