by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjong, Lim Kit Siang, in Petaling Jaya on Thursday, September 20, 1994:
Call on UMNO Youth to declare its stand whether Tan Sri Rahim Tamby Cik should be allowed to exercise his powers as Malacca Chief Minister ‘while-on-leave’.
UMNO Youth should declare its stand whether Tan Sri Rahim Tamby Cik should be allowed to exercise his powers as Malacca Chief Minister ‘while on leave’ pending police investigations into the allegation of his having, an affair with a 15-year-old schoolgirl.
Acting UMNO Youth chief, Datuk Mohamed Nasri Aziz, said yesterday that Rahim would not be allowed to exercise his powers as UMNO Youth leader ‘while on leave’, and that there was no possibility of Rahim chairing an UMNO Youth meeting.
If Nazri’s stand is that Rahim should not be allowed to exercise his powers as UMNO Youth leader, while ‘on leave’ pending police investigations, then UMNO Youth should be, consistent and demand that Rahim should also not be allowed to exercise his powers as Malacca Chief Minister while on similar ‘leave’. Otherwise, UMNO Youth would be inconsistent and unprincipled and failed in its political responsibility to put the interests of the people and nation above party and self!
Rahim had chaired a meeting of the Malacca State Government housing committee on Saturday to discuss land fragmentation for several projects in the state after he returned to Malacca from a holiday in Singapore, Batam and Bogor and while he is officially still ‘on leave’ pending police investigations.
This is most improper, as has been admitted by UMNO Youth Vice President and Johore Mentri Besar, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who said that “the move could be, miscontrued by some parties”.
The Law Minister, Datuk Syed Hamid Albar said the Government would investigate news report that Rahim chaired a meeting at the office of the Malacca Chief Minister.
If there is nothing wrong or improper, for Rahim to exercise his powers as Malacca Chief Minister while ‘on leave’ pending police investigations into his alleged involvement with a 15-year-old girl, then there would be no basis or justification for Muhyiddin and Hamid Albar to make such adverse comments.
Rahim should explain why he gives such importance to land fragmentation for several housing projects as to convene an improper and illegal meeting of the Malacca State Housing Committee.
Rahim should explain why he gives such importance to land fragmentation for several housing projects that he had to ‘cut short’ his overseas leave as to convene an improper and illegal meeting of the Malacca State Housing Committee.
The people of Malacca and Malaysia are entitled to know who are the State Exco and government Officials who attended this illegal Malacca State Housing Committee and the decisions taken at this meeting.
It would have been understandable and forgivable if Rahim had rushed back from his ‘overseas leave’ to right the wrongs he had committed against the Malay kampong people in Pantai Kundor and Tanah Merah, by restoring their water, elec¬tricity, postal and other basic facilities and arranging, for them to get fair and higher compensation for their ancestral land acquired for Petronas refinery complex.
This however, was not his concern. Rahim was only interested in land fragmentation for several housing projects.
The Malacca State Government, should immediately make public all details about, the land fragmentation and housing projects which were discussed at Saturday’s Malacca State Housing Committee meeting which was illegally convened by Rahim Tamby Cik while ‘on leave’ pending police investigations.
DAP may consider legal action to restrain Rahim from exercising any powers as Malacca Chief Minister while ‘on leave’ pending police investigations.
It has been reported today that Rahim had met the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamed after his return overseas – the fourth time since reports of, his having an affair with a 15-year-old girl appeared last month.
Mahathir should state whether he had directed Rahim to remain ‘on leave’ and not to interfere with the Malacca State Government decisions until the ‘end of his leave’.
If the Prime Minister is not prepared to direct Rahim to remain strictly on leave and not to exercise any powers as Malacca Chief Minister, then the DAP might consider resorting to legal action to restrain Rahim Tamby Cik from exercising any powers as Malacca Chief Minister pending police investigations into his alleged affair with a 15-year-old schoolgirl.