Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang today asked if MCA vice-president and Health Minister Chua Soi Lek was a victim of double betrayal which resulted in the latter to relinquish all his posts with immediate effect.

“Many questions surround the sudden demise of Chua as the fastest-rising star in recent MCA history, as he appeared to be quite unstoppable until he captures the top prize in the MCA as its president despite many powerful obstacles in his path,” said Lim in a statement today.

However he said that two immediate issues arise on the swift manner of Chua’s departure from the political scene, prompting questions if Chua had been the victim of a double betrayal.

“The first betrayal was the very orchestrated and professional manner in the surfacing of the video DVD. Who was behind it? All fingers point to his political enemies from within the MCA,” said Lim.

“The second betrayal was whether he had been misled into believing that his admission in his Labis statement would suffice, and he could continue to keep his government and party posts, when in fact, his Labis statement would be the basis to force him to relinquish his government and party posts – as has now happened,” added the DAP supremo.

These questions would dominate any debate or discussion of the sudden demise of Chua in the annals of Malaysian politics, added Lim.

In announcing his resignation today, Chua expressed disappointment that his decision to come clean with the scandal failed to save his political career.

“I thought that by my admission, the people would forgive my weaknesses, but I thought wrong. This shows that honesty does not always pay, (but) it is up to the public to judge me,” he said.

Not a surprise

Yesterday Chua held a press conference in Labis admitting to be the person caught in a video recording of having sexual acts with an unidentified woman. The video recording was distributed widely by unknown persons in Johor.

Chua said that the woman was a personal friend and sought a public apology over his acts. He also said that he had no intentions of quitting his government and party posts.

Lim said that Chua’s resignation today - merely 24 hours after standing his ground to remain in posts - had not come as a surprise to astute political observers.

“This is because after Chua’s Labis statement admitting that he was the man in the sex DVD, he had unleashed political forces in the MCA and Umno which have made it completely untenable for him to retain his government and party posts,” said Lim.