IPOH: Paul Yong Choo Kiong, under probe for allegedly raping his Indonesian maid, turned up for duty as usual as a Perak state executive councillor and asked why he should not come to work.
“Why can’t I come to work? I am still a state executive councillor. Anyone can hurl accusations against anyone else,” he told about a score of reporters and cameramen who had gathered outside his office at the Perak State Secretariat as early as 8am.
Yong, who is chairman of the State Housing, Local Government, Public Transport, Non-Muslim Affairs and New Villages Committee, came to his office at 9.15am.
Several other state executive councillors were also at his office, among them Dr Abdul Aziz Bari; Wong May Ing and Howard Lee; Buntong assemblyman A. Sivasubramaniam and Yong’s lawyer Leong Cheok Keng.
It is learned that Yong, who is the assemblyman for Tronoh, has several scheduled meetings today at his office that have been postponed from over the last few days.
Yong’s 23-year-old Indonesian maid lodged a police report last Monday claiming that her employer, who is a state executive councillor, had raped her at his house in Meru here. The police arrested Yong the following day and released him on bail after recording a statement.
Yong said he is prepared to take leave from work temporarily if the investigation into the allegation takes too long.
He said he has trust in the expertise of the police to undertake the probe and will extend to them his full cooperation.
“I strongly deny that I have done anything. Wait for the outcome of the investigation. Time will tell,” he said.
Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu said yesterday that Yong can be advised to go on leave or have his duties restricted to facilitate the police probe if it takes too long.
Asked about the scheduled swearing-in of Perak state executive councillors yesterday that was postponed due to the investigation of the case, Yong said it is not a requirement because the term of a councillor is for a term.
“As far as I know, it is not necessary to take the oath every year, going by the rules, but the state government can hold it yearly,” he said. — Bernama
