by M. Bakri Musa
By right Malaysians should still be relishing the afterglow of their 50th Merdeka anniversary celebrations. Alas, the much-anticipated euphoria was short lived; the grim realities of Malaysian life quickly intruded.
Even the mainstream media carry daily headlines of gory crimes. If those were not scary enough, residents now live in fear that their basic freedom is being threatened, not by some external enemy rather by their very own government. Malaysian leaders mistook their electoral mandate for a license to trample on citizens’ basic rights, as in the rights to free assembly and the freedom of conscience.
Those breaches of course did not grab the headlines in the mainstream media; you have to read the alternative media or international publications to get the real news. The mainstream media instead highlighted Prime Minister Abdullah’s “small” wedding to his “downstairs lady.”
The images of Malaysia projected onto the world stage towards the end of the year were not of a modern nation poised for Vision 2020, rather the typical backward Third World state with a stubbornly bumbling warden as its leader.
The scenes on Al Jazeera and CNN were of the police wildly tear-gassing and firing water cannons upon thousands of peaceful citizens who dared exercise their basic rights to a free assembly. If those images were not ugly enough, there was Minister of Information Zam in a fit of latah in front of the television cameras for the whole world to see.
Zam is a poor imitation of Saddam Hussein’s Information Minister “Comical Ali.” At least Ali entertained us with his outlandish bravadoes; Zam nauseated us with his blabber.
Just as we thought it could not get worse seeing that it was already November when Zam was blabbering in front of an international audience, there was Deputy Internal Security Minister Johari Baharum declaring that only Muslims are entitled to use the word “Allah” (God). He threatened banning the Malay version of the Catholic Church publication that dared use the word “Allah.”
The startling observation was that this moron of a minister could get way with such idiocies. By his silence, Abdullah reveals that he is equally moronic.
How did a nation that was so full of bubbly confidence as encapsulated in its “Malaysia boleh!” spirit only a few years ago descended so fast and so far, and with so few of the elite class protesting?
To be sure, Malaysia is still far ahead of Pakistan or Zimbabwe. Unfortunately, far too many, especially the leaders, take comfort in this.
Annus Horribilis
Malaysians had premonitions for this long Annus Horribilis. It began ominously with the southern part of the peninsula being flooded, with hundreds of thousands displaced. It was the worst flooding in decades.
Where was Prime Minister Abdullah in the hour of need? Off to Australia for his scheduled sailing vacation and opening his brother’s nasi kandar restaurant!
His “bright” young advisors did not see fit to advise their man to cancel his vacation in the face of a national emergency. The old man was of course clueless.
The floods soon receded and the residents went back to their daily grind, helped by many generous fellow citizens and non-governmental bodies. When you see your fellow Malaysians in need, you pitched in. That comes way ahead of your holidays. Unfortunately you cannot really teach these things, not even at Oxford. You either have the sense of human decency or you do not. Fortunately many Malaysians do have it; we just do not see it in the leaders.
Allah (if I am permitted to use that word here) must have known that our leaders are slow learners, for a few months later there was yet another massive flood, this time in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, paralyzing it.
As for that grease spot whose opening was graced by the Prime Minister, it closed soon after.
Horrible In Between
Between the terrible beginning and the horrible ending to the year, there were plenty of hideous fillers in between.
The tenures of the Director of the Anti Corruption Agency Zulkipli and the Chief Justice Ahmad Feiruz were not renewed. Both left under a cloud. That should be a feather in Abdullah’s cap, except that Abdullah was intent on keeping them both! Unrelenting public pressures forced him to back off. Abdullah may not have wanted the people to challenge him, but they did anyway.
Ahmad Feiruz was again the “off stage” star attraction later in the year in the infamous “Lingam tape.” Again you would not find that in the headlines of the mainstream media. Thanks to former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, we had a sniff of the filth that is the Malaysian judiciary.
Weakened by his endless displays of ineptitude, Abdullah was in no position to brave public opposition. A few weeks after the Johore floods, Raja Petra Kamarudin’s Malaysia-Today carried a detailed expose of the Prime Minister acquiring a luxurious corporate jet, at public expense of course. Raja Petra had the details nailed down; right to the jet’s tail number.
Malaysia-Today’s phenomenal success is the one rare bright spot. No wonder World Business named Raja Petra, together with Bank Negara’s Governor Zeti Aziz and former Prime Minister Mahathir among Asia’s Top 20 Progressives. Meanwhile Tokoh Wartawan Negara Zam remains a jagoh kampong (village champion). He and those who honor him belong there.
Raja Petra made other headlines. The police questioned him and his wife Marina separately over some activities purported to be harmful to the state. Presumably one of those could be his release of the sordid details of the messy divorce settlement of one double Muhammad, a senior UMNO operative. Raja Petra went further; he challenged this double Muhammad to a public debate to expose this discredited politician, but the latter chickened out.
The police interrogations went nowhere; the police were flummoxed. Marina in particular refused to answer questions claiming that as a Muslim she is entitled to have her husband present beside her. Isn’t it great to be a Muslim!
Lina Joy however, did not think so. Her celebrated case, a simple and routine administrative matter of changing the religious designation on her identity card, attracted worldwide attention when Malaysia’s top court ruled that, the norms of civilized society notwithstanding, there is no freedom of conscience in the country. Malaysians cannot change their religion on a whim, according to the wisdom of Chief Justice Ahmad Feiruz.
Pursuing this theme, the religious authorities in Perak charged a young Malay mother for “encouraging immoral activities” while singing in her sleeveless blouse in a nightclub.
And pursuing the moronic theme again, some
well-meaning supporters (“arse lickers” would be the more appropriate though crude term) of Abdullah nominated his late wife Endon as Anak Gemilang Malaysia (Illustrious Malaysians). Mercifully, they withdrew her name, but not before some very unkind jabs by bloggers. I do not blame them; instead rap the knuckles of the idiots who set her up.
I am uncertain which was more idiotic, that or the hysterical reactions among the leaders to a student’s sophomoric rap rendition of Negara Ku. Or that character Mat Zakaria Derus and his mansion amidst the slums of Klang.
The annual Auditor General’s Report too made headlines, again! There was the RM 4.2 billion Port Klang Free Zone development project debacle, and the Sports Ministry’s spending sprees. The list goes on.
I am certain that the theme will be repeated next year; only the players, projects, and price tags would vary. Well at least we can be comforted by the fact that those boondoggles still make the headlines. The day may come when they won’t. With Abdullah in charge, that will not be too far off.
#1 by sybreon on Tuesday, 1 January 2008 - 4:40 am
Excellent summary and Happy New Year!
#2 by ktteokt on Tuesday, 1 January 2008 - 6:10 am
It was indeed a year of troubles and turbulence for the nation!
#3 by Jeffrey on Tuesday, 1 January 2008 - 7:01 am
Looking back, Merdeka’s Golden Anniversary Year (2007) was a year of scandals of all shades and dimension.
At the apex of the scandal pyramid, were allegations of political corruption. (Political corruption is defined as the misuse of public office for private gain). In terms of sheer monetary amount, the scandal relating to the country’s main port authority PKFZ took the cake, committing the nation’s coffers to RM4.6 billion debt because some senior public officials issued letter of comfort without Ministry of Finance’s approval and had such ultra vires acts ratified by the the govt. We also hear of Agency (ACA) senior officer Ramli Manan making allegations of the top director general making us wonder whether, if true, who would be watchdog of the watch dog.
Similar questions were raised on the outbreak of another scandal – the Lingam Video clip relating to possible fixing of judges’ appointments – and the composition of Haidar Panel, then the Royal Commission in its place and now the Special Complaints Commission versus Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission debate even as Altantuya murder trial jugged laboriously along under swirling allegations of cover up.
Somehow the public is desensitized to the fact that for high level political corruption, the officials implicated are retired off than made to face the music.
But corruption in public sphere is somehow inextricably linked also with the private corporate sector. For examples, the corporate scandals of major accounting irregularities at Transmile Group Bhd and Megan Media reporting accounting fraud at subsidiary, Memory Tech Sdn Bhd. There were other cases (not so high profile) : Securities Commission investigation into similar allegations relating to Nasioncom and GP Ocean Food ending with SC charging three persons for submitting false information in NasionCom, in all cases with shareholding or directorship allegedly linked to some politician. Here too, many wonder whether culprits would be punished; we hear of past cases where they were let off relatively lightly – in the cases, of examples, involving Perwaja Steel and Omega Securities.
To be sure there are minor scandals in 2007, if ‘scandal’ is appropriate to describe these: the “bocor†scandal involving BN MPs of Jasin and Kinabatangan; sexist remark of a senior minister comparing the dilapidated state of 43 year old parliament with a 50 year old women requiring maintenance; and lately a Deputy Minister challenging a female Opposition MP in Parliament to a “fist fightâ€.
Scandals involving Public Morality are also mixed with those relating to private sexual morality of public officials in 2007.
Amid the usual swirl of rumours throughout 2007 of which political bigwig is having an affair with whom and how there was cover up for one exiting by back door when religious officers raided from the front, the end of 2007 brewed a sex video scandal which surfaced in Johor two days ago that allegedly involves a national politician from the state.
The scandal plagued 2007 forces us to reflect on a few issues:
First, we realise our public officials are very human after all committing the same foibles of greed, lust and abuse of power which they try very hard to conceal, or if exposed, to secure protection to spin it away, an endeavour which is increasingly difficult in the present Information Age with a plethora of camera phones, hidden microbes etc to catch their peccadilloes and shenanigans. Once so captured the evidence is disseminated far and wide and instantaneously vide the Internet and YouTube. Not that officials during TDM’s administration had higher personal or public probity: it is just that public figures are nowadays subject to new electronic forms of visibility (video camera, camera phone etc) disseminated instaneously by the Internet to form ‘instantaneous’ public opinion!
