Tsen: Me No Push Over Pussy
By Clara Chooi
October 29, 2010
Tsen being hoisted by Umno supporters during nomination day in Batu Sapi. — Picture by Jack Ooi
BATU SAPI, Oct 29 — Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman has moved to counter allegations that the Barisan Nasional (BN) is riding on public sympathy to win Batu Sapi, insisting widow Datin Linda Tsen Thau Lin on her own offered to be the candidate.
He told The Malaysian Insider in an exclusive interview yesterday that Tsen, the widow of Batu Sapi's late MP Datuk Edmund Chong Ket Wah, was not pressured to contest.
“No pressure, she was willing to be a candidate because she wanted to continue the good work of her husband,” he said.
BN has come under fire for fielding Tsen as a candidate, claiming it was using her tragic loss to garner sympathy votes from the public and retain the seat this November 4.
Chong, a two-term MP, had died on October 9 after a fatal biking accident, triggering the country's 12th by-election.
Tsen, during her campaign walkabouts and interaction with the media, reveals repeatedly that she is still grieving and trying to cope with the loss of her husband.
The soft-spoken piano teacher had even shed tears during several interviews.
But Musa told The Malaysian Insider today that beneath her soft exterior, Tsen was really a “determined lady”.
He denied that she was riding on her husband's popularity to gain sympathy from voters and was a qualified politician in her own right.
“Yes, she is very soft-spoken, very polite and approachable. She shakes the people's hands, smiles and listens to their problems.
“But do not get it wrong and think that she is asking for sympathy. She is a very determined lady,” he said.
Musa added that Tsen had made it clear that she wanted now to work like how her husband had when he was an MP and help to fulfil the promises that he had made to the people.
“She is a very good candidate. She is approachable, very capable woman, very determined and very dedicated.
“She also shows to the people that politics is not new to her... she has been following her husband in functions and ceramahs.
“She says that it is her duty now to contribute to the state and to the economy,” he said.
In time, he added, the people would see that Tsen was truly a “genuine” person.
Musa also said that Tsen's candidacy had proven the Sabah government's practice of gender equality and racial harmony.
“As far as we are concerned, it is high time to give more chances to women because it is the trend now. I always say to the people that women are no less better than men.
“They can perform well, they are very dedicated and hardworking and they keep their promises,” he said.
A female MP, he declared, was just as good as a male MP.
“So it is high time for us to show to the world that Sabah and Malaysia practices gender equality,” he said.
He claimed that in his government, many opportunities were presented to women in the civil service.
“They are given high-ranking posts. We never count their gender as a factor... if you are capable, you are capable and in fact, sometimes women are even better leaders.
“If you come to Sabah, we will give you an opportunity too,” he joked to The Malaysian Insider.
Tsen's candidacy also showed that Sabahan's were racially integrated and lived together without caring about the differences in their races or religions.
“You know we have 32 different ethnic groups here with different cultures, religions but we have been living in harmony for years.
“Sabah is the model for the Prime Minister's 1 Malaysia,” he proclaimed.
He noted that although Tsen was a Chinese, the Malays and other non-Malay Bumiputeras in Batu Sapi would not look at her skin colour when they vote for her come November 4.
He admitted that Tsen's command of Bahasa Malaysia was not very fluent but defended her and said that in time, she would learn to master the language.
“Many of our Chinese MPs were the same but after a few months, they learned the language quickly and can debate very well in the state assembly. Sometimes, their Bahasa Malaysia is even better than the Malays,” he said, laughing.
Tsen is facing political heavyweights from Sabah Progressive Party’s (SAPP) Datuk Yong Teck Lee and PKR's Ansari Abdullah for the Batu Sapi seat this November 4.
October 29, 2010
Tsen being hoisted by Umno supporters during nomination day in Batu Sapi. — Picture by Jack Ooi
BATU SAPI, Oct 29 — Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman has moved to counter allegations that the Barisan Nasional (BN) is riding on public sympathy to win Batu Sapi, insisting widow Datin Linda Tsen Thau Lin on her own offered to be the candidate.
He told The Malaysian Insider in an exclusive interview yesterday that Tsen, the widow of Batu Sapi's late MP Datuk Edmund Chong Ket Wah, was not pressured to contest.
“No pressure, she was willing to be a candidate because she wanted to continue the good work of her husband,” he said.
BN has come under fire for fielding Tsen as a candidate, claiming it was using her tragic loss to garner sympathy votes from the public and retain the seat this November 4.
Chong, a two-term MP, had died on October 9 after a fatal biking accident, triggering the country's 12th by-election.
Tsen, during her campaign walkabouts and interaction with the media, reveals repeatedly that she is still grieving and trying to cope with the loss of her husband.
The soft-spoken piano teacher had even shed tears during several interviews.
But Musa told The Malaysian Insider today that beneath her soft exterior, Tsen was really a “determined lady”.
He denied that she was riding on her husband's popularity to gain sympathy from voters and was a qualified politician in her own right.
“Yes, she is very soft-spoken, very polite and approachable. She shakes the people's hands, smiles and listens to their problems.
“But do not get it wrong and think that she is asking for sympathy. She is a very determined lady,” he said.
Musa added that Tsen had made it clear that she wanted now to work like how her husband had when he was an MP and help to fulfil the promises that he had made to the people.
“She is a very good candidate. She is approachable, very capable woman, very determined and very dedicated.
“She also shows to the people that politics is not new to her... she has been following her husband in functions and ceramahs.
“She says that it is her duty now to contribute to the state and to the economy,” he said.
In time, he added, the people would see that Tsen was truly a “genuine” person.
Musa also said that Tsen's candidacy had proven the Sabah government's practice of gender equality and racial harmony.
“As far as we are concerned, it is high time to give more chances to women because it is the trend now. I always say to the people that women are no less better than men.
“They can perform well, they are very dedicated and hardworking and they keep their promises,” he said.
A female MP, he declared, was just as good as a male MP.
“So it is high time for us to show to the world that Sabah and Malaysia practices gender equality,” he said.
He claimed that in his government, many opportunities were presented to women in the civil service.
“They are given high-ranking posts. We never count their gender as a factor... if you are capable, you are capable and in fact, sometimes women are even better leaders.
“If you come to Sabah, we will give you an opportunity too,” he joked to The Malaysian Insider.
Tsen's candidacy also showed that Sabahan's were racially integrated and lived together without caring about the differences in their races or religions.
“You know we have 32 different ethnic groups here with different cultures, religions but we have been living in harmony for years.
“Sabah is the model for the Prime Minister's 1 Malaysia,” he proclaimed.
He noted that although Tsen was a Chinese, the Malays and other non-Malay Bumiputeras in Batu Sapi would not look at her skin colour when they vote for her come November 4.
He admitted that Tsen's command of Bahasa Malaysia was not very fluent but defended her and said that in time, she would learn to master the language.
“Many of our Chinese MPs were the same but after a few months, they learned the language quickly and can debate very well in the state assembly. Sometimes, their Bahasa Malaysia is even better than the Malays,” he said, laughing.
Tsen is facing political heavyweights from Sabah Progressive Party’s (SAPP) Datuk Yong Teck Lee and PKR's Ansari Abdullah for the Batu Sapi seat this November 4.
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