Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Wong quits with tears


Selangor executive councillor and Bukit Lanjan assemblywoman Elizabeth Wong broke down in tears as she announced her resignation from both posts today following the circulation of her nude photographs.

“I have received overwhelming support from family and my constituents but in the interest of my party, I have decided to offer my resignation as exco member and State Assemblyman for Bukit Lanjan,” she said while trying to contained her tears.

She said the event of the last two days have shown an insidious and underhanded attempt by certain quarters to smear her reputation.

“My personal life and privacy has been violated.”

However, Wong who was speaking at the PKR Headquarters in Tropicana here said that while the smear campaign was directed towards her, she was aware that the real objective was to discredit her party.

“I wish to state that I am not ashamed of my sexuality as a woman and as a single person. I have broken no law. I stand by the fundamental principle in a democracy that everyone has a right to privacy”

She said PKR stands for “New Politics” that holds justice and human rights as core values which transcends gender, ethnicity and class.

“New politics also means we rise above gutter politics.” she said

Wong said she believed the attacks will continue with greater intensity and did not have any doubt that UMNO and Barisan Nasional (BN) will continue to manipulate the situation.

Wong said she will arrange a proper handover of her responsibilities to Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim whom she thanked for his unwavering support.

Dozens of her supporters who attended the press conference carried banners, cards and flowers, urging her to reconsider.

Her fellow executive council members Teresa Kok and Xavier Jeyakumar also called on her not to resign during the press conference.

Kok said each council member has had to face this sort of personal attacks and this was Wong’s turn. “This can happen to anyone of us.”

PKR vice-president Sivarasa Rasiah said the move to discredit Wong was politically motivated and called on Malaysians to reject what he described as gutter politics.

He said he hopes the police will bring the culprits to task.

PKR Wanita chief Zuraidah Kamaruddin said the party will not let the matter rest and will pursue the culprits.

Meanwhile party sources told The Malaysian Insider that Wong fate is still being decided by the party leadership, who are considering whether to accept her resignation.

The human rights activist and environmentalist will be the third politician in recent history to quit posts due to such photographs or video. The first was then deputy speaker of parliament D.P. Vijandran in 1989 who quit after pornographic tapes featuring him surfaced. Last year, Health Minister Datuk Seri Chua Soi Lek resigned on New Year’s Day under similar circumstances.

If her resignation is accepted, it will lead to a by-election in Bukit Lanjan.

The Election Commission has already fixed April 7 for by-elections in the Bukit Gantang parliamentary seat in Perak and Bukit Selambau state seat in Kedah. The nomination day for both is March 29.



(八打靈再也17日訊)疑睡覺時被偷拍裸照和短片的黃潔冰,今日宣佈辭去武吉蘭樟州議員兼雪州行政議員職。

她于今早11時許,在人民公正黨總部召開記者會,如此宣佈。

公正黨領導層,包括該黨實權領袖拿督斯里安華和雪州州務大臣丹斯里卡立,目前正召開緊急會議,討論是否接受黃潔冰辭職,預料該黨今午會針對此事作出宣佈。

這也意味,繼霹靂州武吉干當國會議席,以及吉打州武吉士南卯州議席之後,雪蘭莪州的武吉蘭樟州議席也或將舉行補選,成為自去年308大選之後的第5場補選。

據了解,黃潔冰昨晚經過與公正黨高層領袖,包括拿督斯里安華的長談後,毅然決定採取“犧牲小我、顧全大局”的做法。

黃潔冰也希望,她的辭職有助結束這一波或許會大大影響民聯形象,以及雪州民聯州政府的政治風暴。

據悉,此舉也旨在避免裸照風波在霹州和吉州的兩場補選中,被政敵利用來炒作,影響民聯的勝算。

據悉,民聯內部一些領袖擔心,含有不良動機者或會繼續流傳更多關于黃潔冰的裸照甚至性愛短片。

他們認為,若風波進一步擴大,除了再次抹黑黃潔冰的個人形象外,也可能造成民聯三黨之間針對議員私德問題產生不必要的爭議,使到風暴難以收拾。

No comments: