Media statement by Lim Kit Siang in Parliament on Wednesday, 30^th March 2011: 

Nazri has asked for time to investigate and respond to Mat Zain’s allegation that Rahim Tamby Chik had not been prosecuted for RM40 million corruption in the nineties in return for relinquishing all government, statutory and party positions

In Parliament yesterday, I had asked for the government response to Monday’s Open Letter to the Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar by former Kuala Lumpur CID chief Datuk Mat Zain Ismail who had expressed lack of confidence that Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Tamby Chik would be prosecuted over the Carcosa sex video scandal because of the ultimate involvement of Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail as Attorney-General.

Mat Zain was the police officer who headed the initial investigation into the 1998 case of Anwar Ibrahim’s “black eye” assault while in police custody in Bukit Aman but whose recommendation that the then Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Rahim Noor be prosecuted for criminal assault against Anwar had been ignored until the subsequent establishment of a Royal Commission of Inquiry.

As KL CID chief in 1999, he handled the four police reports lodged by Anwar Ibrahim in Sungai Buloh prison, one of which was on the abuses of power by the then Prime Minister Tun Mahathir, the late Mohtar Abdullah who was Attorney-General and Gani Patail who was head of prosecution AG’s Chambers, although the Anti-Corruption Agency had compiled enough evidence to prove a “prima facie” case against Rahim for corruption involving money and shares worth RM40 million.

The questions which Mat Zain posed, and which I asked for answer in Parliament yesterday, were:

• Persoalan yang tidak kurang pentingnya ialah adakah Peguam Negara mempunyai kuasa untuk “indemnify” kesalahan jenayah mana-mana orang berdasarkan pertimbangan Politik?.

• Adakah Peguam Negara berhak melepaskan wang Rakyat RM 40 juta sebegitu mudah untuk Rahim menikmatinya tanpa sebarang tindakan.

• Adakah ini sesuatu yang adil kepada Rakyat sedangkan Peguam Negara yang telah mengesahkan bahawa Rahim memperolehi harta sedemikian banyak menerusi salahguna kuasa dan rasuah.

Earlier in his Open Letter, Mat Zain alleged that Rahim had not be prosecuted for corruption as the Attorney-General had “indemnified” him from all his crimes in return for Rahim’s agreement to resign from all government, statutory and political party positions.

In his reply in Parliament yesterday in the winding-up of the Prime Minister’s Department during the committee stage of the debate for the second 2010 supplementary estimates, Nazri replied that the Attorney-General had no powers to indemnify any person for his criminal action based on political considerations.

However, he asked for time to investigate and respond to Mat Zain’s allegations that Rahim Tamby Chik had not been prosecuted in the nineties for corruption involving RM40 million in return for relinquishing all government, statutory and party positions.

Not only Mat Zain and MPs but all Malaysians await Nazri’s anwer to Mat Zain’s allegations.

*Lim Kit Siang, DAP Parliamentary Leader & MP for Ipoh Timor