Tsen’s priority to complete works of her husband

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SANDAKAN: Datin Linda Tsen Thau Lin is putting her grieve aside for now.

For the 54-year-old single mother, continuing her late husband Datuk Edmund Chong Ket Wah’s good work is a priority as she vows to serve the people of Batu Sapi.

“I cannot mourn forever. The people need a representative and it is my turn to carry on what my late husband had started (in Batu Sapi),” said Tsen after visiting Pasar Tanah Merah and Kampung Pukat here yesterday.

Chong’s sudden passing after involving in a road accident on Oct 9 left the Batu Sapi parliamentary seat vacant.

Tsen is challenged by two senior politicians, Sabah Progressive Party president Datuk Seri Panglima Yong Teck Lee and Parti Keadilan Rakyat Tuaran division chief cum prominent lawyer Ansari Abdullah.

“I have to be strong. I do not care what people have to say about me contesting the by-election. There are unfinished works in the Batu Sapi parliamentary constituency that I have to finish,” said the mother of four, adding that she is contesting the by-election with a clear conscience.

Traditionally, in a Chinese family when a member passed away, the other surviving members are discouraged from visiting other houses within a period of 49 to 100 days.

It was believed that family members of the deceased would bring “bad luck” to the house that they visited while still observing the mourning period.

Tsen, 56, is a Christian.

The piano teacher, who is adamant to carry on the legacy of her late husband, said she had to be strong for the sake of her family.

PBS president Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan said two days into the campaign, Tsen had transformed from a pianist to a politician.

“She was already a politician then by joining the PBS Women movement. She has shown that she understands what her late husband went through and what she is doing now is to continue that involvement, the service, to complete the programmes started by her late husband,” said Pairin.

He said Tsen was doing a good job in representing the BN government, and based on their good track record, they are determined to continue developing the state.

“Particularly now if you are looking at the Batu Sapi area, education is so important that we have established an education hub here (in Sandakan), and if you go and sum in what is going on, all the infrastructures coming through, this is indicative of the commitment of the government, to ensure that education for the people here will be established,” he said.

He strongly believes it will well suit parents who wish to send their children for higher education.

“When you talked about what we are looking at, why we work so hard, it is for the people. We come here as part of the programme also to listen to the people, not only to introduce the candidate, to listen to the people, to walk around, to collect information so that we can act on those information coming from the people,” he said.

On another development, Pairin said the government had been very responsive and responsible which should be considered in a very positive manner.

To a question whether BN is losing the Chinese community votes following the traffic congestion at the Taman Mawar area, Pairin said the government had allocated RM4 million to build an alternative route to overcome the problem.

“The intention of the BN government is of course to help the people, and it has already been said that this matter is being attended to,” he said.