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KOTA KINABALU: Those who know Matusin Bowie will recall that he was a fearsome and aggressive defender during Sabah’s heyday in Malaysian soccer in the 1990s.
Despite being 5 ft 1 inch, Matusin, who is Barisan Nasional’s candidate for the new Tulid seat, managed to strike fear into the hearts of his opponents and was even nicknamed “belian” (meaning teak wood) for his massive calf muscles.
The 51-year-old’s goal now is to bring the same tenacity he showed in football to the political field.
Making his political debut, he will face six others.
“Basically, I’m bringing the same ‘never give up’ spirit that I showed on the field so that my contenders know that I’m serious and I’m the main challenger for the job,” he told FMT.
“Of course, I am no longer confronting people, but I want my rivals to see that I am a candidate that people can easily approach to express their problems.”
Playing as a right back and occasionally deployed as a midfielder, Matusin was part of the Sabah team that made history when they won the FA Cup in 1995.
However, he and five others, including star forward Matlan Marjan, received a life ban for alleged involvement in a match-fixing scandal. That ban was subsequently revoked by the Malaysian Football Association in 2017.
Matusin was not worried about the past and said it will not affect his chances in this election much.
According to him, certain neighborhoods tried to reopen old wounds with viral stories about banning match-fixing, but that has not hindered his campaign.
“It has not had a profound effect on my campaign because people already know (that the ban has been lifted). And also because that was a long time ago.
“The irony is that certain parties have leaders who are involved in ongoing court cases and yet they want to use my past as political ammunition,” he said.
Matusin said that although he faces allies from PN and PBS, his main contender remains Warisan, represented by Mudi Dubing.
He said he was “a little nervous” at the start of the campaign as it was his first foray into politics, but thanks to the guidance of PBRS President Joseph Kurup, he had been able to address what was needed of him.
“The last time I was still playing football, I had to face thousands of fans. Now, there are only hundreds of people at the same time, so I can handle the pressure, “he said.
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