The government must ensure that it does not lose the momentum gained in revealing the list of Approved Permit (AP) recipients by ignoring other questions that have emerged from yesterday's disclosure, said a corruption watchdog.

Among the foremost questions to be addressed, said the Malaysian chapter of Transparency International (TI) today, is whether the issuance of APs actually works to help bumiputera businessmen by giving them entrepreneurship opportunities in the automotive sector.

According to TI president Param Cumaraswamy, the list released yesterday by the Prime Minister's office showed that the benefits have accrued merely to a few with "political and other connections".

"It appears to be a case of enriching a select few bumiputeras," said Param in a statement.

Naza Motor group managing director Nasimuddin SM Amin and WestStar Motorsport officials Syed Azman Syed Ibrahim, Mohd Haniff Abdul Aziz and Azzuddin Ahmad topped the list of recipients of the 67,158 APs issued this year.

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

Syed Azman and Mohd Haniff were both former officials of the ministry of international trade and industry which issues the permits.

High-profile recipients

Others include prominent politicians or their spouses, personalities closely linked to politicians, as well as members of the royalty.

Among them are Mokhzani Mahathir, Mohammadiah Moner, Ilyas Mohamed, Syed Hussain Syed Mohammed, Abdul Hamid Ibrahim, Mohd Nazmi Mohd Salleh, Tunku Zainol Tengku Izham, Tunku Seri Syed Amir Abidin and Dr Soh Thiam Hong.

Former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad, whose statements on the matter had triggered the issue and a war of words with minister Rafidah Aziz, had claimed that a handful of companies had unfairly obtained the lion's share of APs.

Param also noted that despite the declared purposes of the AP system, certain non-bumiputera figures who are prominent in the business world had received APs "though under corporate veil".

They include Culture, Arts and Tourism Minister Dr Leo Michael Toyad and business tycoon Vincent Tan.

Param said this, and the glaring presence of former ministry officers among recipients, has made the suspension of AP issuance all the more necessary until an independent inquiry - including investigation by the Anti-Corruption Agency - can be conducted.