(Parliament, Monday): DAPSY is deeply disappointed with the Speaker’s decision in not giving priority to the motion to refer Minister of International Trade and Industry (Miti) Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz to the Parliamentary PrivilegeCommittee.

Parliamentary Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang has on last Thursday submitted a written motion to the Speaker under Standing Order 27(3) to refer MP for Kuala Kangsar and Minister for International Trade and Industry, YB Rafidah Aziz to the Committee of Privileges to inquire whether there is any breach of privilege in her written answer to YB Parliamentary Opposition Leader and MP for Ipoh Timor Lim Kit Siang on  20^th September 2005 when answering the question on "the abuses in the issue of APs to import cars, why  the sudden jump in the issue of APs  in 2004 and 2005 as compared to previous years, and release the full APs lists since  1987 including individual APs.”

Today, the Speaker has refused to give priority for the motion to be debated immediately in the House and DAPSY is deeply disappointed with the refusal of the Speaker to exercise his discretion to allow the motion to be immediately debated in the House.  

It is important for MPs and the people to know why Rafidah has been selective in announcing the individual AP list.  Her Ministry only provided the list of APs issued to members of Parliament between the year 2000 to September, 2005, while she was asked in Parliament to disclose the full list of APs issued by her Ministry from 1987 till 2005.

Rafidah has not answered the thrust of the question.  The APs issued to MPs, as disclosed in the list released by her Ministry constitute only 8 percent of 4,500 individual APs issued for the period.  Other than the individual APs issued, there are also thousands of APs issued to companies during the same period.

By only announcing the list of APs issued to the Members of Parliament, does Rafidah intend to ridicule the MPs and bring disrespect and contempt to the Parliament? Is there bad faith involved when her Ministry targets her answer at the MPs when there are more important issue to be addressed in the whole AP episode, ie. why is there a sudden jump in the issuance of APs in the year 2004, what are the criteria for the issuance of APs by the Ministry, is there any element of nepotism, cronyism and corruption involved in the issuance of APs by the Ministry over the years.

The principle of accountability demands that Rafidah come to Parliament to answer all the queries raised in respect of the APs episode.  She should not hide behind the veil of her Ministry and refuse to answer the queries in the House.