Putrajaya (Malaysia), Jan. 2 (Reuters): Malaysia’s health minister resigned today, a day after he shocked the nation by admitting he was the man in a widely circulated sex video.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said he had accepted the resignation of health minister Chua Soi Lek, who apologised after two lengthy DVDs hit the streets showing him engaging in sexual acts with an unidentified woman. The scandal is the latest in a series of problems plaguing Abdullah’s government, which has been widely expected to call a snap election in the coming weeks.

“After I made my confession, I had hoped Malaysians would be able to accept my apology,” he said. “Unfortunately, from the feedback I received, I observed that Malaysians cannot accept it.”

“Some Malaysians have a holier-than-thou attitude,” Chua, a doctor by training, told a packed news conference. “At the end of the day, it just tells you that honesty sometimes does not pay.” Chua, who said the woman was a “personal friend”, had insisted yesterday he would not resign over the issue, drawing a sharp rebuke from people within and outside government.