From Salbiah Said

PRETORIA, (South Africa) July 27 (Bernama) -- International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz has kept mum over Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's allegation that she had misled the Umno General Assembly over the Approved Permit (AP) issue.

"God is my witness," she told Malaysian journalists at Sheraton Hotel lobby, here, before heading for Johannesburg for a Malaysia-South Africa Business Forum Wednesday.

When pressed further, she said: Ask Pak Lah (Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi), as she alighted her car.

Since yesterday, Rafidah who is accompanying Abdullah on a three-day official visit to South Africa, has been evading the Malaysian media, who had been hounding her on the issue.

Rafidah had on Tuesday declined comment after the joint press conference between Abdullah and South African President Thabo Mbeki.

All she said to reporters was: "I am in South Africa. I'm not going to say anything on the AP issue."

But her mood changed when she and other Cabinet Ministers accompanied the Prime Minister for a visit to South Africa's Freedom Park.

Rafidah, in her winding-up speech as Umno Wanita Head at the party's 56th General Assembly last Saturday, tried to explain at length the issuance of the APs but was heckled by delegates who clearly were not satisfied with her explanation.

There were those who wanted Rafidah to apologise to Dr Mahathir as they felt that she was rude to the former Prime Minister during their spat through the media over the AP controversy.

-- BERNAMA