Embattled International Trade and Industry Minister Rafidah Aziz will explain to Parliament next Tuesday the imbroglio surrounding the much-debated AP issue.

Arriving at the Parliament House lobby at 3.40pm today, the veteran minister dubbed the 'Iron Lady' for her strong will and resolve, cheerfully greeted and shook hands with several government officials and fellow members of Parliament.

Clad in a modern baju kurung , she appeared to be in high spirts and posed for photographers surrounding her.

Pointing at journalists, she remarked: "Lama tak jumpa, mereka masih ingat saya (Long time no see, they still remember me?)."

She drew laughter when she followed this up with: " Tengok, ada slim tak? (Look, am I slim now?)

Asked if she would personally answer questions in Parliament related to the AP controversy, she would only say: "I was in the US and Laos [...] I cannot be at two places at one time," before entering the Parliament hall.

Reporters were again waiting for her at Parliament lobby after the 2006 Budget was tabled. She briefly answered a question on the budget but was reluctant to take questions on the AP issue.

Rafidah hurried down the stairs to leave Parliament as soon as she sensed that the reporters were about to pose questions on the AP.

Her deputy, Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah later told malaysiakini that the minister would answer all questions related to the national automotive industry during the first hour of Tuesday's question-and-answer session in Parliament.

Cabinet directive

Rafidah came under heavy fire in recent weeks from MPs after her ministry released a list of MPs who were granted APs. The MPs argued that releasing of the list was a tactic by Rafidah to show that she could bully the MPs into not hounding her over the AP issue.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz said the MPs were also annoyed with Rafidah's continued absence from Parliament to answer AP-related questions.

Following the discontent expressed by a majority of the MPs, the cabinet on Wednesday directed Rafidah to turn up personally in Parliament to explain to MPs the many issues surrounding the AP controversy.