Abdul Rahim Thamby Chik
Abdul Rahim bin Thamby Chik | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 10, 1950 Malaysia |
| Occupation(s) | Politician, Businessman |
| Years active | 1978–present |
| Known for | 6th Chief Minister of Malacca (1982–1994), UMNO Youth Chief, RISDA Chairman (2010–2015) |
Abdul Rahim bin Thamby Chik (, ; born on 10 April 1950) is a Malaysian political figure who served as the 6th Chief Minister of Malacca from 1982 to 1994. He held the position of Youth Chief within the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), a principal party in the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, and was a supporter of Mahathir Mohamad during the 1987 UMNO General Assembly. Presently, he is affiliated with the Malaysian United Indigenous Party (BERSATU), acting as both a member and Division Chief for Alor Gajah. Since January 2025, he has been the State Chairman of BERSATU in Melaka. Additionally, he led the Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (RISDA) from 2010 until 2015.
Personal life
His father, Thamby Chik Abdul Karim, passed away before Abdul Rahim reached the age of sixteen.
Background
Rahim is married to Zabedah Abdullah, and together they have four children: Zetty Juyanty, Tutty Rahiza, Petty Diyana, and Rahimy. Their eldest daughter, Zetty Juyanty, is married to Kelvin Ong, who previously worked as a TV3 presenter.
Education
His early education was completed at Sekolah Kebangsaan Pengkalan Balak in Masjid Tanah, followed by studies at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Ghafar Baba in Malacca and Sekolah Menengah Datuk Seri Amar DiRaja in Muar, Johor. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in Applied Economy from the University of Malaya, attending from 1969 to 1973.
Controversies
In 1994, Abdul Rahim was charged with statutory rape involving a minor; however, the prosecution later dropped the case due to lack of evidence. Amid allegations concerning inappropriate relations with a 15-year-old girl, he resigned from his roles as Malacca's chief minister and UMNO youth chief. The following year, Democratic Action Party leader Lim Guan Eng, who had accused Abdul Rahim of rape and condemned the government's failure to act, received an 18-month sentence for maliciously publishing false news under the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 and Sedition Act 1948 but was released after serving one year.
In 1999, Anwar Ibrahim lodged a police complaint accusing then-Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamed and other senior officials of misusing their authority to conceal Abdul Rahim’s corruption case; this report was also forwarded to the Badan Pencegah Rasuah (BPR).
On 21 March 2011, Abdul Rahim, together with Datuk Shazryl Eskay Abdullah and Datuk Shuaib Lazim, presented a sex video at Hotel Carcosa Seri Negara alleging opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim’s involvement with a prostitute—a claim Anwar denied. They were fined after pleading guilty in June that year.
On 20 September 2016, Abdul Rahim received a fine of RM1,900 or faced three months imprisonment for making an offensive remark about Selangor’s Raja Muda, Tengku Amir Shah. He issued a public apology to Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah and Tengku Amir. Earlier, he had been charged with sedition for labeling Tengku Amir an apostate on Facebook; this charge was later dropped after he pleaded guilty to an alternative offense.
Election results
| Year | Constituency | Candidate | Votes | Pct | Opponent(s) | Votes | Pct | Ballots cast | Majority | Turnout | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | P095 Alor Gajah | Template:Party shading/Barisan Nasional | | Abdul Rahim Thamby Chik (UMNO) | 22,745 | 76.79% | Template:Party shading/PAS | | Yaakop Abdul Hassan (PAS) | 6,876 | 23.21% | 15,869 | ||
| Year | Constituency | Candidate | Votes | Pct | Opponent(s) | Votes | Pct | Ballots cast | Majority | Turnout | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | N04 Kelemak | Template:Party shading/Barisan Nasional | | Abdul Rahim Thamby Chik (UMNO) | |||||||||
| 1986 | N03 Masjid Tanah | Template:Party shading/Barisan Nasional | | Abdul Rahim Thamby Chik (UMNO) | 5,199 | 83.24% | Template:Party shading/PAS | | Kassim Yunus (PAS) | 1,047 | 16.76% | 6,562 | 4,152 | 70.32% |
| 1990 | Template:Party shading/Barisan Nasional | | Abdul Rahim Thamby Chik (UMNO) | 6,262 | 86.66% | Template:Party shading/PAS | | Kassim Yunus (PAS) | 964 | 13.34% | 7,462 | 5,298 | 78.78% | |
Malaysian Honours
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- Awarded the title of Tan Sri as Commander of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia (PSM) in 1990
- Received the Member rank of the Order of the Defender of the Realm (AMN) in 1980
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- Bestowed the title Datuk Seri as Grand Commander of the Exalted Order of Malacca (DGSM) in 1984
- Honoured with the Meritorious Service Medal (PJK)
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- Conferred the title Dato' as Knight Commander of the Order of the Crown of Johor (DPMJ) in 1983
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- Granted the title Datuk Amar as Knight Commander of the Order of the Star of Hornbill Sarawak (DA) in 1988
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- Earned the title Dato' Seri as Knight Grand Companion of the Order of Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah (SSSA) in 1989
References
- Living people
- 1950 births
- Malaysian politicians of Malay descent
- Malaysian Muslims
- Malaysian businesspeople
- Former United Malays National Organisation politicians
- Independent politicians in Malaysia
- Members of the Malacca State Legislative Assembly
- Malacca state executive councillors
- Chief ministers of Malacca
- Commanders of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia
- Knights Commander of the Order of the Star of Hornbill Sarawak
- Knights Commander of the Order of the Crown of Johor
- Members of the Order of the Defender of the Realm
- Malaysian MPs 1978–1982