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DAP rebuts Rahim’s claim as  it had not apologized for the the book “Lim Guan Eng – MP in Jail” and the Support, Sympathy and Soldarity with Lim Guan Eng Poster Media Statement by Lim Kit Siang (Petaling Jaya, Wednesday): I refer to the China Press report “DAP apology, release from statutory rape charge – Ex-Malacca CM gains vindication” which quoted the former Malacca Chief Minister, Tan Sri Rahim Tamby Cik as saying: “Following the DAP’s public apology to me in the High Court, I have been vindicated from the charge of statutory rape”.  I want to rebut Rahim’s claim as there is no reason for him not to understand the full meaning of the DAP statement which DAP Defence Counsel, Karpal Singh read out in the Kuala Lumpur High Court as settlement of his defamation suit against the DAP in connection with the DAP book “Lim Guan Eng – MP in Jail” and  the Sympathy, Support and Solidarity with Lim Guan Eng Poster.   DAP did not make any apology, retract any statement or pay a sen of compensation, and Rahim is wrong to claim that DAP had tendered any apology.   As the statement read out in court made very clear, the allegations against Rahim were made on the basis of  the statement by Pendek binti Ahmad (Noryati’s grandmother) to Lim Guan Eng, Noryati binti Mohamad Yusop and ACP Mok Siew Hoong’s testimony in a criminal trial, Pendakwa Raya v Lim Guan Eng in the Malacca High Court from 1995-1997.   (ACP Mok, the Malacca CID Chief, testified in the Malacca High Court in the trial in June 1995 that the underaged girl had admitted having a sexual relationship with Rahim when she was below the age of 16. In February 1997, Noryati testified that she  had an intimate relationship with Rahim.)   The statement took cognizance of the subsequent “retraction” of the allegations by Noryati by way of a Statutory Declaration, making the allegations “no longer exists” and unfounded.   Finally, it acknowledged that “these unfortunate events have caused all parties concerned” great distress and anguish, which embraces a much larger group of people than just Rahim and family – as it must include  Noryati and Guan Eng and their families.   Malaysiakini’s headline that “DAP concedes mistake” is not a correct representation of the settlement of Rahim’s defamation suit against the DAP. (22/10/2003) * Lim Kit Siang, DAP National Chairman