Elizabeth didn’t do anything wrong, punish the peeping-toms not her

By Wong Choon Mei, Suara keADILan

Civil society groups and coalition colleagues stood by 37-year old Elizabeth Wong, the Selangor assemblywoman who was photographed nude while sleeping in her own home, and the photographs circulated around town.

Already Umno Youth aspirant Mohd Khir Toyo is calling on her to resign. However, others said there was no such need as it was clear she had done no wrong.

“Why should she resign, why is it unmoral?” said Ramon Navaratnam, president of Transparency International Malaysia.

“It’s the peeping toms with disgusting principles of their own who should quit. They should not be allowed to waste our time over such frivolous issues, when the whole economy is sinking like a stone.”

Said Ragunath Kesavan, vice-president of the Bar Council: “I do not see what scandal there is in a woman who was being photographed without her permission. A scandal implies that wrongs have been done. The only wrong that has been done here is the breach of her privacy.”

Ploy to destabilise Pakatan-run states

Meanwhile, coalition colleague Teresa Kok, also a Selangor assemblywoman and state exco, condemned the ruse as a deliberate ploy to destabilise the Pakatan Rakyat-governed states.

“Definitely each and every exco is going to be targeted and it is just a matter of who is next,” Teresa said. “Why should she resign? Our job is to serve the people.”

“It is not similar to the sex scandal involving former Health Minister Chua Soi Lek because he was a married man and he was engaged in something that was morally wrong. Wong is still single and this incident happened in her private life and in her private home. She did not steal another person’s husband or anything of that sort.”

Teresea also cited as examples her own Internal Security Act detention last year and last month’s accusation that Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim had used state funds to donate 46 cows to his constituents. Fellow exco members Ronnie Liu and Halimah Ali have also been accused of obstructing the police and committing khalwat respectively.

Teresa was backed by another Pakatan woman leader, Lo’ Lo Ghazali, the PAS MP for Titiwangsa.

“Whose photographs would be circulated after this? It is as if these people who circulate such photographs have nothing better to do,” said Lo’ Lo..

Other Pakatan leaders also slammed the circulation of the nude pictures on the Umno-BN media, calling it a dastardly act.

“It is a gross invasion of privacy,” said KeADILan vice president Sivarasa Rasiah, adding that Elizabeth was a single woman and the pictures were taken in the sanctity of her home.

Good worker and popular with her constituents

Her boss, Khalid himself, said that there was no reason to sack Elizabeth, who was good at her work and popular with her constituents.“Someone is trying to frame her,” said Khalid.

Elizabeth issued a press statement on the matter this afternoon (appended below).

“She may want to clear the air, but there is no reason nor need for her to defend herself. This is her private life and she has not done anything wrong,” said KeADILan information chief Tian Chua.

“Furthermore, it will only encourage the culprits to keep at this game, and there will be no end to it. It is a sheer waste of our time. The police must try to catch the culprits rather try to insinuate wrongdoing on the part of the victim.”

The likeable Elizabeth also found unlikely sympathisers in Deputy Human Resources Minister Noraini Ahmad and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nazri Abdul Aziz.

Said Noraini: “Regardless of who, we have to have respect their privacy and it has to be protected. We should also educate society to refrain from invading people’s privacy.”

Said Nazri: “I sympathise with the executive councilor. This thing should have not happened as she is the people’s representative and she has been performing her duties.

“Therefore, to foil what she has done for the community in this manner is not good. But I hope her spirits stay strong and she will not bother about what has happened.”

Below is Elizabeth Wong’s press statement in full:

I was informed on Friday, Feb 13, 2009 by journalists from the Malay Mail that they have in their possession intimate photos of myself and that the newspaper will be publishing a story about these photographs.

I was told that some people are trying to distribute photos/videos showing me asleep in partial nudity and also in intimate positions.

The distribution and publication of these photos/video is a malicious attack on my personality. This constitutes a gross outrage on my modesty, a gross invasion of my privacy, and in particular the sanctity of my personal life. It is being done by unscrupulous persons to embarrass and discredit me.

I am a victim in this incident.

I have yesterday lodged a police report in relation to this matter and I will fully cooperate with the police in their investigation. I will therefore not speculate publicly about those responsible for this gross invasion of my privacy.

I have received a lot of support from my supporters, friends, colleagues and members of my constituency. I wish to thank them for their concern, support and encouragement.

My family members are standing behind me. I would like to appeal to the media to give me and my family members some breathing space in this trying time so that I can weather this huge challenge.

I will in the meantime continue to carry out my task of serving the people of Selangor faithfully.

Elizabeth Wong
Bukit Lanjan assemblywoman
Exco for Tourism, Environment and Consumer Affairs