Was it the figment of an over-fertile imagination on the media's part or did another politician become embroiled in a sex scandal?

Going by the text message sent via the short messaging system throughout the country, the latter seemed possible.

wee ka siong mca putrajaya pc 310708 04Even the person implicated in the poison SMS, Dr Wee Ka Siong, had to admit to the cleverness of the message.

Pointing to the message in his phone, Wee said: "See? The message is actually very clever. It doesn't mention sex but by using the name Dr Chua, everyone thinks it's a sex scandal.

"But you (the media) should not be too imaginative. After all, the message did not mention sex or Dr Chua Soi Lek. And it could have been any Dr Chua.

"So, how did you come to the conclusion that it was a sex scandal?" he asked.

Wee, who is also the deputy minister of education, called an emergency press conference today to clarify reports that he would quit as a result of a sex scandal.

The message, which first emerged during the MCA nominations last week 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."

As a result of the SMS, several newspapers today reported that the MCA Youth secretary-general might quit all his positions because of an impending sex scandal, just like former MCA deputy president Chua.

The former health minister quit all his positions in MCA and the government on Jan 2 after admitting to being in a sex scandal which was featured in a video recording.

‘I am not afraid of this person'

Brandishing a stack of notes, Wee said the SMS was an attempt to tarnish his image and only emerged after party nominations.

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

The deputy minister also said he knew the person behind the SMS and lodged a police report last week.

However, he denied claims that the matter was caused by a sex scandal.

"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.

"In fact, this case has nothing to do with sex. In 2002, MCA Public Services and Complaints Department chief Michael Chong and I helped a student from China.

"The student and her parents were allegedly cheated of RM100,000," said Wee.

Wee and Chong helped the student by highlighting her plight in a press conference and even got some leeway for her parents when their visas expired.

"Because of this, the SMS sender is angry with me and he has done this. This person has also lodged police reports against me and Chong," Wee added.

Nevertheless, the deputy minister said he will stand strong and may even consider legal action against the sender.

Meanwhile, he advised the media not to jump to conclusions whenever sex and politicians are put together.