Former health minister Dr Chua Soi Lek has accused his political rivals of wanting to see him “completely destroyed” even though he has quit all posts after being embroiled in a sex scandal.

“I have been stripped bare of everything, but they (detractors) want to see me completely destroyed,” he told Malaysiakini when contacted today.

Chua resigned from all government and party posts on Wednesday after a tape showing him of having sex with an unidentified woman was secretly released and circulated in several parts of his home state in southern Johor.

Prior to his resignation, he was the MCA vice-president, Labis MP, Johor MCA liaison chief and Batu Pahat MCA division chief. The 61-year-old medical doctor, married with three children, described the woman as a “personal friend”.

He did not elaborate on his remark today as he declined making further media comment.

“I’m not meeting the press today, let things cool down first. I have been interviewed by too many media lately and (detractors) said I kept talking to the media as if I was very proud,” said Chua over the phone.

Last trip to ministry

The former minister, who turned up at the Health Ministry this morning for the last time to pack up his belongings, disappointed the media by not meeting them.

He gave the group of journalists waiting at the ministry’s lobby a slip when he chose to use a staff entrance which brought him directly to his office located at the 13rd floor of the building.

The media only came to know of his presence in the building at about 12pm when a correspondent from foreign news agency Bloomberg announced that he had just done an interview with Chua.

Half an hour later, Chua’s aide Ngoo Yee Jin (right) came down to the lobby to inform the journalists that the ex-minister would not meet the media today.

“He has a lot of officers to see and a lot of things to clear. Today is his last day in office,” she explained.

His evasiveness today was a departure from his willingness to entertain media questions at length in the past three days since he admitted to being the man in the sex tape.

Deputy Health Minister Dr Abdul Latiff Ahmad and the ministry’s parliamentary secretary Lee Kah Choon had also met Chua briefly this morning.

Approached for comment, Abdul Latiff said he was sad over Chua’s departure and said that the Johor politician has been a “good boss”.

“(But) nobody is indispensable and the work has to go on,” the deputy minister said.

Asked on whether the ministry will hold an official farewell for Chua, Abdul Latiff (right) said he will leave the decision to his new boss.

This afternoon Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had appointed MCA president and housing and local government minister Ong Ka Ting as the acting health minister.

Political conspiracy?

Chua announced two days ago that he was resigning from all party and government posts, effective immediately, after having admitted to being the man in the tape a day before.

Several political conspiracy theories have surfaced since then over the appearance of the sex video, including that it was a successful attempt to kill his political career.

Chua, who enjoys staunch supports in Johor, was said to have fallen out with MCA president Ong last year but both have denied the speculation.

The scandal is the latest in a series of problems facing Abdullah’s government ahead of elections which he is expected to call this year.