YOURSAY | ‘AP should now stand for aggressive pandering.’

Miti confirms another 36 bumiputera companies made AP holders

Wira: How on earth can APs (approved permits) help these companies import reconditioned vehicles for sale in the domestic market when the first thing they are likely to do is to sell them to a third party for profit?

This is rent-seeking, which Pakatan Harapan vowed to get rid of before the 14th general election. Please explain.

The Way It Was: We need the international trade and industry (Miti) minister and his deputy to explain to us why these AP policies from the BN era are still been continued instead of being abolished.

These policies are a drain on the nation's finances – at a time when we need money to reduce the RM1 trillion debt run up by the previous BN administration.

The minister and his deputy need to step up and explain to us – the rakyat who voted them into power – why this stupid policy is still in place. Don't they have the political will to abolish it once and for all?

We did not vote in a new government for a continuance of BN-era policies. If the minister and his team can't do the job, please step aside for someone more competent and capable.

How can the ministry just give away these valuable APs to these fat cats who have no business experience just so they can get rich on the backs of the rakyat? We pay the highest price for our cars and trucks, up to three times more than even in the United States. This doesn't make any sense.

Do it like Singapore and auction off the APs, so the nation has the money, not a select corrupt few.

The best way, however, is to abolish all APs across the economy, so that everyone can have a go at the economy, where success or failures will rest on their own shoulders.

Why all the tongkat (crutches) here and there? Are the recipients practically handicapped, unable to make it without government help after so many decades of receiving assistance?

It looks like the ministry needs to be revamped from top to bottom. Sack all the officials who don’t have the nation’s interests at heart.

We are not short of good people to run these important departments and ministries. Why do you think we made a change in the 14th general election?

We want real change in policies and administration in the interest of the rakyat, not greedy fat cats who we did not vote for.

Prudent: Indeed, the ministry should just cancel all the APs and auction them directly by open tender. Why should APs be dished out as dedak (animal feed) just because these companies happen to be bumiputera-owned?

It’s a no-brainer. If APs are not given out based on open tender, it will very likely be linked to corruption. I don’t believe officials in the ministry are immune to kickbacks.

Anonymous 2327531438397239: Giving out free money in the guise of APs isn’t just bad, but a continuance of the tongkat culture.

Why isn’t the allocation open to all qualified Malaysians? We have to be cognisant of the fact this kind of assisted business doesn’t need smarts to run.

Harapan must not be hindered by fear to carry out reforms to right the wrongs of the previous administration’s monoethnic policies, which have done great harm to the fabric of our society.

Freethinker: The AP system should have been abolished by now, after all the promises of a more open and competitive market where the best person wins.

Government-sanctioned monopolies based on race has to be reduced and should be stopped entirely in new Malaysia.

Harapan hasn’t been doing a good job in their first 10 months in charge – promises are being broken, extremism is being embraced, there is more persecution based on religion, and the 1MDB investigation and prosecution seem to be going nowhere.

Given these failures, it’s no surprise that Najib seems to be on track for a comeback.

Appum: AP should now stand for ‘aggressive pandering.’ Is this structural, inclusive economic policy that the economic affairs minister (Azmin Ali) was talking about?

We thought the battle cry before GE14 was "change." As noted in this report, this new ‘Open AP’ system was introduced in 2016, during the BN era. But it was carried out in 2019, in the Harapan era.

Any ‘change’ in method, policy or implementation here? Perhaps what Harapan meant by ‘change’ was ‘change back’.

Remember when DAP painted AP as symbol of corruption, asks MCA

Anonymous 1543386425: As the ministry’s statement reads, the approval of new AP holders is “to promote the development of new bumiputera entrepreneurs in the automotive industry, to ensure the policy continues to contribute to the country’s socioeconomic goals, and to create market competitiveness that will benefit consumers, especially in terms of the prices and services.”

Everyone knows that holders get virtually free money by selling APs for a profit. Where is the risk and entrepreneurship? Explain how the above goals – particularly market competitiveness – will be achieved?

The ministry should be transparent and disclose the names of the 36 new bumiputera companies (most of which are “still not fully in operation”) who were made AP holders.

EmEmKay: This practice of issuing approved permits started during the reign of the previous BN administration and has been in place for some time.

Many bumiputera businesspersons are used to the practice, and the Harapan government cannot take away such benefits overnight. It takes time to educate them, and wean them off this money-making assistance.

Harapan is in a precarious position and has to continue the practice until such time the community is ready to be weaned off this gradually.

The whole process of issuing APs was done by Miti, and even Deputy Minister Ong Kian Ming seemed to learn about it from media reports – as he had to verify the claims made in an automotive portal that new AP holders had been approved.

Oldtimer: Why can't the AP be opened to a tender process? The top 10 companies – or whatever number the government decides – which have a good record of car sales and which submit the best tenders and can possibly generate good tax revenue get the APs.

No need to consider whether the company is bumiputera or not. Everybody benefits – both consumers, and the nation as a whole.

Just Me: I guess DAP should now rename itself ‘Dapat AP’.

The above is a selection of comments posted by Malaysiakini subscribers. Only paying subscribers can post comments. Over the past one year, Malaysiakinians have posted over 100,000 comments. Join the Malaysiakini community and help set the news agenda. Subscribe now.

These comments are compiled to reflect the views of Malaysiakini subscribers on matters of public interest. Malaysiakini does not intend to represent these views as fact.