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A loving wife and a team of dedicated volunteers is what keeps Kota Alam Shah state assemblyperson M Manoharan’s service centre alive. At the centre’s official launch today in Klang, S Pushpaneela was all smiles as she personally greeted some 200 supporters who dropped by to celebrate the event.
Wife of Internal Security Act detainee Manoharan, Pushpaneela has been campaigning tirelessly not just for his release but during the elections three months ago too.
Pushpaneela told Malaysiakini that it had taken a while to find an ideal place for Kota Alam Shah residents to access. “It took a while. I was looking for an ideal place so people in the constituency can come easily. We found this place three months ago. “The owner of this unit is very kind and gave me reasonable rate at RM550 per month for which I pay every three months,” she said. Pushpaneela explained that she had first paid the rent from her own savings but is now currently assisted by the Selangor state government.
She then paid tribute to all the volunteers who had assisted her though such trying times while juggling her role as a mother of three. According to Pushpaneela, the service centre has about nine staff who volunteer their time to help deal with complaints.
On Manoharan’s condition in Kamunting, she said: “He’s fine healthwise. Most of the time when I visit him, he’s always smiling. That’s probably because he does not want me to worry.
“He looks fine but I know deep in his heart, he wants to come out and work for the people who voted for him,” she added.
One of the volunteers, M Ganesan (right) – known as a ‘action man’ – is tasked with dealing with infrastructure and local government matters. “We deal with issues like floods, financial assistance, clogged drains, recommendation letters and resident association matters. “We visit Manoharan regularly and consult him with the various problems arising. So he gives us advice,” he said. Ganesan noted that most of the volunteers are living in Kota Alam Shah for 20 to 30 years, so they have the advantage of knowing the area and issues very well.
Another volunteer, Damien Thanam (left) said the service centre functions on Manoharan’s belief that everybody should be given assistance regardless of their differences. “We need to help everybody without discriminating their race, religion or even locality. We have 50 per cent of complaints from local residents and the other 50 percent from outside. “People who come to us from outside Kota Alam Shah, we won’t turn them away but we will give them administrative help and relay all the information to their respective state reps,” the political secretary to Manoharan said.
He also noted that it was not difficult to keep the service centre running even without Manoharan around. “We are the experts in running the centre without the state rep around. Can you imagine what this place will be like if the state rep is around?” he said with a grin.
The service centre located on Persiaran Raja Muda Musa in Klang is currently open twice a week on Tuesday and Friday from 7.30am to 10pm. Beginning July, it will open at the same hours but on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
