MP Chia strips himself of political posts

Dateline: Lion City

ONCE hailed as one of Singapore's most promising opposition politicians, Steve Chia quit his leadership posts yesterday amid a sex scandal triggered by photos he took of his Indonesian maid posing topless. 

Chia, 34, publicly admitted on the weekend to taking the photos after his pregnant wife lodged a report with the police, which led to confessions of adultery and a fetish for posing nude in photographs himself. 

Following four days of front-page headlines in Singapore, Chia said he would resign as National Solidarity Party secretary-general. 

He also said he would give up his seat on the executive council of the Singapore Democratic Alliance, an umbrella organisation of the city-state's perpetually weak opposition movement. 

“I am sorry for the bad publicity and all the inconveniences caused to the party, the alliance and the opposition movement by my actions,” he wrote in a letter posted on the Internet. 

Chia said he had resigned to save the National Solidarity Party and the democratic alliance further embarrassment, as well as to give him a chance to save his marriage. 

MP Steve Chia in the middle of the storm.

“It will allow me to spend more time to put my own house in order. My priority now is to rebuild my family relationships and to ensure our future unborn child will be surrounded by love,” he said. 

“I want to renew and strengthen our marriage so that both my forgiving wife and me can give of our best to our child that is to be born.” 

Chia also said the Indonesian maid's contract had been paid out and cancelled, and she had returned home. 

He also said he intended to remain a Member of Parliament, where he is just one of three opposition MPs up against 91 members of the ruling People's Action Party. – AFP  

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