With this heightened visibility and prospects of instantaneous public opinion, we are faced with perhaps even more scandals, as the year 2008 goes forward, and we have to exercise power of critique and reflect what genre of morality exposed in scandals should we demand action being taken against the offender – should it be just public morality as in political corruption exposed or even private sexual morality (as for example cavorting with a sweet young thing in a hotel room watching a porno on a note book)? Can a public figure have a private life? Will his personal morality or his sexual profligacy have an impact on his discharge of political or official duties? Do we cut him some slack if his testosterones are by biology and birth raging?
There is something else beyond scandals from breaches of public morality (as in political corruption)or private morality (as in sexual scandals). I refer to something less dramatic but quite subterranean relating to broader of issue of morality – that of common decency, good conscience, fair play and common sense.
In 207 we have Lina Joy being denied her freedom of choice of religion; we have M Revathi, who wanted to apostate and who said she suffered coercion in a religious rehabilitation centre. We have R Subashini having her children taken away for conversion; we have farmers including women and children stoically standing up against enforcement officers determined to cull their pigs and livelihood; we have women and children to splayed with chemical laced water canons in the Bersih and Hindraf’s demonstrations. The rights group Tenaganita highlights human rights violation and slavery of foreign domestic workers among a migrant workforce – both legal and undocumented – huddled in a quiet dormitory behind the Indonesian embassy in Kuala Lumpur! – see malaysiakini report by Fauwaz Abdul Aziz | Dec 31, 07. Are these not scandals relating to integrity politics that we have to address too?
Since politicians ask us to entrust them with sweeping powers and dominion over public funds, with laws to buttress the same, it can be argued that their conduct in terms of (i) public morality, (ii) private morality and (iii) good conscience vs abuse of power shall be subject to intensified public glare and scrutiny as the manifold scandals of 2007 revealed and those that would surely unfold in 2008 would provide us the opportunity to do so.
Happy 2008 to all.
#4 by Bigjoe on Tuesday, 1 January 2008 - 7:26 am
Dr. Musa thinks that all it takes to change things is strong leadership. Many like him who have tasted that kind of leadership under Dr. M think its our ultimate answer.
There is no doubt this country need stronger leadership than what this PM and his co-hort currently offers. But let me suggest that the kind of strong leadership that gave birth to Dr. M was opportunistic, as much an accident as systematically probable, and not easily to happen again.
And that is what is scary about the future of this country, that if leadership cannot be hoped for, then our systems has to face those issues and we don’t have a good system.
We cannot expect strong leader to appear to do what we have to do for ourselves. So issues brought out by Bersih, Hindraf, Bar Council, RCI of police, IPCMC and others are paramount. Transparency, accountability etc. are most democratic forces that can be applied to our socio-economic problems and issues.
In some ways Badawi weakness is actually opportune in that it allows these groups to surface and make their case. Dr. M if he were still around would already have rounded everyone and threw them into jail to disastrous consequences. Badawi weakness allow a true dialogue of the issues. The failure to make faster changes and the appearance of regressive policies is just a systematic reflex. The onus is on Malaysians to push their leaders away from regressing and settled long surpressed issues of equality, accountability and transparency.
So the answer is not strong leaders at least its not an answer that can be hoped for but rather dialogue among Malaysians and coming to an agreement. After that it may still matter to have strong leader but it will never be fatal if we do not.
#5 by k1980 on Tuesday, 1 January 2008 - 7:45 am
This awaits all in 2008
http://pixhost.eu/avaxhome/avaxhome/2007-12-31/Rat.jpg
#6 by lbn on Tuesday, 1 January 2008 - 8:28 am
This rot should stop. It really stinks! Let those who haven’t register as a voter, please for heaven sake, do it now! Let the people power speaks!
#7 by TruthEnquirer on Tuesday, 1 January 2008 - 8:47 am
Scandal of V. K. Lingam video clip – immediate Media Blackout for 2 days when Internet Blogs and Online Bulletins buzzed with its news.
When it involves digital video disc involving a bedroom romp of a person resembling “a senior MCA politician from Johor” being distributed in several places, including Muar and Batu Pahat, this looming sex scandal received immediate mainstream papers’ attention. No Media Blackout ordered pending investigations.
Is the MCA marginalised? Do its office bearer and image deserve less protection judging from no immediate restraint imposed on mainstream media on this scandal as compared to treatment of VK Lingam video?
#8 by Libra2 on Tuesday, 1 January 2008 - 8:54 am
If a government that can accumulate that many scandals can be reelected, then the people deserve to rot and the country to disintegrate into the Dark Ages.
#9 by digard on Tuesday, 1 January 2008 - 9:36 am
“To be sure, Malaysia is still far ahead of Pakistan or Zimbabwe.”
You are somehow right, only. Physically, yes. We don’t have scores of dead, bombs, thousands of percent of inflation.
Mentally, maybe not. There is a lot of opposition going on, we had the chief judge speaking out against government interference, the opposition demonstrating in Harare; despite of brutal relocation of hundreds of thousands and bloody beating up of the opposition leader in police custody. In our country, almost everyone seems to be content to sell off liberty, democracy, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, for a cozy monetary handout, a renewal of contract.
Happy New Year to everyone, and a progressive Malaysia!
#10 by Anba on Tuesday, 1 January 2008 - 9:38 am
Dear Malaysians,
Hi there. Happy New Year. Musa, thanks for the wonderful article. Personally I feel that all the achievements that we have seen, like the Petronas Twin Tower, our Proton Cars, vision 2020 , our 50 years anniversary, is only an outer achievements.
Malaysia has failed in achieving inner satisfaction. This ‘inner’ that I’m referring too is also connected to one’s spirit. History has shown that whenever people’s spirit are contained and controlled, it results in hate, agony, wars and destruction. Yet, governments all over the world only want to decorate itself with the tallest building, longest bridge, largest this, and biggest that… Yet there is no content or inner feeling behind these achievements. These great structures are actually empty. Our country’s emptiness was seen in the current awakening of discontent from a race thats been marginalized for over 50 years. I’d like to include all races thats been marginalized for over 50 years.
The ruling party, UMNO has failed to light up the inner spirit of Malaysians. There are discontentments among all races in the country now. If our leaders don’t wake up and repent, we are in the brink of further troubles in the future. Nevertheless, I’m optimistic that the current wake of Hindraf and other opposition awakening will send ripples to our leaders. If we can’t reason them out, we need to vote them out.
Are we ready for a change? For change to happen at a larger scale, first we must vote out the leaders and representitives of the component parties of BN like MIC, MCA, Gerakan, etc.
If we don’t vote them out, we will still face the same treatment from the Government for the next 50 years.
So, whats your take?
May God bless Malaysia.
#11 by k1980 on Tuesday, 1 January 2008 - 9:38 am
A role model for Dollah’s sham democracy
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1699123,00.html
124 people had been killed, but other media tallies put the death toll closer to 150.
The chaos represents Kenya’s biggest domestic political crisis since independence from Britain in 1963. It was also a major disappointment for a country that had been considered a bright spot in the troubled region of East Africa…Five years ago when Kibaki won election as head of the Democratic Party on promises to clean up the massive corruption of the Moi era, crowds of close to 1 million cheered at his swearing-in ceremony.
Since then his image has slipped from that of a capable reformer to an aging and fragile stereotypical African “big man.” The 76-year-old was sworn in Sunday in a hasty ceremony attended by party loyalists, less than an hour after the Electoral Commission of Kenya pronounced he had beaten Odinga, 62, by just 230,000 votes. (Odinga had led most pre-election polls in the weeks leading up to the election.)
#12 by mata_kucing on Tuesday, 1 January 2008 - 9:39 am
Want to bet that 2008 will not be any different. The corruption, the ineptitude, the flip-flopping, the lies and the little Neapoleons and religious nuts and bigots crawing out of the woodworks will go on; as long as the top leadership remain. Let’s pray that it will not be worse, for the general populace sake.
It would be really funny and we all could have a good laugh, if it is not at our expense. I guess we can take some comfort that the tide is slowing but surely turning against them. It has to or else we are doomed to kingdom come.
#13 by mata_kucing on Tuesday, 1 January 2008 - 9:43 am
Oh, and a Happy New Year to all. And may Uncle Kit have the courage and strength to carry on his fight for a better Malaysia.
#14 by Godfather on Tuesday, 1 January 2008 - 10:17 am
We are far ahead of Pakistan and Zimbabwe ? What’s the definition of “far ahead”? 10 years ? 20 years ? It takes very little time for a country that is being raped to reach the status of a failed state. For Bolehland, it will be when the oil runs out, and that will be in less than 10 years from now.
Furthermore, there is glitter in Bolehland’s Golden Anniversary – glitter in the eyes of BN politicians that constantly eye the country’s gold.
#15 by Loh on Tuesday, 1 January 2008 - 10:43 am
///there was Deputy Internal Security Minister Johari Baharum declaring that only Muslims are entitled to use the word “Allah†(God). He threatened banning the Malay version of the Catholic Church publication that dared use the word “Allah.â€///
Johari Baharum created a lot of unhappiness for Malaysians, Muslims and Christians alike for his effort to create religious merit. The ministry later extended the printing permit, and praises were heaped on PM AAB on his ‘wisdom’.
The incident raises a few questions.
Was it planned that PM AAB would come out to ‘cancel’ the initiaitves which had caused unhappiness to the peole? For that PM AAB won the praise of being a ‘moderate, conisderate and wise leaders’, calculated to make him feel good.
If that was the purpose, then there are many ministries that could create problems for the PM to show his ‘leadership’. At the same time the sensitive issues so created would effectively divert attentions from other wrongs being perpetrated. Such display of take and give-back might appear to be helpful to the PM for his ‘leadership image’, but it certainly does not help to project a image of a normal nation.
