By Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjong, Lim Kit Siang, in Petaling Jaya on Friday, August 26, 1994:
After investigations, I am satisfied that Malacca DAP not responsible for the speculation that Rahim Tamby Cik would step down as UMNO Youth Leader
I have completed investigations into UMNO Youth allegation that the Malacca DAP is responsible for spreading the speculation that Tan Sri Rahim Tamby Cik will step down as UMNO Youth leader because of “personal problems” that could affect UMNO.
This allegation was made by the UMNO Youth deputy head, Datuk Nzri Abdul Aziz, on Wednesday when he expressed full support for Rahim as UMNO Youth leader in his comment on Wednesday’s front-page headline story of Utusan Malaysia that Rahim would step down as UMNO Youth leader for “personal problems”.
Nazri accused the Malacca DAP of “spreading the speculation” to undermine Rahim as Malacca Chief Minister as part of the Malacca DAP’s move to win in the next general elections.
I have found from my interview of Malacca DAP leaders that there is no basis whatsoever in Nazri’s allegation, which would imply that the Malacca DAP is more influential and powerful than the DAP national headquarters in being able to get a newspaper like Utusan Malaysia to carry a “DAP speculation” as a front-page headline story.
If Malacca DAP can get Utusan Malaysia to do its bidding as to carry its “speculation” about Rahim Tamby Cik stepping down as UMNO Youth leader for “personal reasons”, then the Malacca DAP’s influence over Utusan Malaysia would be comparable to those of the highest UMNO leaders, like the No. 1 and No. 2 man in UMNO.
Nazri cannot surely believe that Utusan Malaysia has fallen under such ‘influence’ of Malacca DAP!
It would appear that Nazri’s press statement, although couched in the form of support for Rahim as UMNO Youth leader, may have another ulterior purpose by making such a preposterous allegation about DAP being responsible for the Utusan Malaysia story – for Nazri cannot be so naeve as not to know that only a couple of persons could get such a front-page hadeline story printed in Utusan Malaysia.
I know for a fact that Malacca DAP leaders, just like DAP national leaders, were equally surprised by the Utusan Malaysia front-page headline story when it appeared on Wednesday.
My finding dismissing Nazri’s allegation that DAP is behind the ‘speculation’ that Rahim Tamby Cik is stepping down as UMNO Youth leader has been fortified by two developments:
*Firstly, the announcement by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, that the government is investigating allegations the Rahim Tamby Cik had an affair with a 15-year-old school girl;
*Secondly, Rahim’s conspicuous absence from the 20th Barisan Nasional Anniversary Public Rally at Dataran Merdeka on Wednesday night, although Rahim told Mahathir of his ‘innocence’ just before the rally. Why did Rahim stay away from the Barisan Nasional 20th Anniversary Public Rally as he was in Kuala Lumpur and met the Prime Minister before the start of the Public Rally?
Yesterday, Dr. Mahathir said that he had heard the allegations against Rahim about his involvement with a 15-year-old school girl but had not received anything official on the matter.
Before Nazri made any further wild allegations, let me state that Malacca DAP had not communicated these allegations to the Prime Minister or Deputy Prime Minister.
I am therefore closing my investigations into Nazri’s allegation that Malacca DAP is responsible for spreading the speculation that Rahim is stepping down as UMNO Youth leader, unless Nazri can come out with more convincing evidence to support his allegation.
The question of whether Malacca DAP is responsible for spreading the speculation that Rahim is stepping down as UMNO Youth leader is of course completely separate from the question whether Rahim Ramby Cik had an affair with a 15-year-old school girl – as reported in today’s newspapers – and which has become the specific subject of investigation by the Government on the directive of the Prime Minister.