Maria touched by overwhelming support in PJ

Her service centre has been flooded with members of the public signing up to be volunteers.

Petaling Jaya candidate Maria Chin Abdullah is making her debut in the May 9 polls.

PETALING JAYA: Opposition candidate for Petaling Jaya, Maria Chin Abdullah, is overwhelmed by the number of volunteers who have been turning up at her service centres.

Maria said many of them were contributing their time as they wanted to see electoral and institutional reforms in the country.

The former Bersih 2.0 chairman, who has set up two service centres in Taman Medan and Jalan Gasing, said as a newcomer to politics, she could not have done it on her own.

“I am amazed at the overwhelming response from people.

“People from all walks of life are coming forward to help out in the service centres or to be volunteers,” she told FMT.

Maria has been conducting training for those keen on being polling agents and counting agents, and has signed up over 600 people so far.

“I am confident that I will get more volunteers,” she added.

She said the service centre in Taman Medan was being run by local residents while volunteers manned the Jalan Gasing service centre.

“I am so grateful to them. Most of them tell me they want institutional reforms,” she said.

Maria was announced as a candidate for Petaling Jaya (formerly known as PJ Selatan) last night.

She will be launching a manifesto for the parliamentary seat soon.

Her manifesto will include institutional reforms, housing, and social and economic issues plaguing the low-income group in Taman Medan and other areas.

“I will also be pushing for a Royal Commission of Inquiry on the electoral system and for local council elections to be held,” she said.

She said the country needed to look at things differently without politicising race and religion.

Petaling Jaya was traditionally a MCA stronghold. Since 2008, however, PKR has won the seat with an increasing majority of 5,700 in 2008 against Donald Lim and 19,000 in 2013 against Sheah Kok Fah. - FMT