Unless the ministers concerned are held responsible for their actions, to pay for their ill thought out decisions, we have to believe that the actions were plots taken to threaten the citizens that ‘things could be worse’, and might is right and had prior approval of the PM for him to gain from the sufferings of the people. The people are made to say thanks for removing the feet that should not have been there to step on people toes. Bullies take it as their entitlement.
#16 by max2811 on Tuesday, 1 January 2008 - 10:47 am
Happy New Year Mr Lim. Just don’t tease Mr. Chua Soi Lek the next time you see him. Just ask if he had taken viagra.
#17 by Tickler on Tuesday, 1 January 2008 - 11:46 am
January 01, 2008
Press experts slam Malaysian minister
Alfian, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Media observers criticized Saturday the statement made by a Malaysian minister regarding press freedom in Indonesia, saying the media here was more democratic than in Malaysia.
Communications expert from the University of Indonesia Effendi Gazali said Malaysian Information Minister Dato’ Seri Zainudin had made a mistake by concluding the Indonesian media was insensitive to Malaysian politics on the basis that the views of Malaysian government opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim were given space in the local media.
“That was a huge mistake,” he said, referring to the minister’s actions. “He (the minister) said that just to protect his government’s interest.”
He said the minister should not have made an issue of the fact that an Indonesian reporter interviewed Anwar Ibrahim.
“We Indonesians would be very happy if the Malaysian media or scholars criticized President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono or other Indonesian leaders.”
Similar comments came from the secretary general of the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) Abdul Manan.
Manan said the minister viewed the issue from the Malaysian perspective, a country where the press is suppressed by the state.
“What’s wrong with interviewing Anwar Ibrahim? Indonesians also have the right to know what’s going on in Malaysia.”
Manan said the media in the neighboring country was now in more or less the same situation as was the Indonesian press during the New Order regime.
“Press freedom is very limited in Malaysia, which makes the media there less critical of the government.
“Rallies or other events that may reflect negatively on the government are rarely covered because doing so invites repression,” said Manan.
The minister’s comments came amid other criticism of an October interview with Anwar on a talk show called K!CK Andy on Metro TV.
Host and Metro TV chief executive Andy F. Noya said Anwar Ibrahim was interviewed because of his ideas on Indonesia-Malaysia relations and the rise of Asians in international leadership circles.
“As a reformist leader, Anwar’s thought is worth listening to,” Andy told The Jakarta Post.
He added that Metro TV had no intention of meddling in Malaysia’s internal matters.
“It’s not the responsibility of the Indonesian press to maintain the stability of Malaysian politics. That’s the responsibility of the Malaysian government.”
“Speaking of sensitivity, how sensitive are the Malaysian government and media about Indonesia,” said Andy.
Effendi said the Malaysian government and media frequently labeled Indonesia’s democracy and press “too open” and misguided, while intimating that Malaysian democracy was on the right track.
“That was exactly how (New Order information minister) Harmoko and other New Order leaders used to defend themselves when they were asked by the international community about democracy in Indonesia.”
Although economically Malaysia is now wealthier than Indonesia, he said Indonesians should be happy to know they are living in a more democratic system.
“Democracy in Malaysia is an artificial democracy. Just look at the trial of Anwar Ibrahim.”
“Even people conducting peaceful demonstrations are taken into custody for internal security reasons,” said Effendi.
He added that although Indonesian democracy had yet to bring prosperity to the people, at least the political tension in the country did not lead to bloodshed as it did in other countries.
“Despite some problems, we are on the path to real democracy,” he said.
However, both Effendi and Manan said Indonesia still had work to do to see through the implementation of democracy and media performance.
“Our democracy has yet to guarantee law enforcement which is one of the essential pillars of democracy,” said Effendi.
Manan said Indonesian journalists needed to work harder to improve their public image.
#18 by shaolin on Tuesday, 1 January 2008 - 11:48 am
Year of unrest, arrogance and extremism!! Also a Year
of Chaos in Mismanagement, Bad Governance and
Stealing…!!!
Happy New Year to Uncle Kit and All Opposition Party
members.
Strive harder in 2008. Wish that all of you can perform
better in the coming GE…!
#19 by k1980 on Tuesday, 1 January 2008 - 11:48 am
Mr. Chua SL is going to be sacked soon… he’ll be moving onto the acting profession. As they say, there’s no bizness like show bizness
#20 by Tickler on Tuesday, 1 January 2008 - 12:43 pm
MCA beggars:
“A GREAT START TO 2008 FOR CHINESE SCHOOLS”
The Star calls it “a substantial amount”, not daring to state exactly how much.
For crying out loud, it’s only RM10million. Malaysiakini mentioned it.
“Coming to the end of 2007, we have an RM10 million ‘ang pow’ to celebrate the new year. This is good news for the Chinese community,†he proclaimed before giving the cheques out.
The sleeping PM gave RM22 million to his high school which did not even manage to teach him well enough to pass his statistic paper.
What is RM10million when it is distributed to 57 schools?
http://whatalulu.blogspot.com/2008/01/lulu-hates-it-when-mca-fellas-zgrovel.html
#21 by bystander on Tuesday, 1 January 2008 - 1:38 pm
Looking back, I m sad for the world, particularly the muslim world. Not only muslims are not progressing, they are regressing. just look at all the trouble spots in the world. they are in the main muslims from Sudan, Somalia, Etiopia, Nigeria, Lebanon to the infamous Iraq, Afghanistan to now Pakistan. Soon it will be Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and Malaysia. Except for a few bright sparks like Bakri, Farish, Azly, etc with a more liberal and progresive, Malaysia seems to be going down the road of Islamisation, the taliban type, based on recent events as described by Bakri and RPK who even said he is ashamed to be a muslim. Muslims in Malaysia or worldwide are reluctant to speak out against extremism. Why cant muslims scholars settled their differences and unite to have a standard interpretation of Koran and others. Why cant muslim scholars, imans and ulamaks worldwide come out in the open to denounce suicide bombers, oppression against women, objection to apostacy, demolition of temples and churches. Why cant imans and ulamaks or anyone come out with a declaration that suicide bombers will go to hell and not becoming martyrs? The world would then be more peaceful but alas hotter with global warming affecting the whole world.
#22 by toyolbuster on Tuesday, 1 January 2008 - 1:41 pm
It was a year of Shame and Disgrace for all Malaysians as our so called moronic leaders demonstrated to the rest of the world. I hope the outside world would sympathize us rather than to shame us because of those bumbling idiots of our mother land. I believe in God and 2008 will be a good year for all Malaysians wo have suffered through 2007. Happy New Year to all my brothers and sisters in Malaysia.
#23 by mendela on Tuesday, 1 January 2008 - 2:06 pm
Wow, the actor is Chua SL?
Can we see it at youtube? It is New Year, let’s have some funs!
#24 by mendela on Tuesday, 1 January 2008 - 2:45 pm
“The sleeping PM gave RM22 million to his high school which did not even manage to teach him well enough to pass his statistic paper.
What is RM10million when it is distributed to 57 schools?’ Ticker
It means RM175 000 for each school!
Remember the RM 4.6 Billion PKFP scandal, it is RM 4 600 000 000!
What about the Ass-tro-NUT program, it is RM 92 000 000!
#25 by Jong on Tuesday, 1 January 2008 - 3:12 pm
Is there no more sense of decency in this country anymore?
What supposedly that minister did was something, but to snoop around and to have a video taken of him and his companion in the confines of his bedroom is to me, SICK. That’s a shameful act and a total invasion of a man’s privacy!
I think as matured and responsible adults, we should not encourage and condone such despicable act of intrusion of another’s privacy.
#26 by 1eyecls on Tuesday, 1 January 2008 - 3:35 pm
PKR,DAP and PAS,get prepared!
We are going to vote you all in in this coming GE!
We just look at the actions taken by the moron gomen against HINDRAF and BERSIH”s leaders,so efficient,damn responsived!On the other hand,look at the way they drag the ‘LINGAM VIDEO CLIP” ‘s scandal;the “ALTANTUYA” murder case bcos of the dragging,became an unwatch ‘soap’ opera!i wonder this will happen to LINGAM case too!?
#27 by 1eyecls on Tuesday, 1 January 2008 - 3:44 pm
dont forget the corruption cases done by the Kementerian Sukan,Port Klang ,Bukit Aman high-rank offocer 27 million scandals and many-many more!
#28 by bystander on Tuesday, 1 January 2008 - 4:10 pm
You mean the escapade actor is Chua sl? sure ka?
#29 by vehir on Tuesday, 1 January 2008 - 4:36 pm
Happy New Year to YB LKS. We hope this year 2008, the election year. Hope to win 2/3 majority in the Parliament. That should be the goal for all opposition parties from now on.
If the actor in the sex video is YB Chua Soi Lek, then he should deserve the punishment.
This stupid [deleted] is the one who supported the BN government to derecognise the Crimea State Medical University, Ukraine, causing tremendous damages to the students, parents who directly or indrectly have spend RM100K in sending their childrens to become doctors.
God has given the sentence now after 2 years that his future is finished.
#30 by vehir on Tuesday, 1 January 2008 - 4:45 pm
Crimea State Medical University, Ukraine is WHO recognised. The BN-led government said that all students presently studying at CSMU their degree will be recognised, but further students cannot go there to do their medical studies due to derecognition of the degree by MOH and JPA in 2004.
So Chua Soi Lek as Minister for Health was directly involved in derecognition of CSMU medical degree.
He deserves the punishment.
#31 by Muay Thai on Tuesday, 1 January 2008 - 4:46 pm
Happy New Year…. 2008 is the year where we should reflect all the events that took place in this beloved nation. What happened to Nurin case? Police seems to be the masters of press conference rather than crime busters. Lingamgate scandal proves the ugly face of our rotten judiciary. AG is flying from west to east to charge people for taking part in rallies and threatening people who opposed the BN policies with attempt to murder charges. His biggest claim is Hindraf leaders have link with international terrorist groups. Terrorism trump card is again played by the ruling party to garner vote from peace loving Malaysians.
