Embattled International Trade and Industry Minister Rafidah Aziz was not involved in the controversial issuance of the approved permits (APs) to import luxury cars into the country or assert her influence in the process, the top civil servant in her ministry said.

The ministry's secretary general Mohd Sidek Hassan said he bore full responsibility for the current controversy , which has put Rafidah under heavy fire and even caused her to break down in tears over the issue.

"I did not consult the minister (before the issuance of AP). Neither did she issue any instruction to me. We merely followed the provided guidelines (in the issuance of AP).

"I bear full responsibility for the issuance of APs," said Mohd Sidek according to a front-page interview with Sin Chew Daily today.

He pointed out that every eligible AP applicant is normally given the nod and the four-member decision-making APs committee is headed by him.

He explained that there are two criterions to consider - the applicant's company must be 70 percent owned by bumiputra and the company must have exclusive agency agreement direct with foreign car manufacturers.

Committee head since October

Mohd Sidek was also questioned over the 'unfairness' of the APs distributions after four people are found to have been given more than 25,000 APs of the total of 67,158 APs issued so far this year.

"This is not a distribution problem. For example, when we issue 51,000 APs, it is impossible for us to distribute all of them to 51,000 people to show fairness."

Of the total APs issued, Syed Azman Syed Ibrahim, Mohd Haniff Abdul Aziz and Azzuddin Ahmad received a total of 16,214 APs under several companies while Nasimuddin SM Amin, chairperson of the Naza Motor Group, held 9,412 APs mainly under the Naza Kia Sdn Bhd.

On Naza being given the biggest number of APs, the secretary general explained that the government has no reason to limit the number after the company has succeeded in the business.

"We couldn't just stop giving them the APs or restrict them to have only two APs, it is against the government's policy," he said, adding that there was no such limitation in the issuance of APs.

In an immediate reaction, Parliamentary Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang said that Mohd Sidek's denial of Rafidah's involvement was weak, unsatisfactory and unacceptable.

"Whether there was no abuse of power or corrupt malpractices in the issue of the APs is a matter which have to wait a wide-ranging inquiry and audit as a bald statement of denial of impropriety, as made by Mohd Sidek, is no more adequate or acceptable," Lim said in a statement today.

"Furthermore, Mohd Sidek had only headed the committee on APs since last October and cannot speak for the previous 17 years when Rafidah was the minister," he added.

The opposition leader said Rafidah as the minister for international trade and industry for more than 18 years must bear full and final responsibility for the "APs mess".

"We do not want Rafidah to cry over APs, but even more important, we do not want 26 million Malaysians to cry over APs because of its blatant injustices and malpractices," Lim noted.

One MP, one AP

In a related development, DAP Bukit Bintang MP Fong Kui Lun also told Sin Chew Daily that every member of Parliament is entitled to one AP for personal use.

He said the MP - whether from the ruling or opposition party - is only required to submit an application form for the AP.

Meanwhile, International Trade and Industry Deputy Minister Mah Siew Keong was quoted in media reports today as welcoming the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) to initiate a probe on APs to "clear all the misunderstanding".

However he refused to comment on rumours that the ACA has begun investigation against the ministry.