These past two months have been more than an traumatic ordeal, one which I would never wish for any citizen to have to suffer through.

I have been stripped bare publicly – both figuratively and literally – by force and against my will. My personal life has been violated and assaulted by none other than criminals. Even up to this evening, I continue to receive threats from unknown persons.

This is not a scandal, as some have suggested, but a clear criminal act. This is no less a form of criminal intimidation, a form of political violence, and one which, if I chose to retreat into silence, would in turn affect women, especially women politicians.

Gutter politics is not and should not be part of our political culture. For those who depend on exploiting and supporting such criminal acts, is an indication of the kind of politicians and persons they are.

I stand for a person’s right to privacy. I stand for ‘New Politics’ – a politics that encourages intellectual discourses, reasoned polemics and ideological debates, not one which resorts to gutter-level politicking to smear, to slander and to violate one’s privacy in order to score political points.

This is the hardest decision that I have to make in my life and it is with the greatest humility that I accept the Selangor state’s offer to remain in office.

I wish to thank Menteri Besar and the Selangor Exco, my staff, my fellow ADUNs, fellow politicians from Pakatan Rakyat and Barisan Nasional, PKR leaders, the Women’s wing of PKR and the grassroots for their support and guidance. I wish to thank my lawyer Derek Fernandez for his legal counsel and unwavering belief in me.

Respectfully, I wish to thank HRH the Sultan of Selangor for his guidance.

I am humbled by the encouragement and support from the media, my family and friends, the NGOs, the tens of thousands of people who signed petitions on my behalf and who wrote to me, and especially my constituents who stood by me in these trying times.

I also wish to thank the Police for their professionalism in addressing the issue at hand and I look forward to them apprehending and charging the criminals soonest.

My only wish is to serve my constituents and the state to the best of my abilities and with the help and cooperation of the people, to make this state and this country a better place for all. The struggle continues, and our work has only just begun.

Elizabeth Wong

ADUN BUKIT LANJAN

EXCO for Tourism, Consumer Affairs and the Environment