Datuk T: Self-sacrificing Rahim insists he did it for the good of the nation

When it comes to a pot calling the kettle black, former Malacca chief minister Rahim Thanmy Chik must surely take the cake.

Charged for raping an underaged girl, the fallen UMNO leader is now insisting that Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim is leading a double life, and what goes on behind the veil made him unift to be prime minister.

But it was not too long ago that Rahim, who was once a blue-eyed boy of former premier Mahathir Mohamad, had harbored thoughts of making it to the top job in the country.

But alas, he succumbed to lust for a 15-year old Malay school girl, and was charged for statutory rape. The charges were mysteriously dropped later on but Rahim was no longer on the UMNO A-list.

The 61-year-old is now the chairman of RISDA, or the Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority. In today's lingo, he would branded a paedophile. Yet he only had harsh words for Anwar, who had shown him little sympathy over his 1994 rape case.

But the sex video tape, which surraced in March, is not the first time that Rahim has gunned after Anwar. In the 1998 sodomy trial hatched by Mahathir, there was widespread talk of Rahim's involvement in the conspiracy to destroy Anwar's political career.

"The hypocrisy of this leader, who has been in existence for so long in the country, must be stopped and destroyed. We are doing this all for the sake of safeguarding the country's interest and the national security," Rahim told reporters after pleading guilty to being involved in the Datuk T sex tape.

"That's why we think that Anwar, and all his hypocrisy, is not fit to lead the country. All three of us sacrificed ourselves to achieve this goal, so that the people can see for themselves and judge.

Anwar has so far refrained from making any comment, preferring to let his UMNO foes go first. However, few doubt he won't break his silence soon.

Outrage over the 'peanuts' sentence slapped on the Datuk T trio

Meanwhile, the spite behind Rahim's words were obvious. It is also not the first time he has made similar comments about the Datuk T conspiracy and critics have ridiculed his arguments.

They point to the fact that Datuk T was not just an operation confined to Rahim and his two cohorts, businessman Shazryl Eskay and Perkasa treasurer Shuaib Lazim.

"The screening was part of a huge UManti-Anwar sting involving all the mainstream media. These three had to take the fall because they got caught by the PKR investigators. Rahim's aide made the booking at Carcosa and Shuaib paid the bill. So rather than let the cat out of the bag for the entire plot, these 3 had to confess. It only proves they are willing to go to extreme lengths to hurt Anwar but it doesn't prove it is Anwar at all," PKR stalwart Eddie Wong told Malaysia Chronicle.

Eskay and Shuaib were jointly charged for possessing and distributing pornography under Section 292(a) of the Penal Code, while Rahim was charged for being an accessory to the alleged crime under section 109 of the Penal Code.

If found guilty, they could have been fined and or jailed for up to 3 years. But Eskay was fined only RM3,000 or three months' jail, Rahim was fined RM1,000 or one months' jail and Shuaib RM1,500 or 2 months jail.

The lightness with which they had got away has sparked rumblings of outrage as most Malaysians have been unhappy about the way Najib has plunged the country into gutter politicking with Sodomy II and the sex tape.

The Datuk T trio had pleaded guilty to screening a tape allegedly showing a man that looked like Anwar having sex with a prostitute to a group of journalists at the Carcosa Seri Negara Hotel in late March. They also tried to blackmail Anwar and his wife PKR president Wan Azizah into quitting politics within 7 days.

Anwar has denied involvement, lodged a police report against the trio for criminal intimidation and also accused Prime Minister Najib Razak and his cousin Hishammuddin Hussein of hatching the plot with other members of the UMNO elite.

As a parting shot, Rahim refused to express gratitude to the Attorney General from sparing him any criminal charges. Again, the ex-MB chose to ham it up.

"Although I'm not too happy with the punishment meted out, but as a patriotic citizen, we are always ready to sacrifice for the rakyat," said Rahim.

- Malaysia Chronicle