Speech by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary General and MP for Tanjong, Lin Kit Siang in the forum on ‘Rape Laws & Rahirn’s Case’ organised by Penang DAP Wanita on at Dewan Sri Pinang on Thursday, 17 November 1994 at 8 pm
DAP calls for the appointment of an independent Special Prosecutor to re-open and re-investigate the allegation of Rahim Tanihy Cik and the 15-year-old girl in order to ensure that ‘Justice must not only be done but must be seen to be done’ to both the girl and RahimTamby Cik
In his reply in Parliament yesterday, the Minister for Law Datuk Hamld Syed Albar failed to convince parliamentarians and the country that the Attorney General Datuk Mohtar Ahdullah had been fair to the 15-year-old girl in connection with the allegation involving the former Malacca Chief Minister and UMNO Youth Leader Tan Sri Rahim Tarnby Cik.
In fact, Hamid continued to defend the indefensible and sought to justify the Attorney General’s violation of age-old legal maxim that ‘Juatice must not only be done hut must be seen to be done’.
If a national public opinion poll is held now, I have no doubt whatsoever that the overwhelming majority of the people will declare that the Attorney General had been over-protective of Rahim Tarnby Cik while being most unfair to the 15-year-old girl, and only a very small number of people including Hamid and other Cabinet Ministers from UMNO, MCA, Gerakan and other Barisan Nasional Parties as well as other Barisan Leaders at various levels would have a contrary opinion.
The Barisan Nasional Government has a very poor record of even-handedness and fair play concerning prosecution of top Barisan Nasional leaders.
The destruction of the Vijandran pornographic videotapes and photographs when they are material evidence is a good case in point.
The country is still waiting for the outcome of the Anti-Corruption Agency investigations into both the MIC President Datuk Sri S. Samy Vellu and Rahim Tamby Cik.
Although Mohtar Abdullah has promised to act without fear or favour on the Rahim Tamby Cik corruption investigations, there is no doubt that the new Attorney General has lost most of his credibility in his unfair treatment of the 15-year-old girl and overprotectiveness for Rahim Tamby Cik.
There can be no justification whatsoever for the Attorney General to convert the victim into the accused and for him to make public revelations about the sex life of the 15-year- old girl, while jealously guarding the sex life of Rahim Tamby Cik.
If the Attorney General is to restore his tattered credibility, he should ensure that the 15-year-old girl and her family receive justice.
The best way will be for the appointment of an independent Special Prosecutor to re-open and re-investigate the case of the 15-year-old girl and Rahim Tamby Cik to undo the injustice meted out to the 15-year-old girl of the result of the Attorney General’s violation of the age-old legal maxim, ‘Justice must not only he done but must be seen to be done’.