Usually, when pictures, allegedly of Zairil Khir Johari and another young Malay DAP leader Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud surface online, it is the wife who alerts Zairil.

The couple laugh at the latest attempt by his political rivals to damage his image as a family man and a Muslim politician. 

“Laugh and try to move on” is all that the Bukit Bendera MP says he can do.

In an interview with The Malaysian Insight, Zairil denies he is the man in the pictures being circulated on the internet. He also says he has ever only had a professional relationship with Dyana.

He, however, feels sorry for Dyana as she is an easy target for those out to destroy the party and its young Malay personalities.

The first-term MP says he believes Dyana is targetted  because she and others like her are what Umno fears the most.

“She is an easy target. Before the (Teluk Intan) by-election, there were other photos (of her) as well. So called bikini photos. 

“She embodies what Umno fears, doesn’t she? Malay, from a middle-class Malay family, with a very typical Malay upbringing, who went to UiTM (Universiti Teknologi Mara), who became a young Malay professional, and then joined DAP. 

“This is precisely what they fear most,” the DAP national assistant publicity secretary tells The Malaysian Insight.

Zairil and Dyana have been caught in a controversy since intimate photos and videos of a couple resembling them both went viral online. 

The first batch of photos surfaced in 2014 after the Teluk Intan by-election. Dyana, a fresh-faced local girl contesting for the first time,  stood as candidate for DAP but lost the parliamentary seat to Gerakan president Mah Siew Keong.

Zairil, 34, is the son of former Umno minister Khir Johari.

He has consistently denied being the man in the various pictures and videos that have surfaced in recent months, including the five photos of a couple who look like him and Dyana having an intimate time in a restaurant.

He has been no stranger to such personal attacks since he joined the party seven years ago.

“They even questioned my lineage before I was elected MP.”

Zairil says the personal attacks are a conspiracy to assassinate his character and attack DAP, and he believes the best way to deal with them is to ignore them and not let them affect his work and life.

“I am a private person. I keep my work and personal matters separate. I don’t discuss family or private matters. It is a way of keeping sane.

“Now I feel like a TV celebrity, but in a bad way.”

Below are excerpts of the interview:

Q: What made you want to join politics and choose DAP? What is your political struggle?

Zairil: I joined DAP in 2010, and that was of course two years after the political tsunami of 2008. It was the tsunami of 2008 that really inspired me. When I went to vote in the election, I voted thinking that one vote wouldn’t make a different. But it did.

It contributed to the area where I was voting, change. I was very excited to be part of that change and I thought I could play an even bigger role. I chose DAP predominantly because… well, it was based on a few things. One was advice from ironically, an Umno leader who was close to my father. He told me Umno would not be the party for young and aspiring people who want change, and that I should look to the opposition instead.

Q: Is it tough being a Malay DAP leader? How? Why?

Zairil: It is tough being a DAP personality, period. Whether you are Malay, Indian or Chinese, it is tough, because DAP is a party that has been victimised, suppressed and oppressed for very long. Just look at the whole RoS (Registrar of Societies) thing. It is unresolved until today.

All branches registered since the RoS incident have not been approved by RoS. We are basically in limbo. It is one example how DAP is being targeted. Is it tough? Yes, it is. I guess being Malay, it is doubly tough because there are not many Malay leaders in DAP, and then somehow being in DAP is equated with being a Chinese chauvinist, Christian, anti-Islam. You open yourself to being labelled a stooge. It is doubly tough.

Q: You are finishing your first term as MP. Has the experience been what you expected? Did you anticipate gutter politics?

Zairil: It has been great. I think I have managed to do quite a lot in this one term. I think I have done my job in raising many issues in Parliament. I have been participating in debates on some of the most important issues in the country.

I would also like to think that I have served my constituency, and helped many people. It is very rewarding to know that you have helped people and see changes happen, especially from the results of your actions. Gutter politics? Yeah, this is Malaysia.

Q: There have been photos of someone who looks like you being intimate with someone who looks like Dyana circulating online. When did such photos surface? How many times have you dealt with such situations?

Zairil: I think it was after the by-election in Teluk Intan. Has it been three times? I haven’t been keeping track. Actually, it is not just with her. There are all sorts of stories out there. Personal attacks against me started the moment I joined DAP in 2010. So even before I was elected, there were already all sorts of stories and me being targeted by bloggers, BN media… linking me to all sorts of things. Even questioning my lineage. All that has been going on.

Look, I am not a litigious person. I have a family lawyer whom I consult on these issues. Ironically enough for a lawyer, he is also not litigious. He told me many times this is part of being in politics. As long as we don’t let it affect the work we do. There’s nobody saying I have stolen money, anti-trust or anything like that. So if there are attacks against me, my family, my personal life or whatever it is, I just ignore it, as I should. And I think everyone should.

Q: You have consistently denied being the man in the photos, but some people don’t believe you, judging from the comments on social media. What can you do to address that?

Zairil: These are obviously my detractors. They will not believe me on anything. Even if I say the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, they will find some way to dispute that. From the beginning when I joined DAP, there were people disputing who my father was. It is incredible. And the thing is, it is so easy to go out there to prove these things. But do I need to?

Q: Who do you think is behind this and what’s the motive? 

