WAN Aishah Wan Ariffin faltered slightly when I asked if she would prefer to hold this interview in Kuala Lumpur or Negeri Sembilan.
"Oh, you want to meet in person?" she asked in return, and then apologetically explained that it had since become a little difficult for her to venture out without her security escorts. Perhaps a phone interview would be a better idea?
It was an odd request from someone who has lived under the local and international spotlight for over two decades. But the 48-year-old singer knew that the media glare would be different this time around.
When she steps out in public during the next three weeks, the eyes that will be clapped on her won't just be those of adoring fans, but also those of political rivals and journalists.
Last week the former vocalist of the now-defunct New Zealand band, Aishah and the Fan Club, was announced as the PAS candidate for the Jempol parliamentary seat in Negeri Sembilan.
Once an Umno strongwoman, Aishah joined PAS in May last year but was caught off-guard when the party's central working committee broached the subject of her contesting in the GE13 two months ago.
After weeks of self-reflection and interrogating PAS leaders over their motive for choosing her, she was convinced that it was a sound idea.
"All this while PAS has been viewed as an orthodox Islamic party but our motto now is PAS for all," she said.
"So it's good to have faces that break the stereotype. And it's good for politics to have people from all walks of life."
Unfortunately, that outlook isn't shared by Barisan Nasional (BN) who mocked Aishah as a "desperate choice" of a coalition that lacked credible candidates.
Negeri Sembilan BN national chief Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan further remarked that candidates should be chosen for their ability to work and not just sing.
But while Aishah confessed that she's still building her nerves of steel ahead of the 15-day campaign period, she stressed that she is taking this new responsibility "very seriously".
In fact, the only regret she has about her decision is her "impeccable timing" in relaying it to the PAS leadership.
Despite the long weeks of mulling, reality still hadn't sunk in yet and Aishah had planned a quiet week or two to get used to the idea.
But as luck would have it, the dissolution of Parliament took place the very next day and life, as she knew it, changed overnight.
"Talk about being thrown into the deep end!" Aishah chuckled ruefully. "I couldn't sleep for two days because my phone kept ringing non-stop. The media's reaction was similar to when I first returned from New Zealand."
But this time public interest could be embedded with a critical eye that could cast its sight all the way back to her early days as an artiste.
Aishah struck out as a solo artiste in 1992 to wide spread local acclaim with her modern outlook and pop music. She then slipped under the radar for a few years before resurfacing in 2009 but this time, donning a headscarf and crooning spiritual numbers.
And it is this transformation that she will use as a stern rebuke to rivals who dredge up her past in attempt to ride roughshod over her newfound principles and beliefs.
"A lot of history will be brought up," Aishah said. "I'm out of my comfort zone and I will be a punching bag when campaigning officially begins."
"But people must remember that I'm an artis (yang sudah) berhijrah (an artiste who has changed her lifestyle). If they use my past against me, then they are being unforgiving and this strategy will backfire on them."
The choice of Jempol meanwhile was a joint decision between Aishah and the PAS leadership after she insisted on having an affinity for her constituency.
Kampung Batu Kikir in Jempol was her late mother's birthplace and Aishah naturally saw it as befitting that she courts the people there.
Jempol, which borders Pahang, is the largest district in Negeri Sembilan. Aishah's celebrity status and her late mother's good standing there will undoubtedly give her an invaluable head start in this political race.
"I can hit the ground running without having to spend too much time and energy on introducing myself to people," she noted.
Aishah will be facing former Negeri Sembilan menteri besar, Tan Sri Isa Samad, whose Jempol candidacy was announced yesterday.
Her fiercest battle with the BN heavyweight and Felda chairman is expected to be fought in the large Felda settlements there.
When asked what she could bring to the table, she listed her empathy for single mothers, her degree in early childhood education and her experience in a creative industry that could spawn different approaches to resolving local issues.
She has however refused to draw up a list of strengths and weaknesses, and pointed out that she would rather spend time on her campaign strategy.
This staunch focus will also extend to her manner of handling the possible ego-bruising media reports. "There are ways to remain unaffected by negative talk," Aishah said. "First, don't believe your own hype".
"Second, don't base your self-worth on what others say about you. And third, know who you are, know why you are doing this and then just do it."
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