Sundararaj is a Lesson for us to Learn

After 31 years and 300 appeal letters, Sundararaj, a former Health Ministry clerk died of cancer without being able to receive his pension.

On May 30, 2006, 90-year old Sundararaj wrote letter No: 300 to Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, asking him to help out to resolve this 50 years problem.

However, Sundararaj's last wish was not fulfilled as he did not get a reply from the prime minister's office. His letter was directed from the PM office back to the PSD as had been always the case which his 299 letters was before.

It's clear; Even the Prime Minister can't help! This is the Prime Minister we had!

Sundararaj's problems began in 1971 when his application for absorption into permanent employment went missing. He was among 23 temporary employees who were offered permanent employment in government service under a recommendation of the Royal Salary Commission (Suffian) 1968.Although Sundararaj wrote numerous appeals to the Public Services Department (PSD), he was not called for an interview unlike the others. Sundararaj retired in 1975 as a temporary clerk and had been appealing for a pension without success ever since.

Sundararaj quest for justice took him to the offices of four prime ministers starting with Tun Abdul Razak, deputy prime ministers, presidents of political parties, the Chief Secretary, senior government officials and others.

Sundararaj had sworn that:

"If all the king's horses and all the king's men can't help me, then I will go to the king himself!"

He believed that the "King" will surely help as he is just and fair to his people.

Sundararaj had asked the prime minister for a personal response addressed to him "so that, only then, will I be convinced that no one is able to help me, and have that letter cremated with my remains when I die".

It is the poignant conclusion of the pensioner's letter to Prime Minister Abdullah that speaks volumes:

"YAB, at least now I hope you will sympathise and do the needful on humanitarian grounds. Your sympathy will be able to get me a small sum of money as I am already in the last lap of my life, 90-years-old and very ill".

In his letter he had asked the prime minister for a personal response addressed to him "so that, only then, will I be convinced that no one is able to help me, and have that letter cremated with my remains when I die".

"I shall fight till my last breath," he declared.

However, Sundararaj's last wish will never be fulfilled as he did not get a reply from the prime minister's office.

He had fought in vain. He had believed in the Prime Minister. He was wrong.

Sundararaj stands as a lesson for all of us to learn: that the government is never willing and never will listen to ordinary citizen's plight unless it is election time but are willing to expeditiously settle Gerbang Perdana about their $350 million claim of which Samy Vellu promised that it will be submitted to the Cabinet soonest possible; but the PM and his Cabinet have no time for ordinary citizen.

"If all the king's horses and all the king's men can't help me, then I will go to the king himself --- that's a fallacy for the king is too far away from the citizen's plights!"