Former Melaka chief minister accused PKR and DAP today of seeking to block his application to join the prime minister’s party, saying his entry into PPBM was none of the other two parties’ business.
Tan Sri Rahim Thamby Chik should think twice before threatening to sue Pakatan Harapan (PH) leaders for raising their concern over his application to join PPBM, said DAP national legal bureau chairman Ramkarpal Singh.
Citing a report on FreeMalaysiaToday (FMT) today, Ramkarpal said the former Melaka chief minister’s threat to sue Kota Melaka MP Khoo Poay Tiong was unnecessary and can be seen as an attempt to silence criticism on former Umno members joining PH.
“Even before he has been accepted into PH, he is threatening its members. How do you work with people like this? Rahim has done nothing for the PH cause,” Ramkarpal said in a statement today.
“What did he do to further the reform agenda when Barisan Nasional (BN) was in power? What has he contributed to the reform agenda in Malaysia Baru? When he applies to join PPBM, Rahim must surely know that he is applying to be a part of PH.”
The Bukit Gelugor MP said Rahim must be open to criticism from all PH members, asserting that “PH members have every right to criticise any member who applies to be a member of the coalition.”
“Imagine if Lim Kit Siang applied to join MCA in 1995. Do you think Umno would have kept quiet? PPBM should condemn Rahim’s threat and turn down his application on this ground alone in the spirit of PH unity.
“It is only natural for PH representatives to be suspicious of former Umno members joining PH. We do not need to be threatened for expressing such concerns,” said Ramkarpal.
FMT reported today that Rahim, who quit Umno on Sunday, was considering legal action against Khoo for accusing him of involvement in “past scandals”. – MMO