Former Menteri Besar Pahang Datuk Abdul Rahim Abu Bakar was laid to rest on Friday 25th 2009 at the Taman Kosas Muslim Cemetery after having succumbed to a heart attack on the evening of Thursday. He was 66 years old.
I read several remarks made by UMNO politicians regarding Datuk Abdul Rahim who all claimed that his demise is a great loss to politics, particularly UMNO. Some even commended Datuk Rahim for his his high values, but failed to explain clearly what it meant.
I want to remember Datuk Abdul Rahim as someone who is generous, humble and approachable, despite his high standing in society. My first and only encounter with him was when he was the Menteri Besar of Pahang in 1978. I was a student of the Malaysian Armed Forces Staff College, and the college was on a study tour to the state of Pahang.
Listed on the day's itinerary, was to be a dinner hosted by the Pahang state government, and it was Datuk Abdul Rahim who was the main host.and who was then just 35 years old; an age that I shared with him. I thought to myself how fortunate was this young man who at the age of 35 is now the Chief Executive of the state.
As I progressed in my career, I was posted to Temerloh, Pahang on two different occasions and in two different capacities (1982 and 1994 respectively). Of course, by this time Datuk Abdul Rahim was no longer the Menteri Besar, for he only lasted three years i.e. from 1978 to 1981 or thereabout.
One wonders why did Datuk Abdul Rahim lasted only three years? This was where the truth was not revealed, and was kept under wrasp for fear that the reasons behind the brief tenure of Datuk Abdul Rahim as the Menteri Besar may be related to the affairs of the Pahang palace. I do not wish to speculate, but during my two tours in Pahang, I was exposed to several versions of the stories relating to the brief tenure of Datuk Abdul Rahim as the Menteri Besar of Pahang. Many felt that Datuk Abdul Rahim was a victim for not wanting to succumb to the demands of the palace.
I believe in the defence of the truth, and shielding away the truth will only create many more lies and false perceptions. The scandals, corruption and abuses that permeates our society today is the result of people who no longer see truth as virtuous, but would rather be a persistent liar in order to shield the truth from being known by others. The PKFZ mother of all scandals is one sterling example to quote.
I wish to express my heartfelt condolence to the family members of Datuk Abdul Rahim and pray that his soul now rests among those that Allah swt has chosen.
Al Fatihah
CRUSADE AGAINST CORRUPTION
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6 comments:
Beruntunglah orang-orang yang beriman dan beramal solleh semasa hidup di dunia.
Dear Dato',
Alongside with you, I will remember him as one Menteri Besar who is not like most UMNO's Menteri Besars of other states during his era the like of Johor's Menteri Besar, Melaka's Ketua Menteri, Negeri Sembilan's, Selangor's, Perak's, Kedah's, Perlis's, Pahang's, Trengganu's, Kelantan's, if we all can have a total recall of all those UMNO's heavyweights of that time. And not to forget Sabah's and Sarawak's Ketua Menteris too.
Dear Dato',
I see a determination in your word "It is better that we shame them, then to allow them to bleed the tax payers money and destroy the very institution that was once viewed with high esteem by the rakyat".
I stand by my word that Mindef is a "Rasuah Tegar" area as long as that corrupt general and all his cronies generals and senior military officers are still very much in power and the new general take no heed of our concern about corruption in the military.
While many of us crusaders are getting tired seeing no positive development in our fight, let me remind you all that whatever you may want to think about this crusade, keep thinking, but never give up hope on it, for the war against corruption is time consuming and our patience is of the essence.
The corrupt generals may laugh at us and let them laugh while they still can and laugh until their dying moment to see that they are leaving this world with all their ill gained wealth to be inherited to their children and the children of their children and to all of their generations who will go on living on earth on their forefather' sins who are suffering in their graves.
Remember, while we are forever fighting to "stay out of corruption", the corrupt generals and their cohorts are fighting hard to "stay in corruption". So don't give up hope in fighting corruption for we are doing, if not many, at least one thing right in our lifetime.
We can never be wrong in fighting corruption when the corrupt can never be right in living and dying with corruption.
The PKFZ is the mother of all scandals Dato?, and that being the case with this BN government's mentality. On many counts we get to see the government instead of going for the culprits, it is more keen in arresting the whistle blower of the cabinet papers.
This government is a scandalous lots and PKFZ has been brewing scandals since Ling Liong Sik's time.
Subuh, Maghrib & Isya', Allahyarham berjemaah di Surau Jln U-Thant.Waktu Zuhor & Asar, beliau berjemaah di Masjid Ar-Rahimah.Beliau masih sempat berjemaah di Masjid Ar-Rahimah waktu Asar sebelum meninggal dunia pada sebelah petangnya.It is very hard to find any UMNO leader who always attend praying at surau or mosque all the times.Al-Fatihah kpd beliau yg merupakan sahabat saya dlm berjemaah di masjid.
Sdr Hamba Allah,
You may know who came to pay the last respect to Allahyarham and I bet none of the Pahang royals was there. I hope I am wrong to assume that and for a man to be revered as Jebat Moden it is understood if Pahang royals chose not to attend his burial. And I assume not even Najib dare to attend the burial too as not to embarrass Pahang royals for najib too is a Pahangite. Again I hope I am wrong.
Alfatihah.
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