Early yesterday I received a sms from YB Zuraidah, MP for Ampang, who asked me to attend a press conference on Elizabeth Wong at PKR HQ at 10.30am.
When I arrived at PKR HQ and met with Sivarasa and Zuraidah before the press conference, I found out that Eli wanted to resign as Selangor State Exco member and state assemblywoman. I was very shocked to hear that.
When Eli entered the meeting room, she looked calm but pale. She hugged a few of us. I felt so sad to see her trying very hard to appear steady and calm. I felt like crying but I myself.
Sivarasa then spoke to her softly and reminded her to just read her statement. We also decided that she would take no questions from the media.
After we went in, she did as planned. After that each and everyone of us who were present there said our piece.
I said that what happened to Eli Wong can happen to any woman elected representative of Pakatan Rakyat. From the statements made by certain UMNO leaders and certain BN controlled media, it is clear that the incident is politically motivated. I slammed our political enemies for practising this kind of low class gutter politics. I then praised Eli Wong as a dedicated and excellent State Exco member. I urged her to reconsider her decision to quit.
My remarks won applause from the supporters who were standing at the other end of the conference room holding supportive placards.
Eli’s supporters pleads with her to stay.
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Please sign an online petition for Eli
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2009/02/18
Victim of naked politics or…?
By : Minderjeet Kaur, NST.
Bukit Lanjan State assemblywoman Elizabeth Wong breaks down while announcing her decision to resign at a press conference yesterday.
THERE has been an outpouring of sympathy for Selangor executive councillor Elizabeth Wong over the nude pictures scandal. Wong offered her resignation yesterday, a decision many feel was the honourable thing to do.
A tearful Wong said: “I have received overwhelming support from my family and constituents. But in the interests of my party, I have decided to offer my resignation as exco member and assemblywoman for Bukit Lanjan.
“My personal life and privacy have been violated. And while the smear campaign is directed at me, I’m aware that the real objective is to discredit my party. 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. I stand by the fundamental principle in a democracy that everyone has a right to privacy.”
Is she a victim of naked politics, a vengeful boyfriend or her
own folly? A woman defiled or a woman exploited?
Dozens of flowers at Elizabeth Wong’s office at the State Secretariat building in Shah Alam yesterday after news of her offer to resign spread. Most had messages offering her support and their sympathies.
Is peeking through keyholes into the private lives of politicians going to become the norm? Do the people really care?
Is Wong the one laid bare or is it Malaysian politics that has been stripped naked? The consensus is that Malaysian politics has become a huge game of distractions played by people who are essentially all like each other.
And many have expressed disgust over it all, saying the focus should be more on the economy than on the salacious and the petty…
HER announcement did not come as a shock, but tears still flowed freely at Elizabeth Wong’s press conference yesterday.
It was tears of resignation as many there believed that although Wong offered to quit as Bukit Lanjan state assemblywoman and Selangor state executive councillor, it was already a done deal.
There was no turning back for Wong whose political life went into free fall after pictures of her in her bedroom surfaced late last week.
The news of her offer to resign from both positions was already in the air when the 37-year-old Wong, who is single, turned up at Parti Keadilan Rakyat headquarters in Tropicana.
Accompanied by PKR vice-president Sivarasa Rasiah and DAP national secretary Teresa Kok, Wong initially appeared calm, but broke down as soon as she announced her offer to resign.
That set off the others, the women folk openly cried while the men urged her to “fight back”.
“I will discuss with Selangor Menteri Besar to arrange for a proper handover of my responsibilities,” she cried.
She then, in a stern voice, boomed: “I have done no 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. I stand by the fundamental principle in a democracy that everyone has a right to privacy.”
At this, some of the supporters raised their voices: “Do not give in. You have done no wrong. Why are you quitting?”
Wong did not answer. She did not take any questions from members of the press and continued reading from a statement.
She said the events of the past few days had shown an insidious and underhanded method by certain quarters to smear her reputation.
“My personal life and privacy have been violated. The smear campaign directed towards me has caused me a lot of anguish, I am aware the real objective is to discredit the party. I believe these attacks will continue with greater intensity.”
She believed there were people out there who would manipulate the situation.
“This is gutter politics and I have to rise above it,” Wong said.
At this point, her supporters brought out placards stating: “We support you forever. Fight the enemy.”
Apologising to her supporters, she ended the press conference abruptly.
Sivarasa then chipped in, saying: “It must have been a very difficult decision. We respect her decision and will continue to give her our support.” He, too, termed the entire episode as “nothing more than gutter politics”.
PKR Wanita chief Zuraidah Kamaruddin said the party would not allow the matter to rest and would pursue the culprits while Kok hoped Wong would change her mind.
To date, only two pictures, both showing her partially covered in a sarung, asleep in her bedroom, have surfaced. There have been reports that there are more photographs with even a video recording.
Party insiders said: “In the end, Wong paid more attention on the issue of morality rather than on her argument of gross intrusion of her privacy.”
I have written a lot about our beloved YB Eli elsewhere …..
but what piss me off was today I came across a copy of Kosmo! translating Eli’s statement “I am not ashamed of my sexuality as a woman and a single person” as simply “saya tak malu”
Gutter low class translation, as if Eli is recalcitrant
The correct translation to reflect her thinking should be “saya tidak rasa malu terhadap perasaan seksual semulajadi saya sebagai seorang wanita bujang”
Eli is basically echoing what thousands of column inches in those female lifestyle magazine that was bombarding our news stands and I am sure such matured & comfortable acceptance of one’s natural disposition is shared by great many of our women.
I hope she does not give in. If being victimized in such a way can be an archillis heel for PR and for BN to exploit during election campaigns? How come single woman + sex always = immoral? Please be fair, guys are studs and girls are sluts? How many that would snigger at her surf porn in the net?
MCA leadership who pledged “dare to anger and dare to speak out” is strangely subdued. If BN were to harp on Eli during any campaigning, then it might invite resentment not unlike Anwar scenario during Permatang Pauh campaign … but who has the pulse on the swing of mood of the Malay heartland?
The sacred vote of the rakyat been violated as much as Eli’s privacy as our chosen representatives have been threatened, detained, enticed, coerced, shamed and resulting in reversal of the rakyat’s decision.
Eli should not resign. Possibly this is one of the BN political bums doings recently. That despicable, racialistic, “pendatang” KT has opened his foul stinking mouth to ask Eli to resign. In fact, he should be the one to resign from all current positions and go back to Indonesia.
What happened to all the suits on this bum especially the ones raised by your goodself?
We must whacked this “pendatang” that he has no time to do more despicable acts. A damn sore loser.
Here is another example that our “highly efficient” retarded bums in MACC closed their eyes.
They dare not touch their Umno masters.
As for Eli, I know she will be back and work for the rakyat again.
PKR must move on.