Campaign trail: Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi (left) and Syed Hussien (second from left) greeting constituents during their walkabout in Taman Sri Kluang. — THOMAS YONG/The Star
KLUANG: His ability to speak Mandarin has won Syed Hussien Syed Abdullah much praise and attention online.
Now, the candidate for the Mahkota by-election wants to turn that advantage into victory for Barisan Nasional.
Videos of him on the campaign trail speaking Mandarin have gone viral on social media.
The 40-year-old businessman, who learnt Mandarin as a pupil of a Chinese vernacular school, readily acknowledged the wonders of knowing Mandarin.
“Speaking languages of other communities in Malaysia can certainly help forge unity among a multiracial society.
“Being able to converse in Mandarin is a bonus to me as I can talk to the Chinese community in Mahkota and understand better the issues they face and their needs,” said the Kluang native in an interview.
The father of two studied at SJK(C) Chong Eng in Kluang from 1991 to 1996.
During his primary school years there, his teacher had given him a Chinese name – “Sai Fu Xing” (Sai being his name and Fu Xing for Star of Fortune).
Now, Syed Hussien will surely hope for good fortune in his bid to represent the people of Mahkota.
MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong also complimented Syed Hussien for his fluency in Mandarin.
“If you hear him speak Mandarin without seeing him, you might think he is Chinese,” said the Ayer Hitam MP, who highlighted Syed Hussien’s linguistic skills in a Facebook post and noted his Chinese name.
The post is accompanied by a video clip of Syed Hussien visiting his alma mater, SJK(C) Chong Eng.
The Kluang Umno Youth chief is hoping to retain the Mahkota seat for Barisan in a straight fight with businessman and former Johor footballer Mohamad Haizan Jaafar, 61, of Perikatan Nasional.
The Mahkota seat fell vacant following the death of Datuk Sharifah Azizah Syed Zain, 63, on Aug 2.
The electoral roll shows that the constituency has 66,318 voters. They include 401 members of the police force, 4,510 military personnel and their spouses, and 10 absentee voters abroad.
The Chinese make up 34% of the total voters in Mahkota, with 56% Malays, 8% Indians and other races (2%).
