TAIPING: He has captivated people on social media with his fluent Bahasa Malaysia.
But that is not the only language that first-time election candidate Neow Choo Seong (pic) knows.
“Apart from Bahasa, English, Cantonese, Mandarin and Hokkien, I am also fluent in Thai and Spanish,” said the Barisan Nasional’s MCA candidate for the Taiping parliamentary seat.
The polyglot, who was previously a diplomatic officer for about 10 years, had served in countries such as Venezuela and the United States.
Neow, 37, said he was surprised that videos showing his command of Bahasa Malaysia had gone viral.
“Speaking in the language has always come naturally to me since I grew up among multiracial friends. Despite working as a diplomatic officer for years and living abroad, my accent didn’t change.”
“Perhaps it is also because of the strong roots I have. I was born in Taiping. Some of my family members are also able to speak like me,” he added.
Neow put much emphasis on human ties, citing his observations on race relations.
He was in Washington DC when riots broke out during protests held by the Black Lives Matter movement.
“I have seen the danger of racism. Don’t play with fire,” he said.
“People need help, they need good governance and a responsible government to bring this country forward. For me, it is important to move away from old politics and racism,” he added.
After serving about a decade as a diplomatic officer, Neow let go of his dream job to pursue a career as a politician.
“I believe my ability to speak in various languages will make it easier for me to reach out (to the voters).”
“Communication is the key to bringing everyone together,” he said when met at his operation centre here recently.
But language fluency aside, he acknowledged that political leaders need to have other strengths as well.
“While it (language) can be seen as an advantage, substance is more important as I want to tell the public what I can do for them and the country,” he said.
He said the people want a strong direction from their leaders on rebuilding the economy following the ravages of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Neow also hopes to promote Taiping to China as a way to boost the local economy.
“Back in 2014, I was part of the team that worked to bring the pandas to Zoo Negara. The project was a success because of our strong relationship with China,” he said.
For now, he is thankful to his campaigning team.
“Since this is my first time contesting in a general election, I have to thank my team for their hard work. We have been campaigning for days and I must say, I have received positive feedback. Some told me that since I am still young, they feel hopeful,” he said.
“It doesn’t bother me who I am up against in the election because my focus is on the people and putting Taiping on the map, especially in tourism and industrialism,” he said.
The other contenders for Taiping are Pakatan Harapan-DAP’s Wong Kah Woh, See Tean Seng (Perikatan Nasional –Gerakan), and three other Independent candidates – Leow Thye Yih, TS Dr Rama and Mohganan P. Manikam.