Social media celebrity and one-time opposition darling Thy Sovantha has thrown her hat in the ring to head up the Cambodia National Rescue Party’s Sun TV station, a suggestion an opposition official rebuffed yesterday as “useless”.

Sovantha made the request to run the still-unfinished station on her Facebook page, which has over 1.3 million “likes”, implying that under her care, the station would be popular in no time.

“In six months, I could make the television [station] run [well],” Sovantha wrote, adding that if need be, she “will sell a pepper farm to get money to donate $200,000 to help produce news for CNRP TV”.

It wasn’t clear if the donation was contingent on her request being granted, and Sovantha could not be reached yesterday for clarification.

While commenters under the post were mixed in their reactions, CNRP lawmaker Eng Chhay Eang was unequivocal yesterday, saying that given Sovantha’s lack of experience running a multi-million dollar media operation, the request was “useless”.

“If a person who does not have expert knowledge could govern [that kind of enterprise], then universities and colleges might as well close down.”

The process of starting the station has been a drawn-out affair, but Chhay Eang insisted Sun TV would be up and running before the end of the year.