by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjong, Lim Kit Siang, in Petaling Jaya on Monday, 16th May 1991:
Will Titan Group agree to return to MITI its power to decide whether local plastic manufacturers should be allowed APs to import plastic resins
The statement by the managing director of the Titan Group, James Chao, denying that there had been delays exceeding, five days on request by plastic manufacturers for “No Object Letter” – NOL – for APs to import plastic resins is not borne out by widespread complaints and experiences of plastic manufacturers for over a month.
Although James Chao has said that the Titan Group is now trying to give a reply to ‘NOL’ requests within three days – he has failed to address a fundamental question, whether it is right for Titan to exercise governmental powers as to whether MITI should issue APs to local plastic manufacturers to import polyethylene (PE) and and polypropylene (PP) plastic resins.
Is Titan Group prepared to concede that it is most improper and irregular for a private manufacturer to exercise governmental powers on AP, and return to MI TI the power to decide whether APs should be issued to local plastic manufacturers to import plastic resins?
If power is to be restored to MITI on the issue of to import plastic resins, then MITI must scrap the ‘No NOL from Titan, no AP from MITI’ rule!
MITI should cease being an agent of Titan, issuing only when authorised to do so by Titan. Instead, MITI should be the final authority to decide whether to issue APs, regardless oil whether Titan issues a NOL or not.
Since James Chao said that Titan is working towards a three-day response to NOL requests, then Titan should have no objections to a new arrangement for the application and issue of APs.
Under this new arrangement, all applications for APs should be forwarded to MITI, with copy to Titan, and if within five days, Titan does not send to MITI a response on the appli¬cant’s request for NOL, MITI should automatically issue APs to the applicant.
MITI also reserves the final right to overrule Titan’s refusal to issue NOL, by issuing APs where plastic manufacturers can put up a good case to protect their competitiveness and markets – particularly export markets – of the local plastic manufacturing industry.