Penampang candidate attacked by old audio recording
Whoever put it out there is obviously trying to destroy my image and get supporters of PBS, which is a GRS component party, to vote against me. Well, I can confirm that all the GRS election machinery members, including the PBS, have been in high spirits and working hard as a solid team to win Penampang for the people.
Kenny Chua
PENAMPANG: GRS candidate for Penampang, Kenny Chua, says no amount of personal a acks to assassinate his character will stop him from fulfilling the people’s wishes for change in the parliamentary.
“Some people have tried everything to tarnish my image so that the people in Penampang won’t vote for me and GRS. One of them is an old audio recording of my outburst.
“But I can tell you that voters in Penampang have had enough. They want change. They want solutions to so many problems. I offer myself to fulfill their wishes. People can level personal a acks on me. I don’t care. What I care about is the future of Penampang and the people,” he said.
Chua said this in response to an audio recording of his outburst that is being widely circulated via WhatsApp. In the audio recording, Chua can be heard scolding a person who had falsely accused him of being involved in drugs.
He explained that it was an old audio recording, made more than a year ago, and was nothing more than a personal ma er between him and a former PBS man.
“Whoever put it out there is obviously trying to destroy my image and get supporters of PBS, which is a GRS component party, to vote against me.
“Well, I can confirm that all the GRS election machinery members, including the PBS, have been in high spirits and working hard as a solid team to win Penampang for the people,” he said.
He said he had lodged a police report about the audio recording on Sunday.
Chua, however, apologised if the audio has offended and caused confusion to the people. But he condemned any acts to sabotage his campaign, create enmity among the GRS component parties and destroy his image.
In the mean time, Chua said that despite being an underdog, the GRS is gaining strong support from the people in the parliamentary constituency, including in Kepayan which is known to be a DAP and Pakatan Harapan stronghold.
He noted that there are strong indications that the majority Chinese voters in the state constituency will vote for someone they can identify themselves with.
“One of the main issues in Kepayan, and for that ma er Penampang, is that the people hardly see their MP and elected assemblyman around. They only get to see them on special occasions. Even so, they o en send their representatives.
“They say we can complain about floods, traffic jam, lack of development and opportunities in Penampang. But all these would go nowhere if they can’t even meet their MP and ADUN (assemblyman),” he said.
Being a Sino-Kadazan, Chua said he is able to relate to the aspirations of the Chinese-majority Kapayan and Kadazandusun-majority Moyog, both state constituencies in the Penampang parliamentary.
If Chua wins the seat, he will be the first Sino-Kadazan MP for Penampang.
Meanwhile, many people in Penampang who have listened to Kenny’s speech during his campaign trail said Penampang needs a strong and vocal leader in parliament.
“Penampang is home to so many people who are holding high positions in government and in the private sectors. It is also home to so many successful people in the business world. They are intelligent individuals who understand the workings of a government. They have vision of what Penampang should be and could become.
“Chua’s character fits well with the kind of leader people in Penampang have always hoped for. They want someone who can articulate the needs and vision of the electorates to the powers that be. He dares to speak up. And most importantly, he will get things done,” said a former senior civil servant.