A prominent Malaysian opposition politician has resigned after photographs of her sleeping naked were circulated to the public by mobile phone, an embarrassing disclosure that she condemned as a plot to discredit her party
A prominent Malaysian opposition politician has resigned after photographs of her sleeping naked were circulated to the public by mobile phone, an embarrassing disclosure that she condemned as a plot to discredit her party.
ADVERTISEMENT
The People's Justice Party is to decide later whether to accept Elizabeth Wong's (37) resignation.
It is the latest incident in Malaysian politics to intrude into the private lives of politicians, most of who have been opposition figures.
The government has denied a role in the scandals, including Wong's pictures.
In an emotionalu00a0press conference, Wong, a well-known human rights activist, did not deny that the pictures in question were of her. She said it was "an insidious and underhanded attempt" to smear her reputation, adding that "the real objective is to discredit the party".
"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," she said, her eyes brimming with tears.
"In the interest of my party I have decided to offer my resignation," said Wong.
News reports said the photos were believed to have been taken by her ex-boyfriend without her knowledge in her home last year.
She filed a police complaint on Sunday after being informed that a newspaper had received the photographs from unidentified sources.