No grudge against Anwar, says Rahim Thamby Chik
By Yow Hong Chieh, The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, March 27 — Tan Sri Rahim Thamby Chik denied today that he had been motivated by revenge when blowing the lid off the alleged Anwar sex video despite blaming the latter for his dismissal as Melaka chief minister 17 years ago.
Rahim said he revealed the existence of the recording purportedly showing opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim having sex with a prostitute so that all parties involved in the act could seek the truth.
“When I mentioned my resignation (as Melaka chief minister), I only wished for Anwar to follow in my footsteps despite lying that Tun (Dr Mahathir Mohamad) had asked me to resign (then),” he told Mingguan Malaysia today.
“I placed national interest above all else by not sponsoring a demonstration to weaken the government or taking legal action against Anwar for lying to me.”
Anwar’s supporters have also accused Rahim of having a hand in the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) de facto leader’s sacking from the government and Umno in 1998 on moral grounds.
Last week, Anwar cited revenge as the reason for Rahim’s involvement in the sex video scandal.
“Thamby Chik’s involvement reminds me of an old case, relating to a rape charge, and a case where investigation papers signed by (Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul) Gani Patail say he is involved in bribery,” Anwar had said.
“He (Rahim) is doing this out of revenge.”
Rahim was charged for statutory rape of a student in 1994. Although the case was later dropped, it derailed his political career.
Anwar also accused the police of protecting Rahim and his associates, and claimed the sex video was a government conspiracy.
“They’re protected by Special Branch. Why are the police protecting them? In this case, because they are Umno leaders, the police have been ordered to protect them,” he said.
Rahim is one of the “Datuk T” trio who claimed responsibility for screening the sex video to members of the media and politicians last week.