Religion bigots are surfacing in UMNO and Allah suddenly becomes the exclusive word for Muslims in Malaysia. Hindu temples are being demolished everywhere and the man who couldn’t stop the demolition of 100 over years Hindu temple in Kg. Jawa suddenly met the Hindu leaders in the state. It shows the hypocrisy of the state leader whose tenure is numbered till the next GE.
Hindu devotees were humiliated at Batu Cave temple and MIC and IPF (brother and step brother of BN) are claiming Indian voters will rally behind them during GE. Big Sam is now holding 3 portfolios in PM AAB’s cabinet. Work Minister, ….ayoyo Sami, tol naiklah Samy…., Hindu Temples Minister and Foreign Propaganda Minister (Thanks for meeting Indian leaders and explain the ‘truth’ that in fifty years many Malaysian Indians are doing very well. E.g. riding motorbikes; where before this they rode bicycles only and no more staying in estate lines but staying in squatters of big cities).
Whatlah Samy one portfolio should be enoughlah!!! Why three? Give one to Kaveas (PPP), the self proclaimed true leader of Indian community and the other one to Pandithan (IPF), the champion of Indian outcasts and poor. (He and his follower say so.)
Rift in UMNO Perlis and MCA sex scandal are the bombs waiting to explode in 2008. The price of petrol, tol and food items are getting higher and higher. Government staffs got their pay increased by 15% to 35% but majority of factory workers are still underpaid. Changes can be done if only people are willing to change the government.
#32 by vehir on Tuesday, 1 January 2008 - 4:58 pm
This is what posted in malaysia-today.net
I am the one in the sex DVD, says Chua
Posted by kasee
Tuesday, 01 January 2008
(The Star): KUALA LUMPUR: Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek admitted he is the politician in the sex DVD circulating in Johor.
In a press conference here Tuesday, Dr Chua said the girl is his “personal friendâ€.
He apologised to the Malaysian public, supporters and his colleagues.
He said he did not make the tape himself.
Dr Chua said he will not resign over the sex DVD. He will leave that up to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to decide.
The sex DVD had been circulating in Muar, Tangkak and Batu Pahat over the past few days.
The existence of the DVD was first reported in the Chinese dailies on Sunday while a Bahasa Malaysia daily reported about it Monday
#33 by devilmaster on Tuesday, 1 January 2008 - 5:02 pm
First day of the year, and we already have a senior politician from UMNO-led BN becoming a porn actor. What worse – he insists to hang on to his post until his superior’s decision. OMFG, are all ruling politicians form Bolehland so that power-hungry and thick-faced?
#34 by Jong on Tuesday, 1 January 2008 - 5:22 pm
Chua Soi Lek should resign immediately if he has any conscience left. No point to hang on to power and get humiliated to no end.
Regretably he has shocked many not to mention shamed his wife and family with his irresponsible actions. Having said that, I must say that Chua Soi Lek has been one of those few BN ministers who speaks sense and speaks well. What a shame he has to end his political life this way.
This BN government has been too complacent and in office for far too long. 50 years is such a long time and Malaysians deserve a better set of leaders. Let’s go for change!
It’s not impossible, the difference between impossible and possible is the people’s determination.
Together let’s send the whole bunch of BN monkeys packing. Let’s do it!
#35 by Godfather on Tuesday, 1 January 2008 - 5:27 pm
Which is the worst:
1. Chua Soi Lek becoming a porn actor.
2. Chan Kong Choy signing the letters of support for the PKFTZ.
3. Zakaria Mat Deros building his mansion without permits AND trying to alienate further land for his mini golf course.
4. MP Mat Said’s feud with the Customs department when they did not “look the other way”.
5. Scomi being awarded contracts on a “negotiated” basis.
6. The leader of BN blatantly telling the world that “we are not in the business of cheating the people”.
7. Ali Rustam telling the Indians if they don’t like it here, they can go back to where they came from.
8. Gani Patail blatantly charging protestors with attempted murder so that they will be denied bail.
9. BN putting the Hindraf leadership under the ISA under charges of terrorism which the government cannot prove.
I think that of all the above, Chua Soi Lek’s stint as a porn actor probably does the least harm to the interests of the rakyat.
#36 by U32 on Tuesday, 1 January 2008 - 5:59 pm
I just stopped playing my computer game to put my thoughts here after watching the 5:30 p.m. NTV 7 Mandarin news.
Should I say ” memalukan ” to Dato Doctor Chua Soi Lek or should I say we are only humans with needs ?
If you bosses cannot carry out what you preach, why do you expect your subordinates to do so ? Why do you bosses like to preach so much to us like we never know what it means to be good or bad ?
So we have another Bill Clinton at hand. Next question. Why should 2008 starts by memalukan the Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia first ? You all make it looks like this ministry is really in deep s.
Next question. What is the meaning of putting a spy camera and in the hotel room that you b spies knew of ? Under whose d authorization do you do all your b spying business ? I think you people are really sickening. More sickening than the genuinely sick minded people.
As for Dato’ Doctor Chua Soi Lek, too bad. He looked like a very decent man. Yet he fell like so many other men. My verdict. He has to leave the post of the Minister of Health. You know, it is not easy for a Chinese to attain a top position in the government service or a top political post. Yet he blows this golden opportunity away.
It is raining outside…
#37 by pulau_sibu on Tuesday, 1 January 2008 - 6:11 pm
may be the health ministry can use his video to educate the people.
we better be open-minded in case he was trapped
#38 by Jeffrey on Tuesday, 1 January 2008 - 6:17 pm
Which is why I said in earlier posting on 2007 Year of Scandals continuing to 2008 that we Malaysians have to ask ourselves hard question “can a public figure have a private life? Will his personal morality or his sexual profligacy have an impact on his discharge of political or official duties?†Put another way, can public morality be separated from private morality? Can we afford our public official and a minister who is a role model to us and our children have one set of ethical values governing conduct of public and government affairs and another set of values as private citizen even if they constitute, to borrow U32’s words “memalukan†in their individual capacities? That is the Question.
#39 by Jeffrey on Tuesday, 1 January 2008 - 6:25 pm
This much I say : I respect Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek for being very courageous and forthright under the very shameful circumstances in admitting openly that he was the politician in the sex DVD circulating in Johor. Compare him with those caught in the other video clip on judicial fixing, pussyfooting around with silence or protesting their innocence via proxy! I think his public response here was the best he could do : http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/1/1/nation/20080101161931&sec=nation&focus=1
Dr Chua said he will not resign over the sex DVD. He will leave that up to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to decide. How shall PM or MCA take the matter?
#40 by Jeffrey on Tuesday, 1 January 2008 - 6:39 pm
“Chua Soi Lek’s stint as a porn actor probably does the least harm to the interests of the rakyat†– Godfather. Yes, strictly irrelevant in terms of harm to the interests of the rakyat, at the same time he is also no porn actor as in all likelihood he was video taped without his knowledge.
To be sure there will be many amongst us who will be of the opinion that a representative of the people, and a Minister of Health at that, is supposed to set high standards of behaviour in public life. He not only represents the society but have also to lead it. He has to function also function as the role model for our kids. I can understand the argument : I mean how can he as Health Minister lead a public campaign against AIDs, which necessarily requires the dissemination of values of sexual partners selectivity and conservatism, be effective with the baggage of such a scandal? It is not as if his job as Health minister was likely to involve campaign only for the greater use of Viagra, though condoms might be part of it..
#41 by Samson on Tuesday, 1 January 2008 - 6:40 pm
Agreed with you Godfather.
After all, the man had already apologized for his misconduct. We should not equate personal matters with matters affecting rakyat’s interests. No one has claimed to be without any flaw. Who are we to judge another of his personal wrongdoings as long as it does not affect the well being of others.
Our fights and struggles must focus on our objectives in building a progressive Nations, free from all corruptions, fair in all dealings without fear or favour in race religion and status.
Hope the oppositions will continue to focus and fight on the aspects of justice for the rakyat and providing positive agendas and suggestions in nation buildings rather than harping on the wrongdoings of one pathetic soul. It is just not worth the effort and time.
Strength and honour for DAP!!!
#42 by bolehlandor on Tuesday, 1 January 2008 - 6:59 pm
Congratulations bolehland. Now this country is in the BIG league; having a sex video featuring nothing less than the dishonourable menteri kesihatan. To save money to offset the wastage of public funds the govt ought to buy over the video for implementing sex education to all the school kids.
The sleepy head and his bunch of filthy clowns should take full responsibility for all the man-made horrors committed during 2007 and commit harakiri enmasse. Shameless scoundrels.
#43 by Jeffrey on Tuesday, 1 January 2008 - 7:07 pm
Having said that, having a clandestine extramarital tryst is not a vice typical of him only. Other public officials do it all the time but were lucky for not having caught on tape with pants down. I ask for an understanding that he was caught for being human only.
Speaking for myself only – and I dare not foist this point of view as being particularly right on others – I would personally like to see us Malaysians being able to look beyond a public official’s private morality.
His infraction is only a matter between him and his wife and family to resolve.
By all means we are justified to support the PM to remove him as minister if he fails in his public duties or morality. We can ask him to go if it is due to (say) his insensitive comments on baby Yok Shan’s issue; bungling the packaging of Private Health Care Facilities & Services Act 1998 & Regulations 2006 or running a health care system where ambulances could not run for not having petrol etc! Etc…
But for having a consensual sexual relationship with a woman other than his wife? – Who are we to judge and what has it got to do with his competence in discharge of his duties as Health Minister?
I say that to force him to go by this episode alone is to indirectly reward and encourage by results dirty politics and tactics of bringing one’s political opponents down by illegal video tapping of their private lives including sexual relations, which is by itself an act that brings Malaysian political morality and contestation to new depths! Have we not had enough of our fair share of Altantunya Sharibu murder accompanied by swirling rumours of hypocrisies and cover up?
