Former Malacca chief minister Abdul Rahim Thamby Chik has submitted his application to join Bersatu.

He submitted his application form to Malacca Bersatu chief Mohd Redzuan Yusof at a function in Ayer Keroh today.

Rahim, who served as the sixth Malacca chief minister for 12 years, was investigated for statutory rape of a minor in 1994. The case was later dropped due to a lack of evidence.

Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng, the Kota Melaka MP at the time, had criticised the then-government for not acting against Rahim.

Lim was subsequently jailed under the Sedition Act 1948 and Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984.

Rahim later sued the DAP for the statutory rape allegation, prompting the party to retract its statement, citing subsequent developments where the accuser retracted the allegation.

Rahim retracted the suit after DAP's admission. Despite the accusation, Rahim was never convicted.

Read more: Muhyiddin addresses ex-CM's 'bad history' with Anwar, Guan Eng

According to Bernama, Rahim submitted his application along with some 100 other former Umno members.

"I am sad to leave Umno after more than 40 years struggling for the Malays in the party.

"But I'm quitting (Umno) because Bersatu can now defend the Malays better, as Umno no longer has the capacity to function for the Malay struggle."

Rahim added that Umno's mistake was to engage in corruption to the extent that the culture had become irreversible.

Rahim was also part of the "Datuk Trio" group who screened a sex video to journalists in 2011.

They had claimed the video was of PKR president Anwar Ibrahim allegedly engaging a prostitute. Anwar had denied the allegation.