D.P. VIJANDRAN

IN late 1989, the former Dewan Rakyat deputy speaker was forced to resign following a sex videotape controversy. In 1994, Vijandran, the former MIC secretary-general, was convicted by a Sessions Court on a perjury charge where his involvement in a pornographic tape was revealed in court. The lawyer was sentenced to one month's jail and fined RM2,000, in default two weeks' jail. He lost his appeal in the High Court in 1996 but the Court of Appeal ruled in his favour in August 1998 saying he should not have been called to enter his defence as the prosecution had failed to prove the charges.

DATUK SERI ANWAR IBRAHIM

IN September 1998, former deputy prime minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was expelled from Umno. He was accused of sexual misconduct including sodomy, illicit sex and seducing a businessman's wife. On Sept 2, 2004, he was acquited by the Federal Court of the sodomy charge. Anwar had earlier served a six-year sentence for corruption.

TAN SRI RAHIM THAMBY CHIK

IN November 1994, then attorney-general Datuk Mohtar Abdullah cleared the former Malacca chief minister of the allegation that he had sex with an underage girl. The allegation, which attracted wide attention, led to Rahim's resignation from all political and government posts. The girl had lodged reports against 25 men and 11 were charged.

S ASSAMALEY

THE DAP assemblyman's wife committed suicide by drowning herself in May 1991. Party leaders subsequently blamed a local daily for front-paging an article suggesting that Assamaley had an extra-marital affair.

He announced his resignation a day after her body was found floating in the sea south of Penang Bridge. He died in May 2000 at the age of 50 after a stroke.

TAN SRI ABU HASSAN OMAR

RUMOURS that he fathered a child out of wedlock with his sister-in-law surfaced after an article headlined "Selangor Menteri Besar denies sex scandal" was printed in an Indonesian tabloid in July 2000.

Then 60 years old, he subsequently resigned as the shortest-serving MB in the state's history after serving slightly more than three years and three months.

He cited health reasons.