Cleaning Muslim cemetery: Personal attacks not my style - Tsen
SANDAKAN POLLS | PBS' Sandakan candidate Linda Tsen said neither she nor her party had anything to do with the criticisms being levelled against her opponent Vivian Wong for cleaning a Muslim cemetery yesterday morning.
"I can tell you we have nothing to do with that. We do not do this kind of thing, it is not my style, not my party's style," Tsen said...
SANDAKAN POLLS | PBS' Sandakan candidate Linda Tsen said neither she nor her party had anything to do with the criticisms being levelled against her opponent Vivian Wong for cleaning a Muslim cemetery yesterday morning.
"I can tell you we have nothing to do with that. We do not do this kind of thing, it is not my style, not my party's style.
"I don't like to do any personal attacks... Honestly, I wish Vivian all the best," Tsen said to reporters during a walkabout at the Sandakan central market this morning.
DAP held a gotong-royong programme yesterday morning to clean the Muslim cemetery at Kampung Sim Sim in Sandakan with its candidate Vivian.
A screenshot of a Facebook posting went viral on WhatsApp later the same day, where the Facebook user accused Vivian of putting on an "act" to ridicule Muslims in Sandakan.
"When did Sandakan women (amoi2) join in cleaning and mourning the graves of Muslim people as shown in the picture unless it is to ask for votes?" the user had sarcastically questioned.
DAP later responded to the viral screenshot, saying it was prompted to respond after the "opposition had gone too far by putting down this kind gesture".
'Please don't joke'
PBS deputy president Yee Mo Chai also denied his party's involvement in the criticisms against Vivian, calling DAP's claim a big joke.
"Are you saying PBS arranged for them to go and visit the cemetery and then we took a picture and posted it?
"You think we could do that? Please don't joke about that," Yee said.
However, Tsen said in her experience as the former Batu Sapi MP, whenever there were any issues related to mosques, she would discuss with the relevant individuals outside.
"Anytime they have any issues they will come find me and I will discuss with them outside.
"If they do not invite me inside the mosque, I will not go in.
"This is my attitude because they have their rules and regulations. You can't simply go in," she said.
In DAP's response to the viral screenshot last night, the party had said that Vivian was only continuing what her late father and incumbent Sandakan MP Stephen Wong had done while he was the elected representative.
"It is regretful that this was seen by the opposition and some members of the public as a political gimmick.
"In fact, this was a normal practice during (Vivian's) late father Stephen's time," they had said.
The party also stressed that it is a normal practice in Sabah as "racial and religious sentiments should have no place in Sabah politics".
No intention to offend
In a press conference later today, Vivian said it was never her intention to cause any issues with the Muslim population.
She also said that she will be more cautious about such matters in the future.
The candidate stressed again that she was merely trying to carry on her father’s work.
“This was the wishes of my late father, he often cleaned up the Muslim cemeteries every year,” she said.
A Bersatu supporter who was also in attendance at the press conference said his parents were buried at the Muslim cemetery at Kampung Sim Sim and that he welcomed Vivian as a guest there.
“My father who passed away 20 years ago and my mother who passed away last year were buried in that cemetery.
“We welcome Vivian’s presence as a guest. There is no religious issue here. We are a diverse society,” said Zamri Othman.
The Sandakan by-election was triggered by the death of Stephen on March 28.
Vivian, Stephen's youngest daughter, is contesting in a five-cornered fight against Tsen, a former two-term Batu Sapi MP, and three independents.
Voting in the by-election will be held on May 11.
There are 39,777 voters in Sandakan, with 51 percent Chinese voters, 26 percent Sabah bumiputera, 16 percent Malays and seven percent others.
