Did Noh Omar withhold information about the nationality of the woman victim of the police naked ear-squat videoclip scandal to protect UMNO�s chances of beating PAS in the Pengkalan Pasir by-election, thereby sacrificing national interests to UMNO  party interests?

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Media Statement

by Lim Kit Siang  
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(Parliament, Wednesday):  There should be a full and proper accounting as to why Deputy Internal Security Minister, Datuk Seri Noh Omar withheld information to Parliament, the country and the Chinese Government about the nationality of the woman victim of the police naked ear-squat videoclip scandal, committing a gross breach of parliamentary privilege, undermining national interests and completely heedless of the need to foster the best goodwill and relations with foreign countries, in this case, the Chinese government and people, when he had such information right all along.

Did Noh Omar withhold information about the nationality of the woman victim of the police naked ear-squat videoclip scandal to protect UMNO�s chances of beating PAS in the Pengkalan Pasir by-election, thereby sacrificing national interests to UMNO party interests?

Could it be that Noh Omar was worried that if it was revealed that the woman victim of the police naked ear-squat videoclip scandal was in fact a local Malay woman and not a Chinese national as generally believed, it could completely change the course of the then ongoing Pengkalan Pasir by-election campaign in Kelantan and its outcome, by giving PAS a runaway issue and turning a possible win for UMNO into a sure loss in the by-election?

It is most ridiculous that the Home Affairs Minister, Datuk  Azmi Khalid was still calling on the woman victim to come forward to co-operate with the authorities when visiting China on 6^th December, promising to give her the necessary immigration clearance even if she had  illegal status, as she is needed to give evidence � when the police and Noh Omar  had the information right from the very  beginning when the videoclip was shown in Parliament by DAP MP for Seputeh Teresa Kok on November 24 that she was a local Malay woman and not a Chinese national.

(14/12/2005)