Mr Chua asked media to give him and his family "some space"

He said he had apologised to the prime minister and other ruling party leaders but would not resign, and his own wife and children had accepted his apology.

Mr Chua said he had taken no part in the making of the DVD recordings, one of them said to be almost an hour long.

The video is CCTV footage taken in a hotel, according to one newspaper.

It is the latest in a series of difficulties to confront the administration of Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi, who is expected to call an election in the coming weeks.

According to Malaysia's Star newspaper, copies of the DVDs were initially left at various locations in the town of Muar, in Johor State, on Saturday "for people to pick up".

'It was me'

Mr Chua made his admission hours after the Star reported that the two DVDs were being widely distributed in Johor, his home state.

"I am the man in the tape," Mr Chua, 60, told reporters.

"The girl is a personal friend."

"I would like to emphasise I did not make the tape myself," he added.

"Who [did] this is not important. What is most important is that my family, wife and children have accepted my apology."

According to the Star, the DVDs are believed to be CCTV recordings made in a hotel suite. The hotel and the date are reportedly unknown.

As health minister, Mr Chua has advocated giving out free condoms to reduce the spread of HIV, in the face of religious opposition.