by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjong, Lim Kit Siang, in Petaling Jaya on Saturday, September 17, 1994:
Rahim is openly defying both Mahathir and Anwar Ibrahim by returning to the Malacca Chief Minister’s office to ‘still carry out his duties’ while on leave.
Tan Sri Rahim Tamby Cik is openly defying both the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamed and the Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, by returning to the Malacca Chief Minister’s Office to ‘still carry out his duties’ while on leave.
What type of ‘leave’ is Rahim Tamby Cik taking where he continues to operate from the Malacca Chief Minister’s Office? Is this an attempt by Rahim Tamby Cik to forestall Mahathir appointing a new Chief Minister or an Acting Chief Minister?
Rahim’s returning to the Malacca Chief Minister’s Office ‘to still carry out his duties’ while on leave, pending police investigations into the allegation of his affair with a 15-year-old schoolgirl, has created a constitutional crisis in Malacca as well as a political crisis in Malaysia.
The central issue in this political and constitutional crisis is not the credibility of Rahim Tamby Cik, who has lost all political honour and morality, but the credibility and lead¬ership of Mahathir and Anwar to end the Rahim scandals without any more ignominy to Malaysia, both nationally and international¬ly.
Malaysians and the world are watching whether Rahim can successfully defy Mahathir and Anwar by returning to the Malacca Chief Minister’s Office ‘to still carry out his duties’ while on leave – and if so, it must mean that Rahim has still a lot of bargaining chips and political leverages in his command.
Let there be no mistake – every day Rahim is allowed to return to the Malacca Chief Minister’s Office to ‘still carry out his duties’ while on leave is an additional day of setback for the credibility and leadership of both Mahathir and Anwar Ibrahim.
Mahathir should end the Rahim charade by convening an emergency meeting of the Malacca State Assemby, pass a motion of no confidence in Rahim and appoint a new Chief Minister.