Passion to serve people
Ramlingam Mudaliar on reasons he joined NFP
RAMLINGAM ‘Robert’ Mudaliar wants take his passion for service to another level and that is why he put his hand up to become a provisional candidate for the 2022 polls under the National Federation Party (NFP) banner.
He was one of 23 proposed candidates announced last week at the NFP headquarters in Suva.
Born and raised in Nadi, Mr Mudaliar is the grandson of a canefarmer and the son of a canecutter.
“I attended Nadi Sangam School then went to Sangam Sadhu Kuppuswamy Memorial College (SSKMC) for secondary school,” he said.
“I then went to Phillip College (now known as Canberra College) in Canberra where I did my Year 11 and 12 and went on to Canberra TAFE in 1987 and 1988.”
While in TAFE, his younger brother died and this took a toll on him and his studies.
“I came to Fiji for his funeral and after the funeral I had to stay for another three months.
“He was our family’s income earner, along with my dad.
“I went back to Australia and studied part time so I could work as well.
“It was a difficult time for me.”
Mr Mudaliar returned to Fiji in 1992 and stayed with his father.
In 1993, he found employment at a hardware outlet in Nadi.
“It was difficult to find work at the time but I was able to work at MM Timber as an accounts clerk.
“After a few months I went to work for Food 4 Less Supermarket as a floor supervisor before I joined Punjas Ltd as a supermarket manager.”
From when he joined Punjas in 1994, Mr Mudaliar climbed up the ranks and became general manager sales. He retired in 2020 but remained a consultant with the company. He said his passion to serve the people made him enter politics.
“All my years at Punjas and working in some religious groups, I’ve been serving people through outreach programs and now I want to serve the people nationally. “For me, it’s a passion to serve the people because all I have done during my days in Fiji was help people around me.”
When asked why he chose to contest under the NFP banner, Mr Mudaliar said NFP had all the qualities he was looking for in terms of a political organisation.
“NFP is a multiracial party that believes in democracy and a party that has been here for more than 50 years.
“The leaders listen to the people so people do not hesitate to put their ideas forward and this a party where you are heard.”
Mr Mudaliar called on voters to come out in numbers on December 14 to make their voice heard by voting for the party they wanted to form the next government.