Barisan heeds family’s plight

BAGAN Barisan Nasional co-ordinator David Chua in Penang has come to the aid of Lalitha Arumugam who has suffered a string of misfortunes.

Chua said he would be making arrangements for Lalitha, 67, to receive financial aid from the state Welfare Department soon.

“I was really touched when Lalitha related her suffering when she came to receive her RM500 voucher under Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia aid.

“I decided to help the family because the Barisan government is always caring for the less for-tunate,” he said after visiting Lalitha at her home in Taman Ketapang in Sungai Puyu, Butterworth, on Monday.

Seberang Prai Welfare Department officer A. Tinesh and Special Issues Department officer Arbaaiah Ter-mizi accompanied Chua during the visit.

The Star had highlighted Lalitha’s plight when she received the voucher from Chua at SJK Sungai Puyu on Sunday.

Lalitha’s 75-year-old husband C. Krishnan, a former Telekom employee who was diagnosed with abdominal tumour, died in August last year.

Their son Kaliappan, 46, a clerk with Universiti Sains Malaysia, died of liver cirrhosis 13 days later.

Kaliappan’s wife, S. Shanti, 46, a factory production operator, recently fractured her leg and shoulder in an accident while travelling to her workplace.

Lalitha’s daughter Kanchana, 45, a clinic assistant, was widowed five years ago when her husband, M. Nagarethinam, then 43, an ambulance driver, died from brain haemorrhage after a fall while helping to clean a temple.

Shanti has three children aged between 13 and 22, and Kanchana has three, aged between 12 and 19.

Three of Lalitha’s grandchildren were pursuing diploma courses at Politeknik Seberang Prai, while her remaining grandchildren were still schooling.

BN Bagan unstoppable public service

THE Bagan Barisan Nasional coordinator David Chua said that the Bagan MCA service centre on Jalan Kampung Bengali in Butterworth would be opened from noon to 5pm Monday to Sunday to receive the BR1M forms .

He said applicants could also submit their forms at the service centre of Bagan Dalam BN coordinator M. Karuppanan located on Jalan New Ferry from 10am to 5pm.

Bagan MCA had given away 25,000 BR1M forms in the constituency and had received more than 5,000 forms back, he added.

Chua, who is also the Bagan MCA division Youth head, said this after handing over 2,000 applications forms to the Inland Revenue Board office at Bandar Perda, Bukit Mertajam on Friday.

Karuppanan also submitted about 2,000 forms which were collected by his service centre while Bukit Mertajam MIC division head Datuk K.R. Murugaiah handed over 2,500 forms.

Under Budget 2012, the Government has allocated a one-off cash assistance of RM500 for households with a monthly income of RM3,000 and below under the scheme.

The deadline for the application to be submitted is Jan 10, next year.

For more details, call 04-8296 269/2268207/016-4788383.


Mobile centre filled to the BR1M

At a separate event, Bukit Bendera Barisan Nasional mobile service centre in Penang, which was set up to help the people with the application and submission of the Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia (BR1M) forms, has received overwhelming response.

Air Putih Barisan Nasional coordinator Tang Heap Seng, who is also Bukit Bendera MCA division chief, said some 100 people had turned up to enquire and collect the forms.

He said the service centre, which was jointly set up by him and Bukit Bendera Barisan Nasional coordinator H’ng Chee Wey, was aimed at creating awareness on the RM500 one-off aid.

“Since the mobile service centre was set up in Air Itam on Friday, we have been receiving overwhelming response from the public,” he said.

The public could submit their forms personally to his service centre on Lorong Sempadan Dua in Air Itam on every Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 10.30am to noon, he said on Saturday.

He said another counter for the BR1M scheme was set up in Reservoir Gardens on Sunday from 9.30am to 10.30am.

At the mobile centre on Friday, H’ng said: “I have also prepared a photocopy machine here to photocopy the MyKad and payslips of the applicants on the spot,” he said.

He had distributed some 20,000 application forms so far.

One of the residents in Air Itam, Lee, 61, lauded the duo’s efforts.

“I can obtain the form and brief other applicants on details about the scheme,” she said.

Retiree Ooi Ah Lang, 63, said the RM500 aid would come in handy as it would ease some financial burden during the Chinese New Year.

“It is also convenient for retirees like me when there is a mobile service centre in the neighbourhood,” he said.

A consultation counter for BR1M scheme application was also set up at Taman Lumba Kuda on Saturday.