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news without borders
Zambry appears
Cops quiz newsmen
before state panel
IPOH: Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Dr Zambry Abdul
Kadir yesterday appeared before the state as-
sembly’s Rights and Privileges Committee regard-
over Wong’s pictures
ing his statement on Speaker V. Sivakumar. Also
called before the committee were two reporters
from the The Star and Sin Chew Daily.
Met later, Zambry told reporters his presence
was out of respect for the speaker and the com-
mittee which called him to provide information.
“I came because I respect the speaker ... we
follow laws and regulations.”
Sivakumar said the committee called them to
give statements for the purpose of gathering infor-
mation and to investigate a statement of Zambry’s
that appeared in newspapers yesterday.
In the reports yesterday, Zambry described
as “strange” the summons on him and six state
executive councillors to appear before the com-
mittee as usually such action is only taken on
those who have committed an offence while the
state assembly was in session.
They were referred to the committee for
contempt of the assembly when taking the oath
of office on Feb 10. – Bernama
by Charles Ramendran
Wong (left) being
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
comforted by her
PKR colleagues
PETALING JAYA: Police have
after her press
taken statements from four journal-
conference
ists from two English newspapers,
yesterday
including theSun, which first car-
ried the report on the circulation
of partially nude photos of Bukit
Lanjan assemblywoman Elizabeth
Wong.
Two senior editorial personnel
from The Malay Mail were inter-
viewed at the Petaling Jaya district
headquarters at about 10.15pm on
Monday. theSun’s editor (special
reporting and investigation) R.
‘My personal life and privacy
have been violated’
» From Front Page
the press conference shouted: “Why
resign when you have done no
wrong?”
Party officials had to calm them
down.
Wong had earlier described the
events, which saw her receiving
front-page coverage in newspapers,
as an”insidious and underhanded”
attempt by certain quarters to smear
her reputation
“My personal life and privacy
have been violated,” she said.
“I have done nothing wrong. 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 democracy that everyone has a
right to privacy.”
She said she made her stand as
she did not want political manipula-
tion of her situation.
“If I have let anyone down or
offended anyone, I offer my sincere
apologies,” she said.
She was later presented with
flowers and gifts from her support-
ers.
Her exco colleagues Dr Xavier
Jeyakumar and Teresa Kok, who
were present, urged her to recon-
sider her decision.
If Wong’s offer is accepted by the
Nadeswaran and
deputy editor Ter-
ence Fernandez
had their state-
ments recorded
for an hour at
11am yesterday
at theSun’s office
here.
Selangor
police chief DCP
Datuk Khalid
Abu Bakar said
police have
obtained a CD
containing
two photos of
the assembly-
woman from
the Malay Mail
journalists.
He said the
case is being
investigated
under the
offence
distribution of
pornographic
material.
Asked by
a reporter to
describe the photo-
graphs, he declined to comment on
that out of respect for Wong’s situ-
ation.
“I cannot reveal who gave the
photos to the journalists as that’s part
of our probe. We are investigating the
case from all aspects and all those
relevant to it will be interviewed,”
he said.
Police also interviewed Wong
at her lawyer’s office yesterday
evening.
It had been reported that the
photographs were probably taken
with a handphone camera at Wong’s
home, and that she was asleep at the
time.
party leadership, Bukit Lanjan will
see a by-election.
In the March 2008 general elec-
tion, first-timer Wong defeated
incumbent Yong Dai Ying, of Ger-
akan, by a majority of 5,155 after
garnering 12,125 votes.
Opposition Leader Datuk Seri
Anwar Ibrahim advised Wong to
take a long leave and rethink her
options, and said PKR would defend
her.
He told a press conference at
the parliament lobby he had also
discussed the matter with the Paka-
tan Rakyat leadership on Monday
night.
“She is a responsible leader and
she has been with the party since its
inception. We admire her courage
and resilience and I acknowledge
the fact that when she made a deci-
sion, she had taken consideration to
defend the image of the party,” he
said.
On whether her resignation will
be accepted, Anwar said: “I have
read Wong’s statement and the deci-
sion will be left to the PKR but I am
not suggesting what our decision is
going to be, we will have to discuss
with her.”
Asked if it was the end of Wong’s
political career, he said: “I do not
think so. She is a tough lady and she
will withstand”.
theSun | WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 18 2009
briefs
Soi Lek: Wong did the
right thing to resign
KUALA LUMPUR: Bukit Lanjan state
assemblywoman Elizabeth Wong
has done the right thing by offering
her resignation following her nude
photographs controversy, MCA
deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Chua
Soi Lek said.
The former health minister said
he could understand what Wong had
gone through in the last 48 hours,
adding that she must remain strong.
“I can only say that she has my
sympathy and support. I feel that
she has done the right thing by of-
fering to resign as an exco member
and state representative and I fully
agree that everyone has the right to
privacy.
“Elizabeth Wong must stay strong
and be brave to face the storm. This
is not the end of the world,” he said in
a statement posted on his blog www.
drchua9.blogspot.com, yesterday.
“Finally, it’s your determination,
honesty and hard work that will earn
you understanding, support and rec-
ognition,” he added.
Chua himself had resigned from
all his government and political posi-
tions after he admitted to being the
man videotaped in a sexual act that
was being circulated in Johor in late
2007.
He managed to make a political
comeback during the party election in
October last year after being elected
as party deputy president. – Bernama
of
Lian Hoe: She need
not resign
PETALING JAYA: Wanita Gerakan
Chief Datuk Tan Lian Hoe says
embattled PKR Bukit Lanjan as-
semblywoman Elizabeth Wong
need not resign from any post.
Instead, Tan urged the police to
quickly and thoroughly investigate
this matter and bring to book the
culprit or culprits reponsible for
violating her privacy.
“I believe that decisive action
by the police will deter future inci-
dents and protect all Malaysians,
especially women, from such an
invasion of their privacy,” she
said in a statement in response
to Wong’s offer to quit as assem-
blywoman and a Selangor state
executive councillor.
Tan also cautioned all women
to be careful and to be constantly
vigilant against unscrupulous
people who will stop at nothing
to disrupt the image of any indi-
vidual, when they so wished.
“Such illegal methods must not
be employed by anyone seeking
to discredit any politician. The
focus should be on the political
position and service performance
record of a politician and not what
they do in their private life, unless
it is illegal or interferes with their
public life,” said Tan.
Husam: Act of a highly
principled person
KOTA BARU: PAS believes that the
offer by Elizabeth Wong to resign
from her post as Selangor state
executive councillor and vacating
the Bukit Lanjan state seat following
the posting of her nude photograph
on the Internet as an act of a highly
principled person.
PAS vice-president Datuk Husam
Musa said it was also a moral act by
Wong after her integrity was tainted
by the posting of the photograph.
“Pakatan Rakyat has its own
moral standard which must be ad-
hered to and I consider the move by
the Bukit Lanjan assemblywoman as
a principled and moral act,” he told
reporters at his office, yesterday.
Asked whether the issue would
affect PAS and the coalition between
the party, DAP and Parti Keadilan
Rakyat (PKR), Husam said it would
have no effect at all on the coalition
as what transpired was something
unexpected. – Bernama