What we need today is more transparency and openness in politics and politicians and I cannot say that I am that disgusted by the Health Minister’s act of private sexual indiscretion to bray for his blood for that reason alone when I damn well know that many other politicians of respectability are no better or any less susceptible to such human foibles and temptations of the flesh except they have had the protection of power to cover up their shenanigans so as to remain as so called “role models” for the unsuspecting public.
#44 by Jeffrey on Tuesday, 1 January 2008 - 7:15 pm
My final word : our greatest danger to which we devote energy to fight against is the breach of public morality – and political coruption – on the part of politicians and public officials (what Godfather describes the “den of thieves”) that squanders and fritters the entire national wealth in jeopardy of the future generation. It is not breach of private sexual morality by any den of pubic officials!
#45 by negarawan on Tuesday, 1 January 2008 - 7:20 pm
Breaking News…The integrity of UMNO, MCA, MIC is down the drain with criminals “leading” the parties.
I am the one in the sex DVD, says Chua
KUALA LUMPUR (Malaysia): Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek admitted he is the politician in the sex DVD circulating in Johor.
In a press conference here Tuesday, Dr Chua said the girl is his “personal friend”.
He apologised to the Malaysian public, supporters and his colleagues.
He said he did not make the tape himself.
Dr Chua said he will not resign over the sex DVD. He will leave that up to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to decide.
The sex DVD had been circulating in Muar, Tangkak and Batu Pahat over the past few days.
The existence of the DVD was first reported in the Chinese dailies on Sunday while a Bahasa Malaysia daily reported about it Monday.
#46 by bystander on Tuesday, 1 January 2008 - 7:54 pm
An honourable man would resign immediately as in UK or US.
#47 by Jeffrey on Tuesday, 1 January 2008 - 7:55 pm
His admission and refusal to resign on his own accord poses a particular novel challenge to his boss Pak Lah. If he allows him to continue, people will ask what is this talk of Islamic values within the administration? If he sacks him, we will ask why are Islamic values imposed on non muslim minister who hasn’t the benefit of religious permission to take more than one wife? This is especially in wake of the government backtracking recently on requiring the use of “Allah” by Christians in Bahasa version. Like the controversial “conversion” cases, it is this perennial unresolved issue : are we an Islamic or secular state, the latter being based on rational secular principles? Should a non muslim official be forced to submit to Islamic values? One can’t raise the parallel issue of Bill Clinton forced to go in a secular state like USA based on these differences from Dr Chua’s case : (1) Bill Clinton conducted his tryrst within White House descecrating the sanctity of his high office whilst our case was in a hotel; (2) Bill was not forthright and honest; he indulged in subterfuge bearing false oath in his deposition to Congress that he did not have sex because fellatio was not sex, so he construed. Dr Chua made a clean breast of everything (3) Dr Chua was video taped without his knowledge, so to rely on such below the belt, and I must add, illegal surveillance to sack him from office is to indirectly reward and encourage such despicable act of invasion of privacy!
#48 by Jeffrey on Tuesday, 1 January 2008 - 8:58 pm
His problem in admission comes from an unexpected angle : the video clip showed oral sex being performed, which technically may still qualify to be an offence of Unnatural Act against the Order of Nature under our Penal Code that has not been enforced because empirical evidence suggests that it is very much in the order of nature from the animal kingdom upwards to homosapiens at the apex! :)
#49 by goldenscreen on Tuesday, 1 January 2008 - 9:32 pm
Jeffrey, it is not a matter of whether his acts are private or not. It’s the fact that this is an Asian country and this kind of behavior cannot be accepted by the public at large, more so when it involves the Health Minister who has gone on record promoting safe sex, abstinence, and fidelity during World AIDS Day. Politically, Chua Soi Lek is in an untenable position.
Malaysia is not France. Malaysia has more in common with China (where a minister who had mistress was fired), Indonesia (Golkar MP in sex video forced to resign), Taiwan (Chu Mei Feng) etc. He should have the honor and personal dignity to resign and retire from public life, instead of clinging to his post.
What the police should find out is which parties were responsible for entrapping Chua Soi Lek. This was a very professionally executed job and most likely involved Chinese triads and other MCA politicians. Anyway Happy New Year to Chua Soi Lek! Hope you turn over a new leaf and learnt your lesson.
#50 by Old.observer on Tuesday, 1 January 2008 - 9:44 pm
It is obvious, the taping is done by someone intending to discredit Dr Chua.
What Dr Chua did – as a family man, as a husband – is clearly wrong in most people’s eyes in his role as a family man and as a husband.
But in his role as the Minister of Health, does it deserve sacking? Let’s be honest here. How many politicians are really clean? We know – left, right and centre – that nearly all politicians engages in such acts. Especially those that condemns others publicly or preaches Islam Hadhari non-stop.
From Rakyat’s perspective, as Godfather kindly listed 9 alternatives – which is worst to the Rakyat? To me, Dr Chua’s action – whilst I don’t agree and I don’t condone nor would recommend that others do the same thing – is mostly irrelevant to his role as Minister of Health.
And to sack him would – as Jeffrey rightly pointed out – merely encourages such illegal surveillance to be conducted in future.
AAB has a dillemma here. Sack Dr Chua, and he can be sure more of such videos of other politicians will surface. And the BN politicians who has been in power for so long are the ones more likely to stand to lose, as absolute power corrupts absolutely, especially when they’ve enjoyed absolute power for so long.
As much as I want to see BN lose this coming election, there are higher values at work here that are more important, including fair play, competent and honest discharge of one’s Ministerial duties, integrity, openness and transparency, sincere regret and resolve when one has committed a mistake and not to do it again, etc.
In my opinion, Dr Chua’s mistake is being caught, but with today’s much improved surveilance technology, the odds of being caught is no longer the same as 10, 20 years ago. I’m willing to bet that the majority of BN politicians are just as bad, if not worse than Dr Chua, in terms of committing such acts. And if so, AAB might find himself soon without any politicians left, if he sacks Dr Chua. Or he will find himself practicing double standards – sack Dr Chua, and not sack others as further videos surfaced.
Old Observer.
#51 by Old.observer on Tuesday, 1 January 2008 - 9:49 pm
Of course, in the ideal world, I like to see all politicians conducting their private lives in the highest moral standards, but that I think would be living in a dream world instead of the real world.
Still, as a leader in his own right, I am disgusted with Dr Chua’s (and all similar leaders) behaviour in this matter, and in no way condone that. It simply sets a very poor example to the younger generations. But that’s simply a personal view.
Old Observer.
#52 by smeagroo on Tuesday, 1 January 2008 - 9:49 pm
Let’s dedicate a song to ZAMbie,
ZAMbie ZAMbie, what’s in your head, in your hea-eh eh ed.
Zambie, ZAmbie..eh eh eh ah ah ah.
#53 by negarawan on Tuesday, 1 January 2008 - 9:57 pm
I guess Nazri will table a bill to legalize oral sex in the next parliament sitting
#54 by devilmaster on Tuesday, 1 January 2008 - 10:40 pm
This piece of fantastic news had been picked up by Reuters. Malaysia Boleh!
http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSSP10149520080101
http://serpentholm.blogspot.com/2008/01/malaysian-minister-says-in-sex-video.html
#55 by undergrad2 on Tuesday, 1 January 2008 - 10:48 pm
“Although economically Malaysia is now wealthier than Indonesia, he (Metro TV CEO) said Indonesians should be happy to know they are living in a more democratic system.†Jakarta Post
That is true – the key word is “more†democratic rather than a democratic system.
Indonesians numbering some 200 million people comprising very diverse ethnicities, religions and spread over some 1,000 more islands with little in common have no choice but to tolerate their differences.
But this does not stop the marginalization of their ethnic minorities. Some of these ethnic minorities operating from Holland and other parts of the world where most of them live in exile, seek independence from the Jakarta based government, and aim to shirk of Javanese economic and political hegemony and form self-governing states.
But it is true. Belief in the Pantjasila has come to replace Sukarno’s guided democracy.
The Pantjasila preaches religious tolerance. But this is not to say there is no religious persecution by groups and associations whose activities the Indonesian government has no control over.
A middle class suburban Indonesian family can have an atheist for a father, a Christian for a daughter and a Muslim for a son-in-law and a Hindu mother. They all live together happily. But if you visit certain neighborhoods in Jakarta you will find rock throwing Muslims tearing down signboards put up by Christian churches. In some cases incidents like this lead to burning of churches. Christian boys and girls are routinely bullied by their Muslim classmates. Going to the local police for help is a waste of time. This is a daily occurrence in parts of Indonesia where there are equal concentrations of Christians and Muslims or small concentrations of Christians within a predominantly Muslim region. It is not a page out of the race riots in 1997 but is a daily occurrence depending on the neighborhood you live. Chinese Christians make their way to other parts of the world to escape the persecution. But many keep coming back because business is still good. An Indonesian Chinese was offered legal resident status by the U.S. government because of the persecution but after some ten years chose to return home; and now and he and his Chinese Indonesian wife ply between Australia and Indonesia taking care of business.
But by and large, it is true that the Indonesian media and Indonesians have a measure of freedom difficult to conceive by the average Malaysian who has not traveled out of his country. The government also tinkers less in nation building. Instead they depend on their diversity for their strength.
As for Anwar’s political trial and trumped up charges, the Indonesians are no better. A judge was murdered not too long ago. Their judiciary is corrupt.
But there is a ground up democracy. Whereas our leaders only talk about democracy.
#56 by winterman05 on Tuesday, 1 January 2008 - 10:54 pm
The Health Minister has made a clean breast of his sexual escapade at the first opportunity. On that score alone, we should applaud him for his COURAGE to face the public and say it as it is. He is MAN enough to say it in public: ” I am the man in the sex video clip! ” And he apologised to the PM, DPM and MCA President for succumbing to his weakness. Then he held a Press conference and let the public know. No hiding, no puffing ! We should accept his apology just as his family members
have done so. He was no Clinton who denied having a tryst with an intern at teh White House, of all places!
