BANGKOK: A 45-year-old senator, dubbed “angel senator”, on Wednesday (July 10) told Nation TV how aspersions were cast on her candidacy throughout the election phases, but she had managed to overcome the odds and got 79 votes to win with the highest score.
Keskamol Pleansamai (pic) earned this nickname because of her good looks and experience in preventive medicine, mental health and medical beauty.
She graduated with a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Business Administration from California University and a PhD in Management and Resource Development from Maejo University.
She owns four beauty companies: Keskamol Clinic Intergroup, Keskamol Dental Clinic, Inter Derma Laboratory and Medical Pharma.
Her candidacy was constantly attacked, with questions raised on how she had obtained such high votes, on whether she really was a doctor, who supported her, and why she had applied for election in Group 19 - freelancers.
Keskamol said she had joined the Senate race as she wanted to express her opinions and suggestions from her experience as a preventive medicine specialist and adviser of the House Committee on Law, Justice and Human Rights.
When asked why she had applied in the freelancer group instead of public health or women, she said it was part of her strategy, as there were many applicants in those groups, especially senior doctors in the public health group.
She confirmed that she had considered it thoroughly before submitting her application, adding that she did not know why the Election Commission (EC) auditors had to be strict on this point.
Regarding her educational background, Keskamol said she had faced such complaints since the district level election. “Officials at Phetchaburi provincial election commission had even summoned me for an inquiry,” she said, adding that she had already submitted documents to the EC and there were no issues so far.
She also refuted netizens’ claims over her education background, saying that she had graduated from California University in the US. She also confirmed that she had done all of the research by herself. The title “professor” from foreign universities cannot be compared to Thai ones, she added.
Keskamol said that several claims against her on social media aimed at causing misunderstanding or defamation had affected her parents’ health.
“A senator is not a political position, but a voluntary job as a representative to enable the public to sail through the upper house,” she said.
She said she would spend her senator’s salary to work on corporate social responsibility or donations. Initially, I had talked [this issue] with the Corrections Department, she added.
Keskamol admitted that she felt sad that although she was able to handle the accusations of netizens, the negativity had led to her parents being admitted to hospital.
“My mother suffered from cardiac arrhythmia because she had never faced this issue before,” she said, adding that her father suffered from coronary artery disease after the provincial election.
Keskamol affirmed that she was not affiliated with any political party or group, saying that she had the goodwill to work as senator.
“I want you to look at the Thai national flag to see which colour is the largest and is respected by people,” she said, adding that she adhered to that colour to her heart.
She also asked people to look into senators’ potential instead of focusing on abnormality in their application or political affiliation.
In order to protect her dignity and clarify misunderstandings, Keskamol has appointed celebrity lawyer Decha Kittivittayanan to gather information for filing complaints against people who had caused misunderstandings or defamed her. - The Nation/ANN
