by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjung, Lim Kit Siang, in Petaling Jaya on Thursday, 13th October 1994:
Accepting Rahim’s resignation does not absolve the UMNO leadership of its responsibility to take a clear stand on the Rahim scandals, in particular over the ten DAPSY corruption police reports lodged against Rahim for his unusual and extraordinary wealth
The UMNO Supreme Council has at last accepted the resignation of Tan Sri Rahim Tamby Cik from all government and party posts, with Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamed declaring that the decision was not based on whether Rahim was guilty or not.
Mahathir said the UMNO leadership wanted to “separate UMNO from Rahim’s personal affairs”.
Accepting Rahim’s resignation does not absolve the UMNO leadership of its responsibility to take a clear stand on the Rahim scandals, in particular over the ten corruption police reports lodged against Rahim by DAPSY National Chairman and MP for Kota Melaka, Lim Guan Eng for his unusual and extraordinary wealth
The UMNO leadership should explain to Malaysians whether it was merely referring to the allegation of Rahim having an affair with a 15-year-old schoolgirl or whether it also referred to the allegations of corruption against Rahim when it wanted to “separate UMNO from Rahim’s personal affairs”
If the UMNO leadership also included under the term “Rahim’s personal affairs” the corruption allegations made against him, then the UMNO Supreme Council owes an explanation to the people as to why it had taken such a long time to take a stand on the issue of corruption – especially as DAPSY and Lim Guan Eng had started revealing the unusual and extraordinary wealth of Rahim completely disproportionate to his known sources of income as far back as 18 months ago in April last year.
Up to now, the Anti-Corruption Agency has not been able to have a completely free hand in its investigations into the allegations of Rahim’s unusual and extraordinary wealth, and even its recommendations for prosecution for Rahim had got stuck at the Attorney-General’s Chambers.
Under the present law, the ACA cannot prosecute anyone for corruption without the prior consent of the Attorney-General.
How can the ACA be independent and free to fight corruption when it had to get the consent of the Attorney-General – which would imply ‘green-light’ from the ‘political higher-ups’ especially in cases involving top UMNO and Barisan National leaders?
The silence of the UMNO leadership in the past 18 months on the allegations of corruption against Rahim Tamby Cikis not the most honourable and proud chapter in the history of the UMNO Supreme Council or that of the Cabinet, as there is a Cabinet Committee against Corruption headed by none other than ‘lie Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim himself.
Both the Cabinet and the UMNO Supreme Council should redeem their past failure to take a clear stand on the ten DAPS’ corruption police reports lodged against Rahim in the past 18 months by the following three measures:
GIVE the ACA a completely free hand in its investigations into the unusual and extraordinary wealth of Rahim Tamby Cik including the power to initiate prosecution against Rahim Tamby Cik without having to get the consent of the Attorney-Genera;
ESTABLISH a public inquiry into the unusual and extraodinary wealth of Rahim Tamby Cik not only to prove the Barisan Nasional. Government’s commitment to a ‘clean, efficient and trustworthy’ administration, but to demonstrate that it would not play favourites’ in combating corruption and abuses of power whether committed by Rahim or by any other Federal or State government leader;
INTRODUCE as the first Bill to be debated when Parliament reconvenes on Monday, October 17, a new Anti-Corruption Bill which elevates the Anti- Corruption Agency into a Anti-Corruption Commission answerable only to Parliament and not to the Government, with enhanced powers to fight corrup¬tion including confiscation of ill-gotten gains, such as unusual and extraordinary wealth acquired through illegal and corrupt means.