We will decide whether Rahim is suitable or not - Mahathir
Amid disagreements from DAP leaders, Bersatu chairperson Dr Mahathir Mohamad said today that Rahim Thamby Chik’s application to join the party will be considered.
“We will consider. If he is suitable, we can accept but if he is not suitable, we will not accept.
“We do not accept everyone,” he told reporters at an event in Cyberjaya today...
Amid disagreements from DAP leaders, Bersatu chairperson Dr Mahathir Mohamad said today that Rahim Thamby Chik’s application to join the party will be considered.
“We will consider. If he is suitable, we can accept but if he is not suitable, we will not accept.
“We do not accept everyone,” he told reporters at an event in Cyberjaya today.
Rahim, who served as the sixth Malacca chief minister for 12 years, submitted his application to join Bersatu yesterday.
DAP’s Kota Melaka MP Khoo Poay Tiong and DAP Youth chief Howard Lee have since urged Bersatu to reject Rahim's application.
Rahim was investigated for statutory rape of a minor in 1994. The case was later dropped due to a lack of evidence.
Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng, the Kota Melaka MP at the time, had criticised the then-government for not acting against Rahim.
Lim was subsequently jailed under the Sedition Act 1948 and Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984.
Rahim later sued the DAP for the statutory rape claim, prompting the party to retract its statement, citing subsequent developments where the accuser retracted the allegation.
His suit was withdrawn after DAP's admission. Despite the accusation, he was never convicted.
Rahim was also part of the 'Datuk Trio' group who screened a sex video to journalists in 2011.
They had claimed the video was of PKR president Anwar Ibrahim allegedly engaging a prostitute. Anwar had denied the allegation.
'In the past'
Commenting on Rahim's application yesterday, Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin said that these incidents were in the past and that the current political context in the country should be taken into account.
He stressed, however, that Rahim would undergo a vetting process like any other leaders.
At today's event, the prime minister also defended his political secretary Zahid Md Arip, who was implicated in corruption charges against former Felda chairperson Mohd Isa Abdul Samad.
“We have to wait till he goes to trial. If he goes to trial and is found guilty, then we will acknowledge he is guilty.
“But being charged alone does not mean he is guilty,” he said.
Zahid previously served as special officer to Isa, and was mentioned in nine of the 10 charges against the latter.
According to the charge sheet, Zahid acted the middleman between Gagasan Abadi Properties Sdn Bhd director Ikhwan Zaidel and Isa, who was accused of receiving RM3.09 million in bribes over Felda's purchase of a hotel in Kuching, Sarawak.
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