Compare him with many other politicians who have not only denied doing anything wrong but, in some cases, have even challenged any accuser! We must say to the other politicians : ” Shame on you for telling lies. ”
To those who condemn him , I would like to quote Jesus’ words:
” Will those who have not sinned cast the first stone? ”
His indiscretion may not be pardonable in the eyes of his political enemies and may not be consonant with his position as a public figure as Health Minister.He has suffered enough without further punishment from others who are baying for his blood and asking for a pound of his flesh.
To all of them I say : be a gentleman and do not hit below the belt; do not kick a man who has fallen. Do not punch a handcuffed, blind-folded man like Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Do you have the GUTs which this man has shown? I do not know him ; neither does he know me. But I admire his COURAGE. He is a MAN!
S.H. Huang
#57 by k1980 on Tuesday, 1 January 2008 - 10:56 pm
Chua Sial Lek should strive to become France’s Health Minister. Then he, like Sarkozy, can take his female personal friend on overseas trips at public expense without so much as a look of disapproval from the Frenchies
#58 by Edchin on Tuesday, 1 January 2008 - 11:21 pm
Despicable as it may be to videotape a person’s private act, it is even an uglier reflection of the apparent heinous plot to frame and discredit. Whatever may be the motives and whoever may be responsible, it certainly does not point to a comforting scenario. What happens if the Minister is sacked? Or not sacked? What happens if more in the BN ranks are compromised similarly? Has everyone forgetten the other videotape already? Or is it now on the backburners?
But to some, the public indignity, let alone the humiliation in front of his family, that the Minister had been dragged through in this episode (and also imagine the numerous senyum kambings at Cabinet meetings) is somewhat poetic justice for his insensitive comments on baby Yok Shan’s issue.
#59 by U32 on Tuesday, 1 January 2008 - 11:32 pm
Sorry if I comment the second time on the subject of Dato Doctor Chua Soi Lek. It looks like a conspiracy or a set up. This affair happenned two years ago and only now we find out. Before elections. How funny. When I remember back the scene, I just could not believe that it was that easy for one who is powerful and influential to just forget about everything and hopped into bed. Was it worth it ? Didn’t he care about the nation and the people ? What is it about Dato Dr Chua that he should be expelled from the portfolio that he is holding ? Is he corrupted ? Is he selling nation’s secrets ? Is he working for somebody else ? Does he deserve to be hunted down this way ? Why was not the same thing happenning to other politicians ? Is it because their religion allows them to marry another wife ? Although Dato Dr Chua has come out in the open regarding this affair, Barisan Nasional owes Malaysia a good explanation for what has happenned to him. If Dato Dr Chua bit the bait of lust, surely other politicians are not exempted. So what other dirty secrets do we have to find out ? And you still call this cemerlang, gemilang, terbilang ? You know, there is something that is call people’s expectation. And it hurts people to find out that he has fallen short of their expectations. Can you honestly go around having a conversation with Dato Dr Chua or having a discussion over something important and at the back of your mind, there is this nagging thought that he is not the man that you wish he was ? Can you trust him ? It is one thing to forgive and forget. It is another to look at this man like he has not done anything fishy. But even though it sounds like I am singling him out, yet I know that the whole political party is not right. It is not just one person whom you are dealing with. Really. With all the scandals around, how can you expect us to respect you ? But it is understandable. A politician is away from home. His wife does not follow him. He is constantly surrounded by people and women who are there for a purpose. Women who are paid to serve. If we let our minds run wild, we can come up with a million imaginations. And supposing if this dirty little secret is never found out, would Dato Dr Chua continue to see this personal friend ?
#60 by 1eyecls on Tuesday, 1 January 2008 - 11:58 pm
soi lek,ofcourse we ppl knew that you are not the only one messing around with ‘girl friends’,but once you are caught,you have to face the music,most of the time,you did the right thing,but this time,you are not!You shouldnt kick the ball to Paklah and OKT,you hv to resign immediately,nobody,especially your MCA macai and your subordinates at Kementerian Kesihatan will respect what you say from now,get it?Remember,you are not an ordinary ppl,you are a famous and high -rank politician,even your wife and kids forgive you,it does not make sense,understand ?
btw,didnt your party-mate Datuk NG YEN YEN teach your wife to make-up, wearing sexy suit every night?Aisayman,she told everyone except her?
Your buddy CHAN KONG CHOY flew to oversea when the PKFTZ scandal surfaced,so,are you taking long-leaves too?I was told you just did it last month?Nevermind,the NICE BIG IMAM maybe this time will issue you an ETERNITY leaves instead!
God bless you!
#61 by Godamn Singh on Wednesday, 2 January 2008 - 12:28 am
“The sex DVDs, on two discs, show Dr Chua and a woman engaging in various sexual antics. The two DVDs had been circulating in Muar, Tangkak and Batu Pahat over the past few days. ” STAR
‘Sexual antics’ which means he is caught on tape chasing his girlfriend round the dinner table when both were clad in their pajamas. So why the need to resign??
#62 by marD on Wednesday, 2 January 2008 - 1:34 am
Whatever have been said about Dr Chua SL, those who know about his positive attributes will always remember him as very caring though bombastic at times. For people who have an axe to grind, this is the time to jump on the bandwagon and further discredit him. Reading the related comments, one could see that people just love to pass judgement and expound their moral high ground. Look like all the hyaenas are out in full force!
Dr Chua, my deepest sympathy for you sir, on the whole, you have been an effective Health Minister. You have every right for privacy as anybody else and civilised people must condemn the act of secret recording to destroy someone’s reputation.
Those whom you have championed will certainly miss you.
#63 by cto on Wednesday, 2 January 2008 - 4:37 am
To those who condemn him , I would like to quote Jesus’ words:
†Will those who have not sinned cast the first stone? â€
—————————–
I see it somewhat differently. People who are asking for Chua’s resignation may not necessarily be thinking that they are better or holier than Chua. The question being raised is “Should person holding public office continue given these set of circumstances?”
Unfortunately for Chua, the separation between private and public life of a public person is hard to define. A higher standard is expected from a person holding public office and rightly so, in my opinion. Is it acceptable for a finance minister to owe money to the Ah Longs privately? Can we still trust s/he to carry out the duties with uncompromising integrity given the set of circumstances? What other skeletons are there in the closet?
I agree with some of the other readers that Chua’s latest exploit pales relative to the others. However, this does not make it right. Perhaps this is just indicative of the low standard that the Malaysian public expects from the leaders. There have been so many wrongs and this is just one relatively small one, right?
I also agree with the others that Chua should be applauded for confronting the issue and facing the music. It must have been a tough thing to do. The easier way out would have been to deny and ask for proof of authenticity.
The comparison to Clinton is not a fair one. I believe that Clinton under the same set of circumstances (i.e. a recording was produced) would have admitted to his mistake. He is not that stupid to continue denying. With the Clinton case, the evidence was less compelling and he probably thought that he has a fighting chance. He was wrong, of course.
It would be interesting to see what the PM is going to do about this. Just as a reminder – Anwar Ibrahim paid a high price for something private that was not really proven, in my opinion.
#64 by DarkHorse on Wednesday, 2 January 2008 - 4:45 am
“But for having a consensual sexual relationship with a woman other than his wife? – Who are we to judge and what has it got to do with his competence in discharge of his duties as Health Minister?” Jeffrey
Who are we to judge?? I have to disagree with you.
It only happens in countries like Malaysia with a third world mentality that a Minister, a duly elected representative of the people would come out to say that what happens between he and his wife is his own private matter – and that he’s not resigning. It is not simply a case of two consenting adults having consensual sex. This man cheated his wife. He is dishonest.
What does that say about his character? He is dishonest with his wife. Do you think he’ll be honest with the public? Would you trust him to carry out his promises?
You’re talking about a video of the man having sex with his girlfriend being circulated publicly. It does not matter what the wife thinks or forgives him. He is dishonest. When you hold a public office, nothing is private. Your whole life is subject to public scrutiny.
The guy issued a public statement admitting to it and yet clings on to power! Unimaginable anywhere else! The decent thing for him to do is to resign. Further comments on his relationship etc would then become a private matter because then he is a private citizen.
What’s worse the PM seems to regard that kind of behaviour as a private matter. This can only happen to a country like Malaysia!
#65 by Count Dracula on Wednesday, 2 January 2008 - 4:58 am
“….the video clip showed oral sex being performed, which technically may still qualify to be an offence of Unnatural Act against the Order of Nature under our Penal Code that has not been enforced because empirical evidence suggests that it is very much in the order of nature from the animal kingdom upwards to homosapiens at the apex.” Jeffrey
Our Penal Code says it is a crime to have oral sex??
You cannot force his resignation because he is a poor role model as Minister in charge of public health, that having oral sex is dangerous because it spreads HIV. You’d need buckets and buckets of saliva to catch HIV that way – he’d be the first to tell you that.
He is no come back kid! Bill Clinton is no come back kid because he comes from behind!
#66 by Jeffrey on Wednesday, 2 January 2008 - 6:19 am
///….What does that say about his character? He is dishonest with his wife. Do you think he’ll be honest with the public? Would you trust him to carry out his promises?…/// – Darkhorse.
We would also have to ask whether if he weren’t caught on camera with pants down, if his wife had petitioned successfully a divorce on grounds of adultery, whether in these circumstances of “cheating on his wife†we would still expect him to resign on grounds of infidelity and dishonesty. I don’t think so. Also was his fidelity and honesty to his wife a factor that determined his eligibility or appointment to minister’s position in the first instance to warrant his resignation now that it had been proven otherwise?
On the part about what is first world or third world mentality, what I am concerned about is that here the mentality is that of hypocrisy on both politicians and ordinary people’s part by which it is assumed that extra marital sex and ‘cheating’ of spouse in that sense is a deviant isolated dishonest act uncommon to most decent respectable folks, when anecdotal evidence seems to suggest the opposite is the case.
Of course it would be ideal to have public officials or minister who do not succumb to blandishment of sexual temptations but isn’t that expecting too much ? I must admit my bar of expectation has been lowered and I’d be quite pleased if public officials and politicians are honest enough not to put their hands on the public till as public position is that of trust.
It is no comfort to us if a power politician faithful and loving to his wife feathers his private financial fortune by leveraging on his political position in order to shower his beloved wife with gifts and money to live the high life at our expense.
Also I am very concerned that we do not as a people persist in hypocritical ways, as has been perpetuated for so long since time immemorial that sexual indiscretion or infidelity of public officials is not allowed. The reality is otherwise where it is not an offence in the doing but in being caught.
Whilst I agree that when holding a public office, nothing is private and one’s whole life, even private morality, is subject to public scrutiny, I would be slow to just draw the connection between cheating on one’s wife as in the case of a clandestine affair and drawing the conclusion from that alone (lapse of so called sexual morality) leads to irresistible inference that the official is necessarily dishonest to the public when discharging his public office duties…..
How could we draw that inference? For one thing, we can’t assume he was cheating his wife for the wife may have known about the affair all along, even acquiesced with the inevitable, but chooses not to end the marital relationship for other benefits or maybe the man is apart from his extra marital relationship an otherwise responsible family man.
The other point is that sex is a biological imperative, the disciplining/restraint of which is probably, for many, more honoured in its breach than upkeep though we hypocritically protest the contrary.
When we focus too much on a politician’s private sexual morality, I am afraid that many of us will lose focus on what that counts – his discharge of public duties more imediately relevant to us. Perhaps I am bias in this respect, but I don’t like to interfere into people’s, including politician’s private lives or be judgmental of their foibles and other human weakness which has nothing to do with our collective public or nation’s interest.
Some of the widely perceived good leaders who served nation and people – the “alpha males we call them – have committed adultery, cheated on their wives, had personal scandals, but stayed above-board in their roles as leaders keeping faith with their public responsibilities – for examples: American presidents Dwight Eisenhower, Franklin D. Roosevelt (1932-1945) with at least two mistresses, John F Kennedy (Marylyn Monroe), New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani (?) French Prime Minister Francois Mitterand, Canadian PM Trudeau, even Martin Luther King etc whose good fortunes was that they were never filmed on video clip and distributed.
Throughout history and World over, politicians whether in capitalistic or socialist/communist regime have tendency to use public office to enrich themselves, their families, supporters and cronies. How to mitigate this is the challenge of this Millennium politics. Not their private sexual peccadilloes when it is in the natural biological order of things for females to be attracted to men of power, of intelligence and resources and in such circumstances how many could resist? Unless we draw the line that his discrete sexual morality or lack thereof is of no legitimate interest to the public what leaders have we left who will also not deplete the national coffers? Chua was not being indiscreet : he was entrapped by surreptitious tapping via hidden CCTV. He should sue the hotel, and police catch the culprits.
#67 by Jeffrey on Wednesday, 2 January 2008 - 6:39 am
He’s not resigning because to do so is to yield to his political rivals or whosoever who resort to such dastardly below-the-belt methods to bring him down. Is it honourable to yield to such methods and reward the perpetrators with exactly what they wanted? True, I don’t know how if he carries on, he is going to fend the knowing smirks on the part of the some of the BN MPs (whose personal private morality may be even worse) but that is really his personal call. By not resigning he is, as I said, putting it to us whether we Malaysians can accept separation of publicv morality from private morality. If PM were to sack him – for not resigning – then it may well open the flood gates for every BN politician to be shot down for this reason. The cameras & CCTV will be used to zero on to them whether here or overseas. But is it the right way and the right method for us to bring down corrupt politicians in such a way? How does it reflect on us?
#68 by ktteokt on Wednesday, 2 January 2008 - 6:45 am
Leave the poor man alone. After all, his political life is coming to an end. Even if he does not resign, how much longer is the next GE and do you think he is ever going to get nominated?
One thing though, we have to admire his bravery in admitting to the scandal. He may have been a victim of a trap with “political” motives but being able to admit it publicly takes great courage. Syabas Minister Chua!
#69 by DarkHorse on Wednesday, 2 January 2008 - 7:47 am
“…was his fidelity and honesty to his wife a factor that determined his eligibility or appointment to minister’s position in the first instance to warrant his resignation now that it had been proven otherwise?†Jeffrey
If it wasn’t it should have been. Honesty and integrity are values sought in any individual who seeks public office. As a voter I’ll not expect less.
“…what I am concerned about is that here the mentality is that of hypocrisy..â€
If others are doing it i.e. cheating on their wives, it does not mean your own cheating is that much less serious or relevant especially when you hold public office. It is relevant because it is an act of dishonesty. He may be popular with his constituents and members of the party hierarchy, hardworking and delivers his election promises even. But it is not like any other job. It is a public office. If you cannot be honest in your relationship with your wife (though estranged at the time) we cannot and should not hope for him to be honest in his relationship with others. As a duly elected representative of the people, he knows he is held to high standards. Failure has its consequences.
“How could we draw that inference? For one thing, we can’t assume he was cheating his wife for the wife may have known about the affair all along, even acquiesced…â€
Technically he may or may not have been cheating his wife but that does not matter.
Would you vote someone into public office if you know he frequents or has frequented a house of ill repute? Any candidate for public office knows that he is held to high standards morally if nothing more. Any holder of public office knows that if caught he would have to resign because it would interfere with his duties.
“…discrete sexual morality or lack thereof is of no legitimate interest to the public what leaders have we left who will also not..â€
It does to a lot of people – and it ought to, because we’re not just talking about the sexual indiscretions of any man married or otherwise but a Minister whose face now appears on ‘hot’ DVDs sold at pasar malam and tops the most popular list of pornographic materials. I cannot imagine Samy Vellu holding on his to public office and to his toupee, if a similar tape had appeared instead of Vijendran’s.
#70 by DarkHorse on Wednesday, 2 January 2008 - 7:50 am
What has entrapment or anything has to do with it?
#71 by DarkHorse on Wednesday, 2 January 2008 - 7:58 am
He does not have to resign his seat in Parliament but should step down as Minister.
#72 by dawsheng on Wednesday, 2 January 2008 - 8:14 am
What Chua did is not acceptable and will not be accept by Malaysians in general. In other words, his political career is numbered, whether you like it or not. For those who commended Chua’s brave admission that he his the “man” something is wrong, I don’t know what. How can he not admit he is the “one” when he is clearly the “one” in the sex tape? No director will hire him or somebody like “him” as a porno actor for sure. It is all but an act by a cowardice at the same time a horny man, is that what we want in our leader? He just gave Malaysian Chinese a bad name.
#73 by Godfather on Wednesday, 2 January 2008 - 8:16 am
Badawi has no moral authority to judge Chua Soi Lek. The only difference between Chua and a number of other senior BN politicians is that Chua was caught on video, but the others were not (or have not). I have run into senior UMNO people travelling in Europe with their “girlfriends”. I know of a number of UMNO politicians keeping girlfriends in Medan. Badawi himself was rumoured to have travelled with Jeanne Danker in official jets prior to their marriage.
No, those who live in glass houses should not throw stones. Many men would have committed indiscretion at some time or other. It will be up to Chua himself to decide if he can continue in his present role. He has to decide on his own morality.
#74 by dawsheng on Wednesday, 2 January 2008 - 8:16 am
Sigh, what a great start to a new year….
#75 by Jeffrey on Wednesday, 2 January 2008 - 8:33 am
I like what ktteokt said. To DarkHorse, thanks for the discussion and different opinion. It is important that we canvass a range of different opinions to assist Kit to weigh and make a stand, which I foresee he has likely to do soon because the scandal and admission is now a front page report in our news media and what Dr Chua Soi Lek has done – admitting to the scandal but not tendering his resignation as Minister – is unprecedented in annals of Malaysian political history, promising the development of further controversial public issues, now that his Labis Division has thown their support behind him to continue, and the Presidential Council of MCA is immediately having an emergency sitting (See Page N4 of The Star 2nd Jan) now, raising question of what would happen if the MCA Presidential Council’s decision is different from that of the Prime Minister’s, by whose grace Dr Chua’s ministerial position depends.
#76 by undergrad2 on Wednesday, 2 January 2008 - 9:24 am
“..admission is now a front page report in our news media and what Dr Chua Soi Lek has done – admitting to the scandal but not tendering his resignation as Minister – is unprecedented..” Jeffrey
It is shocking to say the least. No, I’m not talking about Chua but about our PM. Any PM anywhere would have demanded his Minister’s resignation not ASAP but immediate so as to avoid public outcry! It would have silenced further criticism about his administration. But no this PM would go down in history as the spineless PM ever to have walked the corridors of power!
Nobody listens to him anymore.
#77 by undergrad2 on Wednesday, 2 January 2008 - 9:49 am
“One thing though, we have to admire his (Chua’s) bravery in admitting to the scandal. He may have been a victim of a trap with “political†motives but being able to admit it publicly takes great courage.” kkteokt
How could this man keep a straight face every morning as he walks into his office or convenes meetings or appear at meetings? He has put himself above his party’s interest and that alone would be enough for the others to call for his immediate resignation. The fact that he has not left office is a slap in the face of all decent Malaysians.
What moral courage??
#78 by Jimm on Wednesday, 2 January 2008 - 10:20 am
In political environment, he’s playing his card right.
Look at the rest of BN MPs behavior in Parliament, non of them are even more courage than this guy.
Anyway, a wrong is always a wrong to many.
In BN, it’s your influence with the grassroots that matters.
CSL have been putting back the pressure to his bosses to decide as GE is just around the corner and no one want to lose out here.
