Not only will Umno not apologize, MCA joins the Anya 'molest' fray

Taking the cue from Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, MCA deputy president Liow Tiong Lai has rushed to join the fray in defending Umno and attacking DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng over the latest sex scandal concocted by the BN.

“His family have my sympathy but Guan Eng, Lim Kit Siang and DAP is seen as trying to politicize the issue. Do not blame Barisan Nasional (BN) because it was not BN who did it. It was a blogger. Why blame it on BN?" Liow, who is also the Health minister, told reporters.

The MCA leader, who was recently caught in a lie over the Tung Shin hospital tear-gas fiasco, was immediately slammed by Pakatan Rakyat leaders, who pointed out that one of the initiators of the rumors against Guan Eng's 16-year-old son was Bukit Gelugor Umno division chief Novandri Hasan.

"Umno doesn't have the class to apologize. They are getting their stooges to come out and speak on their behalf now. As for Liow, he must be feeling giddy. Is he trying to say Novandri is not Umno or that Umno is not BN. The lies that BN now dares to tell the people through their media is out of control," PKR vice president Tian Chua toldMalaysia Chronicle.

No class, Umno

Over the weekend, Muhyiddin, who is the Education minister had shocked the nation by taking the sides of the Umno blogs, including one that was run Novandri Hasan. The Umno blogs, which have been trying to rock Guan Eng's state administration since Pakatan won control of the state in 2008, had accused the Penang Chief Minister's teenage son of molesting UK chess champion Anya Corke.

So far, Anya, the principal of the Heng Yee school that Guan Eng's son had attended and the Penang Education Director have all denied any molest took place.

A distressed Anya had lambasted the Umno blogs and sent her sympathies to the boy "who was defamed by these baseless allegations". I have never met or even heard of any of the people involved. I have never been physically assaulted in any way. I have never been victimised in any way by this boy or his family," Anya said in her statement issued last week.

Calls grow for an apology

Calls grew for Umno to apologize, resulting in Muhyiddin making his gaffe, which is bound to further erode his credibility as a suitable national leader with sufficient calibre to lead Malaysia.

Said DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang in statement: "I am indeed shocked and outraged by Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin's statement yesterday that Lim Guan Eng's denying sexual harassment claims against his son (my grandson) was inadequate. Let the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and every Cabinet Minister declare whether they agree with Muhyiddin or not – which will also be a measure of the quality of Cabinet Ministers Malaysians have."

"The school principal concerned has denied that there was ever such an incident of sexual harassment involving my grandson. The Penang State Education Director Ahmad Tarmizi Kamaruddin also said yesterday that his department found no evidence to back the allegations in several blogs. The alleged victim Anya Corke, who is a 21-year-old Woman Grand Chessmaster in her third year in Wellesley College in the United States have rubbished the allegation, as she had not been in Malaysia for seven years and does not know Guan Eng or my grandson."

"Can Muhyiddin explain what is “inadequate” when there is the total and unequivocal denial and rebuttal of the most irresponsible, diabolical and devilish allegation which could be hurled against an innocent 16-year-old student solely for the accusers to score political points against Guan Eng?"

Police report and criminal defamation

DAP has since lodged a police report against Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin for alleged criminal defamation against Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng's son. Khairy had commented on Novandri's blog. Khairy later also insinuated that the attacks were justified as the oppostion also often attacked BN families.

DAP chairman Karpal Singh said they would initiating legal action for the tweet Khairy made on Oct 17 on the issue.

"The damages are going to be 'very, very' high. The attacks on Lim's 16-year-old son for allegedly molesting a schoolmate will become a point of contention in the next general election. We all have children. As Lim has rightly said, we politicians are political targets; come for us, not our children," DAP chairman Karpal Singh said.

Prime Minister Najib Razak has since echoed Guan Eng's call to leave families out of the political attacks. However, his influence within Umno is fading and he is expected to U-turn should the Muhyiddin camp apply pressure on him.

Malaysia Chronicle