As a former para-powerlifter, Mogan Subramaniam is used to carrying tremendous weights, but the current burden he has to shoulder is a bit too much for him to bear.

Aside from struggling to make ends meet by selling and servicing fire extinguishers for a living, the 48-year-old from Taiping, Perak, also has to contend with pulling himself out of a blacklist he has landed in after failing to pay up a government loan, reported SAYS.

According to the report, Mogan's journey in para powerlifting began in 2002 after both his legs were amputated due to a medical condition. Undeterred, he participated in many national-level powerlifting championships between then and 2006, and won various medals.

He has been running a fire extinguisher business since 2009, from which he makes between RM800 and RM1,000 monthly. That income, coupled with the RM450 he receives from the Social Welfare Department (JKM) monthly, goes towards paying rent, utilities, and living expenses.

The four-wheel motorcycle Mogan used to make to make deliveries of the fire extinguishers has also broken down beyond repair, and he has to use a taxi to carry out his business, which can be a costly affair. However, thanks to his plight being higlighted by social activist Kuan Chee Heng recently, a grocery business owner in Penang has offered to buy Mogan a new machine.

Mogan's problems, however, are far from over, as he also has to worry about servicing more than RM34,000 worth of government loans he had taken up when they were offered to entrepreneurs. Failure to promptly service the loans have landed Mogan is a blacklist by the banks, and this, in turn, has rendered him unable to borrow any money from banks, he lamented.

According to him, he had since written to former premier Muhyiddin Yassin and his constituency's Member of Parliament Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abdul Fasal for help to address his problems, but have not heard back from either of them.

Mogan is badly in need of assistance to get out of his current predicament, and any little help will go a long way.

If you wish to help Mogan or know more details, you may contact him at 016-4823583.

This is not the first time we have heard of former para-athletes struggling to make ends meet.

Previously, there were reports about former paralympic swimmer Koh Lee Peng, who won seven gold and three silver medals for the country, but now sells tissues in Bukit Bintang for a living.

Last year, former national para- sprinter Raduan Emeari was found to be working at a petrol station in Kuala Selangor:


Source & Photo source: SAYS