As we all know, AAB will grant CSL the benefit of doubt and allow him to continue holding his position until the GE is over and OKT will come out and thank AAB for his wisdom.
Malaysian men that involved in politics are those mean creatures that having the highest ego and their life style are very messy type. That’s why their bosses chosen them to sit in the pack and control them from above.
After all, those above there are more concerned about their wealth than having these MPs working hard for Malaysians.
Accept the only fact in being a MP under BN here.
Happy 2008 to all ..
Smile always in no matter what reason as the days are virtually going to be good as long as we think of good things among those bad ones that clearly been seen through out each day.
Yuor choice matters most here.
#79 by max2811 on Wednesday, 2 January 2008 - 10:37 am
He had oral sex which is illegal. He was caught, that’s his luck. A Minister cannot be known to be immoral. He can do anything he wants behind closed doors but now the doors are opened!
He doesn’t enjoy the respect he has before from his officers. How would the ladies feel in front of him? How would the husbands feel? They’d be afraid if their wives in the same office would be his next ‘personal friend’.
I am waiting for the video to go on youtube. Whether he owns up to his mistake is immaterial. It affects his ability to command and to lead. Resign or get sacked!
#80 by mendela on Wednesday, 2 January 2008 - 11:44 am
The only logical thing CSL needs to do now is to quit minister post immediately.
Almost all past leaders in the world if caught pant down to such large scale would quit immediately.
#81 by oknyua on Wednesday, 2 January 2008 - 11:44 am
“How could this man keep a straight face every morning as he walks into his office or convenes meetings or appear at meetings? He has put himself above his party’s interest and that alone would be enough for the others to call for his immediate resignation. The fact that he has not left office is a slap in the face of all decent Malaysians.” Undergrad2
That bothers me. I can forgive and forget and I won’t hold him as arbitrator of rights or wrongs. A guy falls and he can get up again. Even as a public figure, I don’t expect them to be any better than me.
Yet what he did immediately diluted the person. It wasn’t just on himself. Just look at all the achievements he had and now replay them again after this incidence. Would he have the same credibility? This incidence, would it be far fetched to equate it with the ineffectiveness of MCA? The questionable things done by MCA leadership (eg. North Port) rendered MCA powerless in speaking out.
Yes, it is true, what others, especially in AMNO, did were worse off than his, but this is still not a good reason to do what he did. Of course AAB won’t let him resign because this is an advantage to AMNO. But for him, I am sorry to say this: salvage what credibility MCA has, he must resign.
#82 by dawsheng on Wednesday, 2 January 2008 - 12:57 pm
“How could this man keep a straight face every morning as he walks into his office or convenes meetings or appear at meetings? He has put himself above his party’s interest and that alone would be enough for the others to call for his immediate resignation. The fact that he has not left office is a slap in the face of all decent Malaysians.” Undergrad2
Fully and totally agree with you undergrad2. Abdullah will let MCA deal with Chua, he don’t want to get involved although he wants Chua’s resignation, there’s only one conclusion anyway, Abdullah will sit on this one and let nature takes its course. MCA will have to rename Malaysian Chinese Porn Actors Association (MCPAA) if they let Chua stay. Chua has lost his moral ground to lead the party, he is finished, kaput!
#83 by dawsheng on Wednesday, 2 January 2008 - 1:01 pm
“In political environment, he’s playing his card right.” Jimm
I beg to differ! At the moment, he has no card left to play. He is going through crisis management and coming clean is the least he can do to stop further speculations and rumours, where damages will be beyond repair.
#84 by dawsheng on Wednesday, 2 January 2008 - 1:45 pm
On second thoughts, Chua has been set up, he was hooked and probably being extorted for money, he probably paid but he was still played out anyway, this “lady” is more than just a “personal friend”. Coming clean about it is to kill public’s curiousity from wanting to find out more, at the same time desensationalize the scandal. I can’t help but thinking there are more than meets the eye, in fact I can’t help thinking about it. But one thing for sure, it is an internal job, probably MCA Taikor gangster.
#85 by oknyua on Wednesday, 2 January 2008 - 1:50 pm
“Any PM anywhere would have demanded his Minister’s resignation not ASAP but immediate so as to avoid public outcry!” undergrad2.
I know you are sleeping at this point of time, but seriously do you believe the PM has the moral right to ask for his resignation?
#86 by k1980 on Wednesday, 2 January 2008 - 2:10 pm
Uncle Chua is getting a 5-figure salary from the taxpayers to upgrade the low standard of healthcare in the country. He should be digilently implementing the work entrusted to him, and not sowing his wild oats in some hotel room. If he cannot perform his tasks, it is best for all that he resigns and pass the duties to someone who is more dedicated and hence more entitled to receive the 5-figure pay. The same goes to the pm-int-sec-finance-minister.
#87 by ngahc on Wednesday, 2 January 2008 - 3:49 pm
Bill Clinton had sex scandal, but he performed public duty exceptionally well during 1993-2001. He was up to the job.
#88 by Jeffrey on Wednesday, 2 January 2008 - 4:19 pm
Chua’s situation is not unique : his problem is just that he got caught in the act. Others do it with impunity and act like saints just because they have not got caught yet. This means the offence is not in the doing but in being unfortunate act of being caught.
But surely our criteria of assessment of a public official’s fitness to hold office must rest on surer foundation than merely the vagaries of his fortunes and ebb and tide of luck whether he got caught (sometimes due to entrapment) or not get caught!
At this moment the prevailing sentiment seems to be more against a victim caught in explicit private consensual sexual act inconsistent with his marital position than the dastardly act of entrapment of the perpetrator of the electronic surveillance out to destroy a politician’s career – that we’re prepared to punish the victim of entrapment in reward of the perpetrator, whoever he was. That to me is position of inverse moral standard!
If a minister is not fit to hold high office because he is not faithful to his wife – never mind the wife might have acquiesced with such infidelity beforehand or has forgiven the errant spouse thereafter – if he were to be sacked by this act of marital infidelity alone, then let it be known at the outset that it does not suffice that every minister signs just an Akujanji of his asset : make him also sign a statutory declaration that at the time of appointment to public office or ministerial position that he/she is not having sex with any other person besides his/her spouse and that if at any time after appointment he/she should be found to be committing this marital infidelity to his/her spouse (regardless whether on camera or otherwise) then he/she should forthwith have his pre-signed resignation accepted by the Prime Minister…….Let’s not be hypocritical about the issue. It seems to me that we’re ashamed of the sex act, whatever the circusmtances of its occurrence and no matter what the mitigating circumstances may be, and that for so long as it is made public, we cannot take this shame, and more so for someone who holds high ofice, never mind that he may otherwise be competent and honest in discharge of his public and official duties…..True we’re an Asian country with Asian norms and this kind of behavior cannot be accepted by the public at large but the question here is what is right or wrong based on the objective facts and not just feelings based on our value system.
#89 by Jeffrey on Wednesday, 2 January 2008 - 4:30 pm
Anyway it is all academic now. According to Malaysiakini’s latest report, “embattled MCA vice-president and Health Minister Dr Chua Soi Lek has resigned from all his posts both in the party and the government with immediate effect”…..
#90 by oknyua on Wednesday, 2 January 2008 - 4:31 pm
Jeffrey, it’s out in Star on-line.
#91 by Jeffrey on Wednesday, 2 January 2008 - 4:33 pm
Chua said that he arrived as the decision to resign because “the rakyat wants me to resignâ€.
He said that he was disappointed that the people have adopted a holier-than-thou attitude in this matter.
“I thought that by my admission of my involvement, the people would forgive me. But I thought wrong,†he said.
#92 by Jong on Wednesday, 2 January 2008 - 4:45 pm
Goodbye Chua Soi Lek. I still mantain that you had been one of the best ministers, infact the best MCA ever had. You can put anyone of them around today, in your pocket, easily! Too bad you lost yourself.
My best wishes to you and your wife, may you find comfort in each other in this difficult time and let the past be past.
#93 by max2811 on Wednesday, 2 January 2008 - 4:45 pm
I have always wondered whether the woman in the CD is an MCA member. If I can get it on youtube, maybe I would know. He could also have abused his position on the woman. It happens.
There are women who would do anything to get a post or a contract.
#94 by oknyua on Wednesday, 2 January 2008 - 5:07 pm
Jeffrey, I agree people are judgemental and that would affect his effectiveness. What he did was a poor judgement on the total person. But as I said, MCA is a good party; the previous mistakes of the leaders render it ineffective.
And Jong, yes he was, albeit a few hiccups, a good minister. It is sad he has to go this way. But I don’t blame his enemies within or without MCA; he should know better.
#95 by aiD_kamikuP on Wednesday, 2 January 2008 - 6:53 pm
“He could also have abused his position on the woman” – max2811
Selective words inviting pun. Shouldn’t it be…
“He could also have abused his power to obtain that position on the woman. And it happened”.
#96 by undergrad2 on Wednesday, 2 January 2008 - 8:12 pm
“I know you are sleeping at this point of time, but seriously do you believe the PM has the moral right to ask for his resignation?” oknyua
Thank you for ‘talking’ to me while I was asleep. It is the cold winter night that makes you want to sleep early.
It is not about morals – the PM’s or anybody else’s.
Chua is an elected MP and is appointed by the head of the executive branch to serve as his Minister. He serves at the pleasure of the King. If there is anybody who could force his resignation it is the head of the executive branch who appointed him.
The party to which he belongs and nominated him for the constituency may take disciplinary action – but that is a different matter altogether and could wait.
Once again it has nothing to do with morals, right or wrong and whether a political opponent or a disgruntled employee or party worker or anybody has set him up. Nothing to do with the holier than thou attitude of most if not some.
It is about a politician and a Cabinet Minister having placed himself in a position where there is a conflict of interest, where he cannot be expected to perform the duties he has been appointed to do. It is that simple.
It is shocking that a Cabinet Minister would think he could. It speaks very poorly of the administration.