Elizabeth Wong resigns - right or wrong?

Unfortunately, due to my Tuesday-night deadline, this column will be way out of date by the time you read it. But I could not resist baring my soul on the subject of the circulation of ‘intimate’ images of Selangor executive councillor for Tourism, Consumer and Environment Affairs Elizabeth Wong.

From what I know up to this instant, I think Wong who is also Bukit Lanjan state assemblyperson and Pakatan Rakyat Wanita publicity chief was absolutely right in her assertion that: "The distribution 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."

And I think she is absolutely wrong to offer her resignation, as she revealed that she had done in a press conference at Pakatan’s headquarters in Tropicana, Damansara yesterday.

Why give her would-be personal or political assassins the satisfaction of achieving their sleazy aims? Whatever the possible identity of her betrayer - a disgruntled or jealous former friend or lover, a rival in the ranks of Pakatan or a Barisan Nasional politician or crony peeved by her objections to corrupt hillslope developments - he, she or they should not be allowed to succeed.

God knows Wong has plenty of right-thinking people on her side, judging by these quotes at Malaysiakini and elsewhere.

Teresa Kok, Seputeh member of parliament and Kinrara assemblyperson: "Why should she resign? Our job is to serve the people. It is not similar to the sex scandal involving (former Health Minister Dr) Chua Soi Lek because he is 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."

R Sivarasa, Subang member of parliament: "It is a gross invasion of her privacy. The photos had fallen into the hands of unscrupulous people and they have passed it around. If she has to resign because of this, everything you do in private will become public."

Lau Weng San, Kampung Tunku assemblyperson: "On behalf of Selangor DAP and Selangor state legislative assembly backbenchers club, I would like to condemn such an immoral act which infringes the privacy of a public figure, regardless of any political affiliation. We call on the police to launch a thorough and professional investigation into the matter to determine if there is any political motive."

Titiwangsa parliamentarian Dr Lo'Lo Ghazali described the person who distributed the photographs as being "worse than a prostitute," adding that such "voyeuristic practices" are against the teachings of Islam, especially when carried out with the motive of ruining a person’s credibility".

Give Wong right of hearing

Such outraged reactions, as valid as they are, were predictable from non-Barisan sources. But there were also some right-thinking comments from BN representatives.

Chew Mei Fun, Wanita MCA chief: "Wanita MCA empathises with Wong. We are outraged by such shameful acts of using women as sexual objects - it is an outright invasion of the privacy of women as well as exploitation of women for political use.

"We condemn the actions, firstly because the taking of photographs of body parts without their consent or knowledge is against the law and punishable under the Penal Code (Act 574)."

To me and many others, the most astonishing BN reaction of all was from a man most of us long ago wrote-off as hopelessly and irrationally anti-opposition, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz.

"I sympathise with the exco. This thing should have not happened as she is the people's representative and she had 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 (remain strong) and she will not bother about what has happened."

But if Nazri surprised his critics by getting it right for a change, a high-profile Pakatan figure who also happens to be Wong’s boss seemed to suspect that she may possibly be in the wrong.

Selangor Mentri Besar Khalid Ibrahim told Malaysiakini that the Selangor state government "would look into all aspects of the incident" before making a decision on whether to ask Wong for her resignation.

"Let the police report go through (it) and then we will have our own discussion on the issue. We are open to all possibilities but given the situation, it is best to give the victim the right of hearing and we have to listen to her explanation," Khalid said.

But there was no doubt whatever in the mind of Khalid’s predecessor, former menteri besar Dr Khir Toyo, who of all people had the gall to try and take the moral high ground.

Calling for Wong to "quit as soon as possible", Khir said: "This is a moral issue. Previously, (former health minister and MCA deputy president) Dr Chua Soi Lek had also resigned over a similar incident".

Khir was also quoted in the Malaysian Insider website as saying: "This is about morality...whether the pictures were taken with or without consent is another matter. I cannot accept a lawmaker whose morality is questionable".

To that the Malaysian Insider rightly commented: "This statement is rich coming from Khir. He is the last person in Malaysia who should be pontificating about morality. The state government he led was mired in countless allegations of corruption. The stench of some of those accusations continue to follow him".

In fact, as everybody knows, the stench of the entire BN organisation and all its works has long been utterly unbearable. This latest stink that somebody is trying to stir-up is like the recent ‘coup’ in Perak, another symptom of Barisan’s naked fear that Pakatan is on the right track.

And a sign that, as painfully stripped of her confidence as she must be feeling right now, Wong would be wrong to resign.