Appeal by Pushpa, M. Manoharan's Wife
Dear Fellow Malaysians,
It is not easy for me to write this appeal but I am compelled to as a result of what is happening to me and my family.
One of the reasons for the Government to put people away under the ISA is to break the spirit of the detained and at the same time create trepidation amongst family members thus disrupting the harmony therein.
Manoharan is a good son, son in-law, husband and a good father to our lovely three kids ranging from 9-11 years. My husband has aged parents and his mother is wheel-chair bound. They are both dependant on him for monthly expenses as well.
One year and two months have passed since my husband's detention. His recent appeal was rejected by the court, and we are told that he shall be in detention for two years.
Our three children are deprived of their social activities, love, guidance and they have lost confidence and constantly living in fear. They are also having nightmares so they are not themselves anymore. I am worried for them as I feel that they are scarred for life with this stigma that their father is a ‘prisoner’ what the future holds for them.
As you are aware my husband M. Manoharan was a legal adviser to the banned Hindraf and is currently under detention under ISA, without trial. He is a graduate in Economics from UM and also a law graduate from UK. He was having a reasonably successful legal practice in Suite B-4-1, Tower B.Plaza Pantai, Off Jalan Pantai Baru, Kuala Lumpur, under the name M. Manoharan & Co. He started his practice in 2001 with very little funds. I stopped work as a teacher and helped out in my husband’s legal firm. There have been many occasions when his firm has performed legal work free of charge for poor and destitute people.
I am a homemaker and now at a loss as to how to manage his law practice as there are no funds or new cases coming in. I tried to downsize his legal firm from ten staff to six staff from 1st Jan 2007 and have used up all our savings to maintain the office. I have also been issued a summons to settle the arrears in rental amounting to RM120K plus interest. Thus, I am in urgent need of financial assistance to help save his firm which is on the verge of closing down. His allowance as Member of Parliament puts food on the table but is far short of the monthly minimum required to pay bills.
I need to keep the firm afloat as this is important to keep my husband sane and give him a reason to push on. It will definitely break his heart and he will be devastated if the firm is closed down. I have exhausted and stretched my resources to the maximum to keep the firm running but cannot cope with the mounting pressure any more.
My husband has laid down his life, his career and his personal life to fight for the basic rights of right - thinking Malaysians and I am now appealing to the generosity of the same kind-hearted people to help us tide over this difficult period of settling our debts, which have chalked up due to my husband’s unfair detention without trial. I shall be grateful to receive whatever assistance to sustain the legal firm as well as to start paying up our outstanding debts.
Sincerely Yours,
Pushpa
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