Marina sees no problem becoming first Malay rep in traditional Chinese seat
JOHOR POLLS | Pakatan Harapan's Skudai candidate Marina Ibrahim sees no problem being the first Malay to contest in the traditional Chinese seat.
Trumping the DAP line that it is a multiracial party, the electoral debutante says if elected, she will be colour blind in representing...
JOHOR POLLS | Pakatan Harapan's Skudai candidate Marina Ibrahim sees no problem being the first Malay to contest in the traditional Chinese seat.
Trumping the DAP line that it is a multiracial party, the electoral debutante says if elected, she will be colour blind in representing her constituents.
"We don't see skin colour or race when helping others. We can help everyone regardless of who they are, and I think I have that ability.
"Language limitations will not be a problem for me and I consider it a challenge (to overcome)," she said at the launch of her operations centre at Taman Ungku Tun Aminah today.
According to estimates, 61.8 percent of Skudai's 102,828 voters are Chinese, followed by 23.4 percent Malay, 13.7 percent Indian, and 1.1 percent other races.
Since the seat was created in 1995, it has only had Chinese candidates with the MIC being the exception in 2018.
Working with Chinese community
This year, Marina (above, far left) will be facing off against BN's Lim Soon Hai and Perikatan Nasional's Khoo Kong Ek.
Marina said she has no problem working with the Chinese community and has already had plenty of experience while working in Kulai and Layang-Layang.
While playing a colour blind card, Marina still has some tricks up her sleeve to bridge the racial barrier.
During the launch today, she sang a verse from a Hokkien song that loosely translates to "Three points are destined, seven points depend on hard work, nothing ventured, nothing gained".
This was met by cheers from the 30-odd people in attendance, mostly DAP leaders and party workers.
"This song is very meaningful to me, because (it means) 30 percent has been predestined by God, and the other 70 percent is effort," she said.
Racial issues
"To win Skudai, I will strive until I succeed. If I am chosen, I will put in more than 100 percent to lead Skudai," she added.
Asked later what she would do if there were racial issues that crop up, the 35-year-old said she would not jump to conclusions.
"I won't simply judge or jump to conclusions. I believe such (racial) issues are played up due to a lack of understanding," she said.
She cited examples for example that if a non-Muslim may criticise a Muslim's act of fasting during Ramadan, this should not provoke anger as the criticism was due to ignorance.
"Misunderstandings arise because we don't want to understand.
"If we strive to understand, as I have done, I believe we can live peacefully.
"It's just that there are some who purposely spark (racial) issues because racism is the easiest way to divide Malaysia," the DAP candidate said.
Replacing incumbent
DAP had originally planned to field Marina in Layang-Layang, but after PKR took the seat, she was moved to Skudai - whose incumbent Tan Hong Pin had been dropped by the party leadership.
Tan was offered the Labis parliamentary seat in the next general election as compensation.
Asked whether she would include Tan in her campaign team, Marina said she and the Skudai incumbent had a cordial relationship.
She said she often sought his guidance, and that she would continue doing so as well as carrying out any of his unfinished business if elected.
