Malaysian cabinet minister Chua Soi Lek announced on Wednesday his resignation following his admission to a sex tape scandal that rocked the nation.

Chua, 61, who was health minister since March 27, 2004, was also vice president of the ruling Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) party as well as the parliamentary representative for a southern district, has officially resigned as health minister and from all party and parliamentary posts, with immediate effect.

He made the announcement of his resignation at a press conference held Wednesday afternoon at the Health Ministry in the administrative capital of Putrajaya.

He said his resignation has been conveyed to Prime Minster Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Deputy Prime Minster Najib Tun Razak and MCA president Ong Ka Ting.

"The (resignation) letter is finding its way to (Abdullah's) office," he said to the packed press conference.

On Tuesday, he quelled speculation by admitting that he was the man in a sex tape that was filmed in a hotel room in the southern state of Johor, where copies of the sordid sex video were widely circulated last the weekend.

Abdullah has yet to comment publicly on the scandal and Chua's resignation.

It was the first time a Malaysian cabinet minister had been caught in a sex scandal on tape and has resigned.