Deputy minister checking if Putrajaya approved 38 new AP holders

Deputy International Trade and Industry Minister Ong Kian Ming is verifying an automotive portal's claim that Putrajaya has approved 38 new Approved Permit (AP) holders.

In a message to Malaysiakini this afternoon, the DAP lawmaker said he is verifying this with the ministry's AP division.

In an article published yesterday, DS&F (Drive Safe and Fast) said it learned of this from a long-established AP holder.

“He has confirmed to us there are now 38 new AP holders in Malaysia. Yes, the new government has granted 38 new car importers the 'right' to make 'easy' money.

“From what we have found out, most of the new 38 AP holders have already started talking to established AP holders to 'buy' their APs as they are not in the car business and instead just want a fee of RM18,000 to RM22,000 for one (each) AP,” added the portal.

According to DS&F, the regular yearly AP quotas for the established long-term AP holders have been reduced to accommodate the new players.

“(This) means the total number of APs circulating remain the same and it is just that the AP wealth is now spread evenly with 38 new players who are mostly just selling their APs and not doing the import business,” it added.

In an interview with BFM last November, Ong said the government does not plan to abolish the AP system but would review it to ensure there is no abuse.

“There are no plans right now to abolish the AP system, I think what we are trying to do is to review the system so that you don't have a situation where 'Ali Babas' are being used in the AP process, whereby people just apply for these APs, sit on it and sell it to somebody else at an inflated prices.

“We are trying to review the process so that legit players are the ones that really contribute to the... AP process of selling cars which cannot be assembled on a CKD basis,” he added.

Speaking at the Future of the Bumiputera and Nation Congress last September, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said in the past, numerous business opportunities had been given to bumiputeras under the New Economic Policy, but many sold their contracts and APs for a good profit.

Therefore, he said the government would cancel contracts and APs given to them if they sold them to a third party.

During his first tenure as prime minister, Mahathir's administration was plagued by an AP scandal involving former minister Rafidah Aziz.

Two years after his retirement in 2003, the two locked horns over the issue, where Mahathir accused Rafidah, who campaigned for him in the last general election, of misleading Umno delegates on the AP issue.

In a lengthy statement then, Mahathir had responded to Rafidah alluding that he might not remember certain facts.

"Although I am already 80 years old, I am not senile,” he had said.

Mahathir had also claimed that APs had only enriched certain individuals, and noted how there were two or three individuals without showrooms who obtained thousands of such permits. - Mkini