BN candidate for Kesidang Leong Hui Ying’s campaign got off to a rough start after a video clip of her apparently struggling to answer reporters in Bahasa Malaysia started making rounds.
The video clip depicted Leong being asked in English by a reporter for her thoughts on the “stability for prosperity” theme used by BN for the Malacca elections.
Leong thought very hard about the question and struggled to find an answer, to which the reporter repeated the question in Bahasa Malaysia.
Unable to answer, she looked off-camera and told someone in Chinese: “I don’t know how to answer this question.”
Following this, another reporter asked, in Bahasa Malaysia, Leong: “What are your strategies, as the youngest candidate, to compete against political seniors?”
This was in reference to the fact that Leong, a political novice, will be taking on the incumbent Seah Shoo Chin from the DAP who won the Kesidang seat by a landslide in 2018.
To this, Leong replied, in English, confidently: “I will try my best.”
Because of this exchange, the video clip carried a caption at the bottom claiming that Leong was not speaking Bahasa Malaysia.
Leong, in the video, clearly struggled with the first question in both languages but understood the second question in Bahasa Malaysia.
Earlier today, another video clip of Leong speaking in a mix of Bahasa Malaysia and English was shared on the MCA’s WhatsApp group for the press.
In this video clip, Leong said she was aware that the video clip of her botched interview was making rounds.
“I want to say hi and thank you. I want to let everyone know I speak Bahasa Melayu.
“Perhaps there were some problems hence that video appeared. I hope the voters in Kesidang do not misunderstand the video and will support or vote for me,” she said.
This video clip was only shared briefly in MCA’s WhatsApp group before it was deleted.
When contacted, MCA state secretary Yong Fun Juan refused to comment on the matter. – Malaysiakini