Zairil: I think it is clear they are people who want to discredit me, my character. It is character assassination. Obviously by political rivals. Do I know personally who they are? I don’t. Motive is to tarnish my image and discredit me and the party.

Q: Previously, when elections were near, allegations of sex scandals popped up against Anwar Ibrahim, Mat Sabu and Mustafa Ali, painting the Malays in the opposition parties to be un-Islamic. Do you think the same is happening to you?

Zairil: Yes, it is the trend. As I said earlier, this is Malaysia. But it happens all around the world. Recently, the new governor of Jakarta’s running mate. In the run up to the election, there were also similar allegations being brought up. That’s part and parcel of politics and if one wants to be in politics, one has to accept that.

Q: Have you made reports with the police or MCMC?

Zairil: Since being in DAP in 2010, I have lodged countless reports. None had been acted upon. As I said, many of these were more personal issues. I tend to feel that ignoring them is the best thing to do. Because I don’t want it to interfere with my work and my life. I just want to get on with my work.

Q: Why do you think you are being targeted this way? It is because you are a Malay leader in DAP, who has a bright future in the party?

Zairil: Anyone who is high-profile politically eventually become a target for these kinds of things. You have earlier named other leaders who had to go through these things. They had been persistent on others as well.  Anwar has been, you know. No one can beat that. But again, that’s part and parcel (of being in politics).

Q: Why do you think the other target is Dyana? Have you and Dyana talked about the photos? What did you say to each other?

Zairil: We talked about the photos. Most of the time, we laughed about them. I mean, what else can we do, right?

Q: Can you describe your relationship with Dyana? Has the relationship changed since the photos surfaced?

Zairil: We have quite a good professional relationship. We worked together closer before she left for the UK. She went to further her studies after the by-election. After that, she has been in Teluk Intan most of the time. Even work wise, we had little communication.

Q: What do you think of the media and blog articles, and Facebook comments on this issue? There are stories that PH supporters don’t want you two to be nominated for the next polls. There is one blog claiming that someone close to your wife said your wife has confirmed it was you in the photos. One blogger said this is why you are against RUU355. Your thoughts?

Zairil: That is to be expected. That’s the reaction that they want. Whoever is attacking, that is precisely the reaction they want. The character assassination is to make sure that my character is ruined. Some of the blog articles are quite incredible.

Like the one with someone claiming to be close to my wife. Maybe they should ask my wife directly. This is why I am against RUU355? That is very convenient to link these two things, but obviously I am have stated my stand on RUU355. It has nothing to do with these things. My points on RUU355 are all based on merit.

Q: Do you think these personal attacks will affect your position in DAP, your reputation with your constituents, and your chances of being fielded in the next GE? 

Zairil: My position in DAP, is not for me to decide. All I will do is continue with my work, serving my constituents, doing what I do in parliament, continue raising issues, and do capacity building for the party. All that work will continue. It is always up to the party to judge based on our work and efforts. Thus far, I think I have been judged based on my work and effort. And I hope that will be just the case.

Q: How are your voters taking this? How will you convince them that you’re not promiscuous?

Zairil: Honestly, I think most voters, most people and most Malaysians in general, are able to see what is real and what is not. So far, I have got many people sending me messages of support, which I appreciate very much.

Again, it is not unusual in Malaysia to be targeted this way. Whenever people ask me these questions, I will answer them…sure, when I am asked. I am answering you now.

Q: How did your party handle it when the previous photos and videos surfaced? Did the party leadership talk to you, give advice? What did they say?

Zairil: The whole point of these attacks is to affect DAP. The party is constantly under siege. We are being attacked. This is just one of many others. I am not the only DAP leader under siege here. There are many others as well, under attack for all sorts of reasons. That again goes back to life for a DAP politician. The leadership also understands the risk of being involved with DAP. There has been advice on how to handle it, and how not to let it affect me. That’s what they want to do, right?

Q: You are married with two young kids. How have these incidents affected your family? 

Zairil: Credit to them – my kids are very young (girl, eight and boy, four) – but my wife has been very supportive. I think she is a strong lady. She comes from a political family, but not very well-known one in Umno. I suppose she understands the political side of things. As long as we are both supporting each other, that is the most important to me. 

Q: What did you tell your wife when the photos popped up? How is your wife taking this? is she behind you 100%?

Zairil: Most of the time it is my wife who tells me. “Eh, you know there is this picture of you, with people claiming this and all that…” I would say she is behind me 100%. She is not angry at me like some blogger is claiming. She knows the truth. That is why she is behind me 100%.

Q: Do you think that whoever is behind this will eventually leave you alone if you continue to ignore them?

Zairil: They won’t leave DAP alone. They won’t leave anyone associated with DAP alone, including me.

Q: Do you still think that a career in politics is worth it?

Zairil: That’s a good question. The questions are: “Is trying to save this country worth it?” and “Is trying to achieve that change worth it?” I think these are the bigger questions to ask ourselves. I am committed to the agenda of change and reform, the agenda of righting the wrongs in this country.

We can’t fix everything but many things can be fixed through the political process and that is what I am trying to do. That is what my party is trying to do. That’s what many of us in politics are trying to do. As long as we feel that there are things we can contribute to that process, then I think it is worth it. – April 20, 2017.