By LIM SUE GOAN
Translated by SOONG PHUI JEE
Sin Chew Daily

I wonder whether it is a coincidence. Malacca Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam asked the MCA not to give up and encouraged the party to keep on going on Sunday, MCA Duyung Assemblyman and State Executive Councillor Datuk Gan Tian Loo raised the alleged relationship between Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and his former staff member, in the Dewan Rakyat the next day.

War of words has become a normality after the 2008 general election and the MCA indeed has the right to fight back the DAP's onslaughts over all these year. However, bringing personal affairs, particularly scandals yet to be confirmed, into the sacred hall of the state assembly would inevitably trigger a suspicion of using public resources to gain political party's interests.

The whole incident also leads to a suspicion of pre-arrangement. For example, the Speaker allowed the mainstream media, namely the RTM, TV3, Utusan Malaysia and Berita Harian to enter the hall. As a result, TV3 broadcast a clip showing Lim's wife, DAP state assembly member Betty Chew on Monday night, while The Utusan Malaysia even published a photo of Lim's former staff member on its front page.

Should political opponent's personal affairs be infinitely magnified by using national resources? What kind of personal affairs should be questioned? Where is the boundary between private morality and public morality?

I dare say that there is no saint or sage in the political arena of Malaysia. All politicians are more or less flawed. Why should we use public resources to expose, slander and deal with those involved in private problems that do not violate the law, contrary to public interests or abuse government resources?

The country has been wasting time and resources on a sodomy trial and other sex-related trivial issues. Today, the political arena has been heavily polluted and if the situation worsens, it will be downgraded to become dirty and disgusting.

Sure enough, the scandal has turned the Malacca state assembly into a mess. Five DAP assembly members who held up a banner t protest were suspended for six months for creating a ruckus. Should the people's taxes be wasted in such a way?

Politicians should know what should be done and what should not be done when trying to attack their opponents. Why to involve their wives and female staff members? What have their family members done wrong? Earlier, Lim Guan Eng's teenage son had innocently turned into a victim when he was accused of involving in molesting a female student.

Do not unto others what you do not want to be done to you. If the MCA does not wish its opponent to attack its president with the sex video clip scandal and his wife and children being dragged into the confrontation, they should restrain themselves.

Similarly, DAP supporters must also have empathy and be self-restraint. It is a sin to blindly attack the minister's wife.

Scandals involving politicians are unrelated to public interests and the acts of harming others should not be glorified with the public's right to know. If humiliating acts are rationalised and the people are unable to distinguish between right and wrong, the country's politics will become more unbearable.

Deputy Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Chua Tee Yong has used a smarter way to launch a counterattack. He accused the Pakatan Rakyat Selangor state government of using public money to rescue Talam Corporation by buying its assets, helping the listed company to get over RM266 million.

Regardless whether the allegation is founded and supported by concrete evidence, at least it is related to public interests. Lawmakers from the ruling and alternative coalitions should monitor policies of the federal government, as well as state governments; expose corruption practices and have a healthy competition to improve themselves, instead of keep sinking.

Politics nowadays has been seriously distorted and I believe that the worst is still on its way.