Paper: Councillor had tryst with hooker

[Dian Wei]

Sunday October 17, 2010

Paper: Councillor had tryst with hooker

GEORGE TOWN: It was not all work for some Penang municipal councillors on a four-day working visit to Singapore to study local government issues. One of them is alleged to have taken a prostitute back to his hotel room while two others visited night clubs, China Press claimed in its street edition. The paper did not reveal which party the councillor was from.

It said the councillors were on official duty during the day but some of them had their own plans at night since it was “free and easy”. The delegation, comprising council president Patahiyah Ismail, 10 council officers and 24 councillors, met the republic’s Housing and Development Board officials. However, the paper reported that only a few councillors indulged in the fun activities.

Penang Municipal Council financial management sub-committee alternate chairman Tan Hun Wooi had been quoted in The Star on Sept 8 as saying that it was not a holiday trip. He said the group would attend seminars and conferences to exchange ideas about cleanliness, infrastructure, public transport and hawker issues.

It is learnt that the councillors were each given a room during their stay in the republic. State Local Government and Traffic Management Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow was quoted by the paper as saying he would investigate the prostitute matter and take necessary action if it was true. When The Star called him, he admitted that some councillors had gone to night clubs for a drink.

“It is their personal matter. Most people will go to these places when they are on vacation,” he said. Chow said the councillors’ image would be tarnished if their personal integrity was compromised. Councillor Ong Ah Teong told The Star that he had not heard of any councillor bringing in a prostitute to stay overnight at the hotel. “However, it is unethical to do such a thing, especially during an official trip,” he said.

 

[Valkyrie]

Councillors refute prostitute reports


Monday October 18, 2010

Councillors refute prostitute reports

By ANN TAN
[email protected]

GEORGE TOWN: Twenty-two Penang island municipal councillors have gathered at the Town Hall here to refute media reports that one of them had brought a prostitute back to his hotel room during a recent working visit to Singapore. They issued a joint statement to deny the allegation, which was reported in three Chinese dailies.

According toa China Press report on Saturday, the councillors were in the republic from Oct 4 to Oct 7 to discuss issues with Singaporean officials about cleanliness, infrastructure, public transport and hawkers. Council secretary Ang Aing Thye led the delegation comprising council officers and councillors, including two women.

The Chinese daily reported in its street edition that several delegation members indulged in fun activities, adding that a councillor brought back a prostitute to his hotel room while two others went to a night club to watch dances by sexy girls. Spokesman Lim Boo Chang described the reports as “outrageous and libellous”.

“The reports have lowered the esteem of the councillors in the eyes of the general public,” he told a press conference. He said the councillors want China Press to publish, within 24 hours, a statement to retract the report and to apologise to them. “We remind other newspapers not to repeat the defamatory statements made by China Press as they may also face legal consequences,” he said.

Asked if it was true that Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng had met the councillors on Saturday night over the issue, Boo Chang replied by saying: “Who told you that?” When newsmen said they were just seeking clarification, he said: “I have no knowledge of what you are asking.”

In its morning edition yesterday, China Press reported that Guan Eng held a meeting with the councillors. The two councillors not present at the gathering yesterday were Ramlah Bee Asiahoo – who was away in Kuala Lumpur but supported the protest against the media – and Lim Kah Cheng who did not go on the trip.

 

[Jiang Wei]

Daily retracts report on tryst with hooker, apologises to councillors


Published: Monday October 18, 2010 MYT 3:09:00 PM
Updated: Monday October 18, 2010 MYT 3:12:50 PM

Daily retracts report on tryst with hooker, apologises to councillors

By TAN SIN CHOW and ANN TAN

GEORGE TOWN: A Chinese daily has retracted its report that a Penang municipal councillor brought a prostitute back to his hotel room in Singapore while on a working visit to the republic. However, Parti Cinta Malaysia has lodged a police report, urging that the matter be investigated.

The party's Youth chief Liew Yeow Hooi lodged the report at the Patani Road police station here Monday, although the daily has apologised to the councillors. Liew said he hoped police would work with their Singaporean counterparts to ascertain the truth. China Press printed an apology Monday, retracting its report headlined "Who sought prostitute? Alleged scandal in councillors' working visit to Singapore".

On Sunday, the daily had reported in its street edition that a councillor had brought a prostitute back to his hotel room while two others went to a night club to watch sexy girls dance, while on a working visit to Singapore from Oct 4 to 7. Following the report, 22 councillors gathered at the Town Hall the same day to refute the allegation and gave the daily 24 hours to retract the report and publish an apology.

"Upon receiving news (from sources) that a councillor was allegedly involved in such behaviour (tryst with a hooker), we failed to conduct a detailed investigation before carrying the report," the daily said in its retraction. Liew said the state government lacked transparency and accountability in handling the matter.

"I am sure there are closed-circuit television cameras (CCTVs) at the hotel where they were staying. They should play the recording to the public to prove their innocence," he said. Meanwhile, George Town OCPD Asst Comm Gan Kong Meng said police would refer the matter to Interpol and the Malaysian High Commission in the republic.