by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjong, Lim Kit Siang, in Petaling Jaya on Thursday, 8th September 1994:
Rahim’s declaration that he would not step down as Malacca Chief Minister is one of the most selfish, and unpatriotic statements made by a national leader since Merdeka.
The declaration Tan Sri Rahim Tamby Cik that he would not step down as Malacca Chief Minister is one of the most selfish and unpatriotic statements made by a national leader since Merdeka.
Rahim Tamby Cik cannot be unaware that his scandals, including the allegation that he had an affair with a 15-year-old schoolgirl, has dragged the Malaysian people and nation through over two weeks of ignominy and infamy, and that if he loves Malaysia, he should spare the nation further international oppro¬brium by immediating stepping down as Malacca Chief Minister.
In fact, UMNO Youth and UMNO should explain why Rahim should be forced to step down as UMNO Youth Leader but allowed to continue as MalaccaChief Minister?
Although Acting UMNO Youth leader, Datuk Mohamad Nazri Abdul Aziz announced yesterday that Rahim’s stepping down as UMNO Youth Leader was ‘temporary’ until the outcome of investigations into the allegation of his affair with a 15 year-old schoolgirl, everybody knows that such ‘temporary’ stepping down is final and permanent one.
In fact, if Rahim could return as UMNO Youth leader, then the-political crisis of Rahim Tamby Cik would immediately be transformed into a UMNO leadership crisis!
This is why the UMNO Secretary-General, Datuk Mohamed Rahmat a has also seen the ‘light’ and asked Rahim to consider taking leave as Malacca Chief Minister if he finds it difficult to carry on in the wake of the present situation.
Mohamad Rahmat cannot be more right when he said that the problem of Rahim continuing as Malacca Chief Minister was the ‘confidence of the people towards the Malacca government and the party’.
The longer Rahim stay on as Malacca Chief Minister, the greater will be the erosion of public support for the Barisan Nasional Government – not only in Malacca but also in Malaysia.
It is because of this brutal reality that UMNO Youth Exco was compelled to force Rahim out as UMNO Youth Leader or UMNO Youth would not only lose all credibility but become a laughing-stock in the country.
Datuk. Nazri Abdul Aziz had personally learnt a ‘bitter lesson’ from the Rahim scandals.
This was because when the Rahim scandals were first made public, with the report that Rahim would step down as UMNO Youth leader over his ‘personal problems’, it was Nazri who came out to declare ‘full support’ for Rahim as UMNO Youth leader.
What was worse, Nazri accused the Malacca DAP of ‘spreading the speculation’ that Rahim had to step down as UMNO Youth Leader because of his ‘personal problems’, alleging that this was part of the Malacca DAP move to win in the next general elections.
Events have proved Nazri to be completely wrong – unless Nazri is prepared to admit that UMNO Youth’s ‘forcing out’ of Rahim as UMNO Youth Leader so that he himself could take over as Acting UMNO Youth leader is actually part of a ‘DAP grand design’.
This should be a lesson to Nazri not to make wild and baseless allegations against the DAP.
Rahim scandals a test case for MCA, Gerakan and MIC leaderships.
There are people who say that the Rahim’s scandals is the latest manifestation of ‘Bukit China Strikes Again’, in retribution of his attempt ten years ago to demolish Bukit China. If this is true, there are others who will be fearful of such ‘retribution’ – especially Dr. Ling Liong Sik!
Is this why Liong Sik in particular is keeping so quiet over the Rahim scandals?
The Rahim scandals is not only a test case for UMNO and UMNO Youth, it is also a test case for MCA, Gerakan and MIC leaderships as to whether they dare to stand up for national interest to demand the resignation of Rahim as Malacca Chief Minister.
History would take a very dim view of the silence of MCA President, Dr. Ling Liong Sik, Gerakan President, Datuk Dr. Lim Keng Yaik and MIC President, Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu on the Rahim scandals for this would be another example that MCA, Gera¬kan and MIC are unprincipled, ‘boneless’ and completely margina¬lised political parties in the Barisan Nasional which dare not speak up with a voice, mind and principle of their own!