By Haris Ibrahim,
That Chua Soi Lek survived his own sex video scandal and went on to become the president of MCA, and Eli Wong continues to serve her constituents in Bukit Lanjan despite the revelations of her private photographs that were surely never intended for public viewing, left many, myself included, hopeful that we, as a society, were displaying a level of political maturity sufficient to recognise such exposes as no more than character assassinations, not founded on the considerations of the well being of the public at large, but grounded on some surreptitious, self-serving, political agenda.
Of course the public will always take an interest in such matters, and politicians and other public figures will do well to remember that when they choose to enter public life and service, they forfeit the right to total and complete secrecy as to how they live their lives.
On the part of the public who these politicians and public figures serve, we would do well to remember two things.
First, public figures, like the rest of us, are still entitled to a measure of privacy.
Soi Lek’s adulterous behaviour, in my view, was a matter between his wife and himself.
Eli’s photos ought never have found their way into public space.
Second, the intrusion into the private lives of both Soi Lek and Eli were not embarked upon to serve the better interests of the citizenry, but the political ambitions of those behind these deeds, and, it must be seen and condemned as such, lest we unwittingly urge the proliferation of gutter politics.
Take the latest sex video that has the nation all abuzz.
Is the main player who they say it is?
I do not know.
Is the woman a prostitute?
Again, I do not know.
And if the main player is who they claim it to be, do we have a right to know?
I guess, now that the issue is in public space, that must be answered in the affirmative.
What of those behind this revelation?
Now that their identities are known, can it be said, beyond any doubt, that they were motivated by nothing other than the well-being of the nation and its people?
In my view, the very identity of those individuals suggests a political agenda to bring one man down.
This is gutter politics, irregardless of the the truth or otherwise of the allegations as to the identity of those in the video.
Zaid seems to think otherwise.
FreeMalaysiaToday quoted Zaid as saying, in relation to the three individuals behind the video revelation, “You cannot blame these three who are doing a public service. If I had such a video in my possession, I would also disclose it because it involves the opposition leader and future prime minister. Isn’t that enough public interest? Don’t you want to know the real man?”.
Ironically, a little less than a year ago, whilst Zaid was the subject of a smear campaign during the Hulu Selangor by-elections, he did not take too kindly to the same or perceive what was being said of him as a ‘ public service’.
When asked if he would return like with like, Malaysiakini reported him as saying that he was of ‘better pedigree than that‘.
I thought so too, then.
Sadly, that pedigree has not been showing through of late.
That Chua Soi Lek survived his own sex video scandal and went on to become the president of MCA, and Eli Wong continues to serve her constituents in Bukit Lanjan despite the revelations of her private photographs that were surely never intended for public viewing, left many, myself included, hopeful that we, as a society, were displaying a level of political maturity sufficient to recognise such exposes as no more than character assassinations, not founded on the considerations of the well being of the public at large, but grounded on some surreptitious, self-serving, political agenda.
Of course the public will always take an interest in such matters, and politicians and other public figures will do well to remember that when they choose to enter public life and service, they forfeit the right to total and complete secrecy as to how they live their lives.
On the part of the public who these politicians and public figures serve, we would do well to remember two things.
First, public figures, like the rest of us, are still entitled to a measure of privacy.
Soi Lek’s adulterous behaviour, in my view, was a matter between his wife and himself.
Eli’s photos ought never have found their way into public space.
Second, the intrusion into the private lives of both Soi Lek and Eli were not embarked upon to serve the better interests of the citizenry, but the political ambitions of those behind these deeds, and, it must be seen and condemned as such, lest we unwittingly urge the proliferation of gutter politics.
Take the latest sex video that has the nation all abuzz.
Is the main player who they say it is?
I do not know.
Is the woman a prostitute?
Again, I do not know.
And if the main player is who they claim it to be, do we have a right to know?
I guess, now that the issue is in public space, that must be answered in the affirmative.
What of those behind this revelation?
Now that their identities are known, can it be said, beyond any doubt, that they were motivated by nothing other than the well-being of the nation and its people?
In my view, the very identity of those individuals suggests a political agenda to bring one man down.
This is gutter politics, irregardless of the the truth or otherwise of the allegations as to the identity of those in the video.
Zaid seems to think otherwise.
FreeMalaysiaToday quoted Zaid as saying, in relation to the three individuals behind the video revelation, “You cannot blame these three who are doing a public service. If I had such a video in my possession, I would also disclose it because it involves the opposition leader and future prime minister. Isn’t that enough public interest? Don’t you want to know the real man?”.
Ironically, a little less than a year ago, whilst Zaid was the subject of a smear campaign during the Hulu Selangor by-elections, he did not take too kindly to the same or perceive what was being said of him as a ‘ public service’.
When asked if he would return like with like, Malaysiakini reported him as saying that he was of ‘better pedigree than that‘.
I thought so too, then.
Sadly, that pedigree has not been showing through of late.
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