Umno supreme council member Abdul Rahim Tamby Chik has finally made the cut to contest one of the three vice-president posts at the party polls in March.

rahim thamby chik interview 290108 hands Rahim, 58, who is former Malacca chief minister from 1982 to 1994 and former Umno Youth chief, obtained his 20th nomination from the Seremban Umno division meeting which was held today.

Under Umno election rule, candidate vying for vice-presidency will need 20 nominations from the 192 party divisions.

With Rahim being the last man to qualify, nine candidates will now contest for the three vice-presidents post in March.

The others who have garnered enough nominations to qualify for the contest are Education Minister Hishammuddin Hussein (142), Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (103), Higher Education Minister Khaled Nordin (79), National Unity, Culture, Arts and Heritage Shafie Apdal (78), Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar (30), former Negeri Sembilan menteri besar Mohd Isa Samad (26), former science, technology and environment minister Jamaluddin Jarjis (25) and Foreign Minister Rais Yatim (25).

The Seremban division also nominated Muhyiddin Yassin for the deputy president post and picked Isa and Rais for the remaining vice-president posts.

Quit in the wake of a sex scandal

Rahim, who is now Risda chairman, was born in Pengkalan Balak, near Masjid Tanah in Malacca.

He holds a degree in Applied Economics from Universiti Malaya. He is credited with transforming Malacca into one of the leading state economies in Malaysia.

Married to Zabedah Abdullah, the couple has four children.

Rahim resigned as Malacca chief minister and Umno Youth chief in 1992 in the wake of a sex scandal involving an underage girl.

He denied the allegation and then attorney-general Moktar Abdullah later announced there were “insufficient evidence” against him.