Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Text messages link MCA's Wee in 'sex scandal'

Text messages link MCA's Wee in 'sex scandal'

Thu, Jul 31, 2008
The New Straits Times

JOHOR BARU, MALAYSIA: Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong is being dragged into a "sex scandal".

He is alleged to have been involved with a student from China whom he helped to settle a problem several years ago.

Text messages via the short messaging system (SMS) have been circulating over more than a week, predicting that Wee would be forced to resign his government and MCA posts under the same circumstances which forced out former health minister Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek.

Dr Chua gave up all his posts early this year when a VCD of him having sex with a woman in a hotel surfaced.

Wee, who is the MCA Youth secretary-general, lodged a report at the Central police station on Friday, after learning that the text messages had been circulating since July 22.
One of the messages read: "To whom it may concern: Countdown 90 days. Dr Wee Ka Siong will resign from all the posts by 20 Oct 2008 just as Dr Chua."

Wee said the text message was a clear attempt to tarnish his image, and was initiated to coincide with the run-up to the MCA's divisional elections last week.

Wee, who won the Johor Baru MCA division chief post uncontested on Sunday, is now eyeing either the Youth chief post or even a vice-president's post in MCA.

He claimed he knew the person who initiated the circulation of the text message.

"I am not afraid of this person who is clearly out to tarnish my image. There has been some bad blood between this person and me since my days as chief of the Johor Baru MCA public complaints bureau."

Wee said Datuk Michael Chong, head of the MCA Public Services and Complaints Department, had in 2002 asked him to help a student from China who had allegedly been swindled of RM100,000.

She had given the man the money to help her further her studies here.

"I organised a press conference on behalf of the student and I believe this person has been nursing a grudge against me since that incident."

He added that the person who initiated the "vicious SMS" had also lodged a police report against him and Chong alleging defamation after the media had highlighted the case.

"Let it be known to the public as I am sure of my innocence."

When contacted, Chong said he remembered the case.

He said the man, posing as a Mara education agent, duped the girl into paying RM100,000 to study in a college in Johor.

"The girl came to Malaysia, only to find that her offer letter turned out to be a fake," he said.

Chong said the case was forwarded to Wee because he was the party's Education Bureau chief and also in charge of public complaints in Johor.

"As far as I remember, the case was settled and the girl returned safely to China with some compensation," he said.

Johor Baru district police chief ACP Zainuddin Yaacob confirmed the police report but declined to disclose the details of the investigations.

It was learnt that police had recorded the statement of the person who Wee alleged is the one who started the text message. He is believed to be the founder and chief executive of a Chinese education group based here.

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