Kota Kinabalu: PKR’s Api-Api candidate Thonny Chee has brushed aside claims that he faces a language barrier with the constituency’s sizable Chinese community.
He said he is able to communicate effectively in Malay and English while actively learning Mandarin and Hakka.
Responding to remarks from certain quarters questioning his command of Chinese, Chee said such criticism underestimates the linguistic ability of the Chinese community in Sabah.
“People who bring up this issue seem to assume the Chinese community isn’t smart. But in Api-Api, the Chinese community is fluent in Malay and English. I can communicate with them perfectly well in those two languages,” he said after a walkabout in Kampung Air on Monday.
Chee added that while he is still learning Mandarin and Hakka with the help of his language tutor, he prefers to prioritize clear communication over attempting Chinese phrases that may be misunderstood due to tonal differences.
“Chinese languages have tones. Even if the pronunciation is the same, a slight change in tone gives a different meaning. Rather than risk saying the wrong thing, it’s better for me to speak in Malay or English, which they already understand,” he said.
He said his campaign team also reflects the multicultural makeup of Api-Api, with his campaign manager being Chinese and his director Malay. He said Chinese voters make up about 45 percent of the constituency.
On issues affecting the youth, Chee noted that while Undi18 has expanded the youth vote, Api-Api still has a significant number of older voters. He said out of more than 17,000 voters, around 7,000 are aged 60 and above
“That’s why the state government must be in sync with the federal government. The federal ministries, including Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation and the Ministry of Trade, Investment and Industry offer many programmes for young people and entrepreneurs. With the ministers, I can seek more ideas on how best to help the youth in Api-Api,” he said.
