CYBERJAYA, Dec 17 — Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) will consider Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Thamby Chik’s membership application, chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said today amid disquiet over the former Umno leader.

Dr Mahathir, who is also the prime minister, said the party does not simply accept everyone.

"We will consider. If he is fit (then) we can accept. If he is not fit, we cannot accept him.

"We do not accept everyone, we have to study first when he (Rahim) is independent; (when) he’s out of Umno. If he fits, then we accept (him),” he told reporters after attending the dialogue organised by Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology (MIGHT) here, today.

Yesterday, the former Melaka chief minister, who has a chequered history with PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, announced his resignation from Umno.

He also submitted his application form, along with about 100 other forms, to Melaka PPBM chairman Datuk Seri Mohd Redzuan Md Yusof, who is Entrepreneur Development Minister, in Ayer Keroh.

Abdul Rahim claimed he left Umno because the party had lost the spirit to champion Malays which he said had now shifted to PPBM.

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

Lim was imprisoned under the Sedition Act 1948 and Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 when he spoke out for the 15-year-old victim.

Abdul Rahim was also part of the ‘Datuk Trio’ group that screened a sex video to journalists in 2011, which claimed that the video was of Anwar allegedly engaging a prostitute.