WHAT COURAGE UNLIKE GUAN ENG? Soi Lek would have been SACKED if he had not resigned

UPDATE 3 It had nothing to do with courage and least of all magnanimity and principle. Disgraced MCA president Chua Soi Lek would have been sacked if he had not resigned as Health minister and MCA vice president following his sex scandal in 2007, reveals PKR vice president Chua Jui Meng.

Jui Meng, a former MCA leader, was responding to Soi Lek's claim that unlike DAP's Lim Guan Eng, at least he had the guts to admit his adultery which was captured on film and is one of most-watched clips on You Tube, shaming his party and Malaysian politics in general.

“Will Lim Guan Eng have the courage like me to admit fault, apologise and resign from my ministerial post as well as all my positions in the party?” Soi Lek had said in a statement.

Soi Lek's adultery led to his 'resignation' in January 2008, just a day after he confessed he was the man captured in the DVD having sex with a woman who was not his wife. He had also insisted he would not need to resign but was forced to eat his words.

"Firstly, there is a difference between the two cases. Soi Lek could not have denied even if he wanted to. His face was captured on camera, how to deny. As for Guan Eng, this is what he is challenging Soi Lek and MCA to do - show the proof or face a lawsuit," Jui Meng told Malaysia Chronicle.

"Secondly, Ka Ting was going to sack Soi Lek anyway, so that's why he had to resign. He had no choice. I don't think this latest tactic to smear Guan Eng is going to make MCA members happy either. I think it will make them more determined to oust him and save the party further embarrassment."

Unrepentant Soi Lek

Jui Meng was referring to Ong Ka Ting, who was then the MCA president. Despite the fall from grace, Soi Lek managed to make a controversial comeback during the MCA 2010 party elections, taking advantage of incumbent Ong Tee Keat's loss of favor due to the latter's insistence on exposing the federal government's RM12.5billion PKFZ financial debacle.

Nonetheless, MCA remains fractured with factions refusing to close ranks. Additionally, given the widespread public discomfort over Soi Lek's adultery, Prime Minister Najib Razak has not reinstated him as a Cabinet Minister - the first time an MCA president has been so snubbed.

Now, with his back to the wall again, Soi Lek still failed to pull himself from the brink and his latest gaffe is likely to cost him and his party dearly when the 13th general election is called.

To pundits, Soi Lek's rather smug comment showed he did not repent his past misdeed, and instead was now boasting that at least he had the guts to have an extra-marital affair. But whether having the courage to commit adultery is going to get him the thumbs-up from Malaysian voters is doubtful.

Chances are higher that the 65-year-old will attract further public odium and antagonize the large conservative faction in MCA that has already written him off as a 'dirty old man' and carrying too much baggage to be able to reform and revitalize their party.

The MCA is already suffering from a poor image and faces difficulty in attracting voters, especially the younger Malaysians who are expected to be the kingmakers in GE-13 which is expected to be called sometime early next year.

MCA 'copycats' Umno's sex sex sex politicking

Soi Lek was responding to Guan Eng's challenge to MCA leaders to repeat outside the state assembly their accusations that his wife had hit him and a former staff for allegedly having an affair so that he could sue them.

"I have no close or secret relationship with my former staff. My wife had never assaulted me or anyone in her life," Guan Eng, who is also the Penang Chief Minister, had said in a statement earlier on Wednesday.

"Let my wife and me prove in court that MCA lied and ask MCA to expose their attempted character assassination as well as the source of this false information. Let MCA repeat their allegations publicly so that my wife and me can prove in court that Lim Guan Eng is not Chua Soi Lek!"

Who are the real cowards?

Umno-BN blogs - known for their sexual innuendos - have been going to town with their latest 'spin' against the popular Guan Eng, whom they have tried to rock by accusing him of being anti-Malay and anti-Islam.

The attacks against the Lims culminated with MCA assemblyman for DuyongGan Tian Loo accusing Guan Eng's wife Betty Chew, who is also the DAP Kota Laksamana representative in the Malacca state assembly, of hitting and kicking her husband's former staff Ng Phaik Kheng. Gan also held up a photo of Guan Eng with a plaster on his forehead.

But Betty, a seasoned politician, refused to take the bait and challenged Gan to repeat his statements outside the Malacca state assembly. Statements made in a state legislative assembly - just like in Parliament - are privileged and Gan cannot be sued. However if he were to make the same insinuations outside the assembly, he can be sure that Guan Eng and wife would sue him with the full might of the law.

So far, Gan has not done so - spurring criticism that he was a coward. And neither has Soi Lek except through his indirect comments that at least he had the "courage to admit fault". However, this might be enough for DAP lawyers to work up a case to take the wealthy MCA to the cleaners.

Another lawsuit boils up in S'gor

The party is also facing a lawsuit from the Selangor state government over allegations of corruption in the restructuring of a company. Pundits said the claims made by Soi Lek's son, Tee Yong, appears to be part of the MCA president's plan to secure the political limelight for the young Labis MP.

"MCA has to get more aggressive as GE-13 approaches. It thinks it can stave off any lawsuit because of its BN-member status but to make wild allegations is not a smart move at all. It is also obvious Soi Lek is trying hard to get Tee Yong a full minister-ship, hence his daring moves but it could end up in financial disadvantage for MCA," said Jui Meng.