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More Malaysians arrested for selling sex tape of official

Two Malaysian teenagers have been charged with possessing and selling DVDs that showed a former Cabinet minister engaging in extramarital sex, a scandal that led to his resignation last week, news reports said yesterday.

Both teenagers pleaded innocent in courts in southern Johor state and were released on bail, but one was re-arrested by domestic trade officials for questioning about pirated DVD sales, the New Straits Times reported.

Both teenagers were charged with possession of pornographic items, for which there is a maximum penalty of three months in jail and a fine.

Johor court officials and the police official designated to speak to the media could not immediately be reached for details.

Police have cracked down on the illegal distribution of DVDs showing the former health minister, Chua Soi Lek -- a 61-year-old married man with three children -- committing adultery in a hotel room.

Chua resigned last Wednesday after admitting he was the man in the video and that the woman was a personal friend.

On Monday, three other Malaysians, including a beauty parlor worker and a farmer, were jailed and fined for possessing and making copies of the DVD.

Police are trying to determine who originally made the secretly filmed, one-hour video and how hidden cameras had been installed in Chua's suite in a hotel in Johor. Chua has suggested that his political rivals conspired against him.

The New Straits Times said the scandal has sparked a rush among politicians and businessmen to buy anti-spy devices that can detect hidden cameras and cell phones. There have been growing calls for the government to step up efforts to counter invasion of privacy.

The scandal involving Chua has been a major embarrassment for Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who is already facing a slew of political and economic challenges in what is likely to be an election year.

Abdullah's administration has been preparing Malaysians for a hike in fuel prices amid growing public disillusionment with slow economic progress, corruption allegations and dissatisfaction over religious and racial policies.
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