Speech (Part 2) by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjong, Lim Kit Siang, when opening the Malacca DAP State Convention at the City Bayview Hotel, Malacca on Sunday, 18th September 1994 at 10 am.
If Tan Sri Rahim Tamby Cik does not go to the office of UMNO Youth leader to ‘still carry out his duties’ while on leave, why does he go to the Malacca Chief Minister’s Office to ‘still carry out his duties’ while on leave.
Tan Sri Rahim Tamby Cik said, he has returned to the Malacca Chief Minister’s Office to ‘still carry out his duties’ while on leave, and that he would decide on what official functions in the state to attend.
This is most shocking. If Rahim does not go to the office of UMNO Youth leader to ‘still carry out his duties’ while on leave, why does he go to the Malacca Chief Minister’s Office to ‘still carry out his duties’ while on leave?
If Rahim is ‘on leave’ until the outcome of police investigations into the allegation of his affair with a 15-year-old schoolgirl, then he has no business to return to the Malacca Chief Minister’s Office to still carry out his duties while on leave.
Everybody knows that Rahim was forced to go on ‘leave’ as UMNO Youth Leader and Malacca Chief Minister, and that his return to the Malacca Chief Minister’s office to ‘still carry out his duties’ while on leave is an open challenge to the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamed and the Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as well as the entire UMNO leadership.
DAP warns that all decisions made by Rahim while ‘on leave’ are unlawful, null and void and can be challenged in a court of law.
It is up to Mahathir, Anwar and the UMNO leadership to face the political crisis precipitated by Rahim, in his open challenge, of the UMNO leadership.
The people, however, must be concerned about the constitutional crisis in the Malacca State Government.
In the first place, the Malacca State Government had been ‘headless’ for nearly a month, especially since Rahim’s ‘forced leave’ on September 8.
The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, had committed a grave oversight, in not realising that in the circumstances of the Rahim scandals, a new Chief Minister, should have been appointed for Malacca while awaiting the outcome of police investigations into the allegation of Rahim having an affair with a 15-year-old girl, as well as the numerous allegations of corruption lodged against him by the DAPSY National Chairman and MP for Kota Melaka, Lim Guan Eng.
In the second place, it is common knowledge that Mentri-Mentri Besar and Chief Ministers had often used their last few days in office to commit grave abuses of power and irregularities, as approving land alienations as ‘golden hand-shakes’ whether for others or for themselves.
As Rahim is officially ‘on leave’, he must be told in no uncertain terms chat all decisions taken by Rahim during the-period he is on ‘leave’ as well as all signatures bearing his name during this period in his capacity as Chief Minister; would be unlawful, null and void and could be challenged in any court of law.
Furthermore, any Exco member or government officer who collaborated with Rahim on any decision or matter during the period he is ‘on leave’ would have committed the crime of conspiracy to defraud the public, and could land up with criminal charges in court and jail sentences.
Rahim’s ‘leave’ should be immediately terminated – not to allow him to return as Malacca Chief Minister – but to allow a new Malacca Chief Minister to be appointed. Rahim should end his leave and resign as Malacca Chief Minister, and if he refuses to do so, the Malacca State Assembly must be summoned to meet within 24 hours for a vote of no confidence to be moved against Rahim to resolve the political and constitutional crisis which Rahim had created with his return to the Malacca Chief Minister’s Office.