FOR Malacca Bersatu, Rahim Thamby Chik is an important man.
Party sources said the former chief minister has the “economic brains” and influence to get at least three Umno assemblymen to cross over.
But, his possible entry into Bersatu has raised the ire of PKR and DAP, as well as the public.
Rahim, who was chief minister from 1982 to 1994, was accused of and charged with raping an underage girl in a scandal that sent DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng to jail. But, the rape charge was later dropped due to insufficient evidence.
He was also among the trio who publicly screened a sex tape allegedly involving Anwar Ibrahim in March 2011. They were later fined.
Nevertheless, the state Bersatu and Rahim have courted each other at three meetings over the past two months in a bid to boost the party’s ranks and bring down Umno’s numbers in the state legislature.
Bersatu now has two reps in the Malacca Legislative Assembly – the same number as Amanah – while PKR has three, DAP (8) and Umno (13). Amanah’s Adly Zahari is the current chief minister.
“He (Rahim) has experience and can help us develop Malacca,” a source told The Malaysian Insight.
“He can advise us on entrepreneurship, and is experienced owing to his position in Gabem,” he said, referring to the Malay economic group formed by the Umno Supreme Council.
The sources said Rahim made the first move to join Bersatu, led by his one-time political patron, Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
“He wanted to join Bersatu and conveyed his desire at the first meeting, and we conveyed it to the party leadership,” said a source.
Bersatu comprises dissidents who left Umno after expressing dissatisfaction with then party president Najib Razak’s leadership. But, Rahim stuck with the Barisan Nasional lynchpin until after the May 9 general election, which saw the party suffering a huge loss.
The sources also said Rahim’s entry into Bersatu could be smoother than most people think.
“Rahim said he has made up with Lim Guan Eng and (Amanah president) Mohamad Sabu,” said a source familiar with the matter.
Both Lim and Mohamad could not be contacted to confirm this.
Lim was jailed 18 months for publishing details of Rahim’s sex scandal under the Sedition Act 1984 and Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984.
The Malaysian Insight has been made to understand that Rahim is trying to meet PKR president Anwar, and a deputy minister from the party is acting as the intermediary.
Apart from Rahim, two other former Umno stalwarts have joined Bersatu: former Malacca chief minister Adib Adam on September 16 and Masjid Tanah MP Mas Ermieyati Samsudin, who was accepted as a member last week.
Rahim has said he will persuade former chief ministers Mohd Ali Rustam and Idris Haron to follow him into Bersatu.
Bukit Katil Bersatu committee member Mohd Ruddin Abdul Ghani said Rahim’s entry into the party is a perception issue.
“Everyone makes mistakes, but Rahim was not charged in court. He was never jailed,” said the former Bukit Katil MP.
Pakatan members, social media users urge Bersatu to reject Rahim
PAKATAN Harapan colleagues and social media users are urging Bersatu not to accept former Malacca chief minister Rahim Thamby Chik, warning of damage to the ruling coalition’s credibility.
Those against Rahim joining PH recalled that the former Umno man had gone scot-free on statutory rape charges while current Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng was jailed for speaking up against the case in the 1990s.
Yin Shao Loong, special officer to Economic Affairs Minister Azmin Ali, tweeted, “PH should NOT be accepting rapists into the coalition. Keep them out, kick them out.”
DAP’s Kota Melaka MP Khoo Poay Tiong also tweeted that Bersatu “should have better political sense” than to accept Rahim, who was chief minister from 1982 to 1994 and considered a “rising star” in Umno at the time under Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
“In him we can see how rotten is Umno. Does (Bersatu) want maggot (sic) to slowly eats (sic) into them? Please stop all these non-sense!” Khoo tweeted.
National DAP Youth chief Howard Lee also warned that Bersatu’s acceptance of Rahim will be seen as a betrayal to PH’s struggle to win GE14.
“It is Rahim’s right to join any party he wants but the decision to accept him or not is up to Bersatu’s leadership. It will be read and interpreted by the people as a betrayal,” Lee said in a statement.
He said many have not forgotten that Lim, who was Kota Melaka MP and in the opposition at the time of the statutory rape charges, had called on the government to protect and ensure justice for the 15-year-old victim and her family which resulted in him being jailed under the Sedition Act for statements made against Rahim.
Rahim was also among those who attacked Anwar Ibrahim with slander and a sex tape allegedly involving the PKR president, he said.
Rahim submitted his application to join Bersatu yesterday, saying he left Umno because graft had destroyed his former party.
Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin said Rahim’s past should not be considered as the former chief minister was applying to join under new political circumstances.
In 1994, Rahim was charged with statutory rape of a minor but the charge was later dropped due to lack of evidence.
Lim had then criticised the government led by Dr Mahathir for not acting against Rahim and sentenced to 18 months’ jail over statements made on the case. Lim was released after 12 months.
In 2011, Rahim along with two others were charged and pleaded guilty to displaying pornography and were fined by the court, over a sex video purportedly of Anwar.
Khairy Jamaluddin, the Barisan Nasional Rembau MP, also commented that Rahim’s acceptance into Bersatu would affect PH.
“What a way to torpedo PH’s credibility,” he tweeted along with a news article on Rahim’s announcement of his Bersatu membership yesterday.
On social media, users panned the move, with Marc Lourdes tweeting “The garbage collection continues” and a Julian Fernandez saying “Members, lock up your daughters”.
Amiral Azraie questioned how Bersatu could accept such a person, noting the “statutory rape charges against him in 1994 (which) has caused DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng to spend 12 months in jail? Please stop insulting the rakyat”.
Ramnzdhan Masdar tweeted that Rahim should be kicked out. “Rakyat (didn’t) vote PH for this (mess). U will be punished (in the) coming next election if u all do as u please. So disturbing!”
Faiz Akhbar tweeted that Bersatu “might as well change its name to Perompak & Pedofil Bersatu, Hidup Melayu!” if it continued accepting former Umno leaders, using the abbreviation for Bersatu’s full name, PPBM.
THE MALAYSIAN INSIGHT
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