Claypot distribution offers cheer to Tamil families

Residents from Taman Medan receiving claypots and milk for the Ponggal harvest festival, which concludes on Wednesday.

SINCE 2015, former Petaling Jaya City councillor Sugumaran Annamalai has made it a yearly affair to contribute claypots and milk to low-income families during Ponggal – a harvest festival for the Tamil community.

This year is no different.

“I gave away pots for up to 1,500 people over the past few years, but had to reduce the number to about 800 this year as my term as a Petaling Jaya City councillor is yet to be renewed,” said Sugumaran.

Funding to buy the pots came from Petaling Jaya MP Lee Chean Chung, former Kajang assemblyman Hee Loy Sian, Petaling Jaya PKR division and Sugumaran himself.

He said Indians often buy a new claypot to cook sweet rice, also known as ponggal, in milk.

Traditionally, the Tamil community cooks the sweet rice on Thai Pongal which is today.

The four-day festival concludes on Wednesday.

“The price of the claypot is about RM14.50 and milk is around RM7. Low-income families are grateful to receive these items as the contribution helps ease their burden a little in preparing for the festival,” he said.

“When we visited people living in low-cost flats in Petaling Jaya, I could see they were delighted.”

He said the claypots and milk were distributed to residents of Impian Baiduri in Section 8, Taman Medan and Section 14.