Opposition party DAP has insisted that International Trade and Industry Minister Rafidah Aziz should disclose the full list of recipients of Approved Permits (APs) from the time she took over her portfolio in May 1987.

Veteran leader Lim Kit Siang said in a statement today that she should do this if she truly "has nothing to hide or protect".

"Rafidah should demonstrate that she is not the biggest obstacle to the policy of transparency and integrity under (Abdullah's) administration by making public the full list of AP holders over the 18 years she has been the minister in charge of APs," he said.

"If she is not prepared to adopt such publication as 'best practice' for transparency and integrity, she should resign as cabinet minister."

While the ministry's criteria in awarding APs are opaque, it was assumed that the 67,000 APs cited by former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamed when he triggered the controversy were those issued from the time the system was put in place 35 years ago.

Late on Monday evening, however, the Prime Minister's Office revealed that a total of 67,158 permits had been issued over the past six months. Names of the holders were also disclosed.

Yesterday, Rafidah said she has " no reason to resign " and that the AP scheme would be continued.

Questions for Umno

According to the list, Naza Motor group managing director Nasimuddin SM Amin and WestStar Motorsport officials Syed Azman Syed Ibrahim, Mohd Haniff Abdul Aziz and Azzuddin Ahmad received the lion's share of APs.

With more than 25,600 APs between them, the four are said to have cornered about 40 percent of the total issued.

On this matter, Lim urged Umno delegates - meeting in Kuala Lumpur for their general assembly from tomorrow - to call for a royal commission of inquiry to investigate the issue thoroughly.

It should inquire into allegations of abuse of power and corruption, how the AP system has contributed to corruption, and whether the scheme has served the interests of the national car industry or the interests of taxpayers, Lim said.

He also said answers should be sought as to why the AP system has not been abolished or phased out when Rafidah had reportedly said in 1997 that it did not conform to the open-market system.

Allegations refuted

In an earlier statement, Lim claimed that Nasimuddin, Syed Azman, Mohd Haniff and Azzuddin could make between RM375 million and RM472 million from the APs issued to them this year alone.

"With each AP worth between RM20,000 and RM40,000 in the market, the ministry of international trade and industry (MITI) has provided Nasimuddin the opportunity to make some RM375 million from the 12,524 APs," he had said in that statement yesterday.

Other AP-holders include prominent politicians or their relatives, personalities closely linked to politicians, as well as members of the royalty. The list included Tourism Minister Dr Leo Michael Toyad as well as Berjaya Group chairperson and CEO Vincent Tan Chee Yioun ( left ).

In a statement published by The Star today, Tan clarified that he has sold his shares in Hyumal Motor, along with Berjaya and several bumiputera parties, to Sime Darby Motors last June. Hyumal has received 8,573 APs.

The daily also quoted Syed Azman as saying the receipt of APs was not a "privilege" enjoyed by the 'AP kings' - as the main recipients have been dubbed in the media.

"The franchise AP is another business, and it is not tradeable for about RM30,000 as reported. We don't make that kin d of money, and if we don't use the AP we will lose it," he said, also clarifying he had never served in Miti as claimed by the media.

Nazimuddin defended his ownership of the largest share of APs by pointing to his company's achievements and fulfillment of government objective of developing bumiputera entrepreneurs in the automotive industry.

He pointed to the company's RM300 million manufacturing plant in Gurun, Kedah, which together with its vendors have generated 4,000 jobs. The company also owns the RM80 million Naza Auto Mall, Asia's largest one-stop motor vehicle centre.

Naza Bikes Manufacturing operates a RM30 million motorcycle manufacturing plant in Shah Alam that employs 150 people and has 75 dealers, he added.