Whispering Hand Phones from the North -- Reported in the Singapore Straits Times : 5th Feb 03
ALOR STAR - A senior Umno politician in Kedah has become the victim of slanderous mobile-phone text messages, which circulated lurid details of his alleged affair with a princess and his second marriage in Thailand. The use of SMS via mobile phone is now the latest high-tech means of anonymously spreading slander to damage reputations and ruin public careers.
The senior Kedah politician was said to have a colourful private life, according to the text messages.The sender claimed that the politician was having an affair with a high-profile female member of royalty and that he was 'hiding' a second wife whom he secretly married in Songkhla, southern Thailand. The messages claimed the affair had been going on for some time and that it was an open secret in political circles in the state.
The sender claimed the politician had also taken the 'Tengku' or princess with him on trips to Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia. The overseas trips stopped, however, after the politician's wife became suspicious. The trysts, claimed the sender, were now limited to meetings at five-star hotels in Penang, Langkawi, Ipoh and Malacca.
The messages also claimed the affair continued even after the man returned from performing the pilgrimage last year. The sender was not named, but as with all SMS messages received, the sender's mobile-phone number was included. However, the easy availability of pre-paid services would make it difficult to identify the sender.
Kedah Umno chief and Mentri Besar Syed Razak Syed Zain, when asked to comment on the messages, said he was not surprised as the general election and transition of power in Umno were nearing. Datuk Syed Razak said public awareness was increasing and people were no longer easily duped into believing such allegations.
'Being the target of slander is becoming a normal part of a politician's life, so you should not be afraid if you have not done anything wrong,' he said.
Whispering Hand Phones from the North -- Reported in the Singapore Straits Times : 5th Feb 03
ALOR STAR - A senior Umno politician in Kedah has become the victim of slanderous mobile-phone text messages, which circulated lurid details of his alleged affair with a princess and his second marriage in Thailand. The use of SMS via mobile phone is now the latest high-tech means of anonymously spreading slander to damage reputations and ruin public careers.
The senior Kedah politician was said to have a colourful private life, according to the text messages.The sender claimed that the politician was having an affair with a high-profile female member of royalty and that he was 'hiding' a second wife whom he secretly married in Songkhla, southern Thailand. The messages claimed the affair had been going on for some time and that it was an open secret in political circles in the state.
The sender claimed the politician had also taken the 'Tengku' or princess with him on trips to Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia. The overseas trips stopped, however, after the politician's wife became suspicious. The trysts, claimed the sender, were now limited to meetings at five-star hotels in Penang, Langkawi, Ipoh and Malacca.
The messages also claimed the affair continued even after the man returned from performing the pilgrimage last year. The sender was not named, but as with all SMS messages received, the sender's mobile-phone number was included. However, the easy availability of pre-paid services would make it difficult to identify the sender.
Kedah Umno chief and Mentri Besar Syed Razak Syed Zain, when asked to comment on the messages, said he was not surprised as the general election and transition of power in Umno were nearing. Datuk Syed Razak said public awareness was increasing and people were no longer easily duped into believing such allegations.
'Being the target of slander is becoming a normal part of a politician's life, so you should not be afraid if you have not done anything wrong,' he said.
