International Trade and Industry Minister Rafidah Aziz - dubbed the 'Parliament queen' - remains largely missing from action in Parliament, prompting an annoyed opposition leader to ask for her removal from the cabinet.

Over the last 21 days of the current Parliament session - since March 13 - Rafidah has only been seen twice - on the day of the official opening by the King and when the Ninth Malaysia Plan was tabled by premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Opposition leader Lim Kit Siang said in a barbed statement today: "She attended both occasions like a royal personage. One reason was probably that there were live telecasts that would have highlighted her absence from the front bench to a national audience."

"She did not, however, attend Parliament on a single occasion over the past 21 days, whether to answer questions or to reply to MPs' speeches in debates. Will Rafidah continue to hide and run away from her parliamentary duties in the next 15 days?"

The last time Rafidah spoke in Parliament was on Oct 4 last year, after being directed by the cabinet to answer MPs' questions at the height of the approved permits (AP) controversy.

Sole exception

Lim, who is Ipoh Timur MP, said many questions had been raised during the debate on the Royal address last month that only Rafidah could answer satisfactorily - in particular pertaining to the AP scandal.

"All ministers have been directed by the prime minister to be conscientious in their parliamentary duties and to personally appear to answer questions and reply to MPs' speeches. Rafidah is the only exception.

"Has Rafidah been given dispensation from having to appear and discharge her parliamentary duties to give a satisfactory accounting to MPs for the performance of her ministerial responsibilities?"

He urged the premier to convey to Rafidah in no uncertain terms at tomorrow's cabinet meeting that she will have to relinquish her post"if she regards her parliamentary responsibilities as beneath her regal position".

Lim also suggested that Abdullah appoints Rafidah as the World Trade Organisation or Free Trade Agreements special envoy if the premier "thinks so highly" of Rafidah's skills and abilities in international trade negotiations.

"(The special envoy's post) would not require her to report directly to Parliament and (the PM can) appoint a new Miti minister who does not abdicate from the ministerial responsibility of reporting as well as accounting directly to Parliament."