Zairil denies it’s him in the pictures, says they’re fake

GEORGE TOWN: DAP Bukit Ben­dera MP Zairil Khir Johari has denied that he was the one caught in a combo of pictures that showed him in close proximity with a female party leader.

In breaking his silence, the first-term MP insisted that the pictures were “fake”.

On Tuesday, the pictures of a couple, resembling him and a woman youth leader were widely circulated over social media, causing a frenzy.

“No, it’s not me. It is clearly another attempt to malign me with personal attacks.

“They are fake and that’s all I have to say,” he said in a WhatsApp message.

In the four undated photographs, a man and woman are seen seated at a table in a restaurant with at least two other people.

The woman is said to resemble DAP Youth committee member Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud.

In her Facebook posting, Dyana Sofya said it was the third personal attack on her in two months.

She said no matter who was in the photos or videos in which she was allegedly featured, these were privacy intrusions into that person’s life.

“I am sad that our political culture has gone to this. I have no time to entertain this type of personal and vindictive attacks,” she said.

In one of the photos, the woman is resting her head on the man’s shoulder while his arm is around her and their fingers entwined.

Another photo shows them in a “kissing position”.

The man is blocked from view in yet another photo as the woman pre­­pares to sip from a large wine glass.

It was not the first time such photographs have surfaced.

Early last month, two video clips emerged of a man being embraced by a woman with long hair in what appeared to be inside a club.

The first clip had the man, who resembled Zairil, dancing and being embraced by the woman while the second had them hugging.

It is unclear when or where the footage was taken.

In October 2014, Zairil was in the news when pictures of a man, again resembling him, being affectionate with a woman went viral.

The woman was said to resemble Dyana Sofya. At that time, she was the DAP candidate for the Teluk Intan by-election.