Feldgrau.net

LABIS, Jan 1 (Bernama) -- "I am the man in the tape," said Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek, the Health Minister and MCA vice-president, as he admitted to be the person captured on a videotape while engaging in sexual acts with a woman friend.

But despite his admission of guilt over the matter, Dr Chua stressed that he would not resign from his government and party positions.

"I serve at the pleasure of the prime minister," he said. "I will not allow (other) people to jeopardise or obstruct my duties."

Reading from a prepared statement at a press conference at the Labis MCA office here, the minister said he had met Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in Putrajaya yesterday to explain the matter and personally apologise to the prime minister.

Dr Chua, one of the six vice-presidents in the MCA, said he had also met Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting over the matter.

He described the woman involved as a personal friend.

Copies of the pornographic videotape were widely distributed in Johor in DVD format over the last few days.

"What's most important is that my family, wife and children have accepted my apology," he told the packed news conference, which was also attended by his supporters.

He appealed to the press to allow some space for his family to deal with this difficult time.

Stressing that he did not make the recordings himself, Dr Chua said that who were behind it were not important but their reasons for doing it were obvious.

However, he declined to elaborate.

Dr Chua extended his apology to his colleagues, supporters and fellow Malaysians.

"I would also like to thank them for their concern and support through phone calls and SMSes," he said.

When asked by reporters on his next course of action, Dr Chua said he would leave it to the police to investigate.

"I leave it to the police to investigate. I'm considering the possibility of making a police report but the police have started their own investigation," he said.

Dr Chua said he came to know about the recordings on Sunday when a friend gave him a copy of the video disc.

The minister said it would be business as usual for him and he would continue to perform his duties as a Cabinet minister and in the MCA.

Dr Chua, who appeared calm and composed throughout the press conference, attended a function at the Segamat Hospital prior to meeting the media. He then headed for a meeting with the Indian community in Labis. At the end of the news conference, Labis MCA chairman Tan Kok Hong said members of the division would continue to support Dr Chua as Labis Member of Parliament.

"We'll continue to support him as the (Barisan Nasional) candidate for Labis (in the general election)," he said.

Dr Chua, who is also Johor MCA chairman, won the Labis parliamentary seat for the BN in the 2004 general election, beating DAP's Tee Gey Yan by a 10,729-vote majority.

Dr Chua garnered 16,469 votes against Tee's 5,740. The Labis parliamentary seat was previously held by former MCA president Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik.

Sources told Bernama that Dr Chua, who will turn 61 tomorrow, was accompanied by his wife, Datin Seri Wong Sek Hin, when he went to see Abdullah at Seri Perdana yesterday to explain about the DVD.

At the meeting, Dr Chua had admitted he was the person in the DVD, which was recorded two years ago.

Following that meeting, it was decided that the health minister should reveal the matter publicly, the sources said.

Meanwhile, MCA president Ong, when contacted, said the party would call for an emergency presidential meeting tomorrow afternoon as it was an important matter for the party leadership to discuss after having taken note of Dr Chua's statement.

He said MCA would give an official party statement after tomorrow's meeting.

-- BERNAMA

Marc Binazzi wrote:Is the biggest city in the world what we call in French "Kuala l'Impure"?

Opa wrote:Dey are 2 consenting adults. What is the problem? I live in the USA and am so tired of seeing my world, and now other countries, being raped into accepting puritan @#% standards.