Has former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad abandoned Umno and joined the opposition?

Parliamentary Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang quipped that Malaysians are asking this question in view of Mahathir's recent trenchant criticisms against the government, minister and national automotive policy.

"Mahathir has not joined the opposition but I welcome his new conversion to a policy of government accountability, transparency, integrity and good governance as we are now standing on the same platform calling for the release of the 2004 AP (Approved Permits) list," he said in a statement today.

Describing the former premier as a 'new convert', Lim also urged him to support the call to make public the AP list over the past 35 years since its inception in1970.

This would include the period when Mahathir himself was the international trade and industry minister from January 1978 to July 1981.

The former premier had recently gone ballistics over the AP issue and took International Trade and Industry Minister Rafidah Aziz to task over the irregularities in its distribution.

He also criticised the government's initial decision not to release the AP list, saying it was never a policy to deny the public such information during his tenure.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi later ordered that the list be released.

Explain or quit

Meanwhile, Lim said he is willing to back anyone if it is in the best interest of the country.

"I am prepared to give support to anyone, regardless of party or political history, whether Mahathir, Abdullah or Rafidah on any issue or matter if this is in the best interests of the people and nation, like the public release of the list of AP holders," he added.

He proposed to invite political parties, parliamentarians, non-governmental organisations and civic groups to a parliamentary roundtable next month on the AP issue.

In a separate statement, the opposition leader called on Rafidah to resign or be dropped as a minister if she fails to clear the air on Mahathir's allegation that she had misled the public.

The minister has yet to respond to the allegation.

Yesterday, she reportedly said that she needed time to study all the media reports on the issue as she was overseas when Mahathir made the comments against her.