CALONKINI | Lorry driver S Shanmugam admits that his PMR certificate is his highest education qualification - not exactly the usual credentials for someone considering running for elections.

Nevertheless, he is Parti Sosialis Malaysia’s pick to stand in the Selangor state seat of Port Klang in the 14th general election.

In a recent interview, Shanmugam talked about how he started working as a teenager, because his family could barely afford to keep his younger brother in school.

Later, he tried his hand at upskilling himself and enrolled for a logistics diploma, but was unable to complete the course when he ran out money to pay the school fees.

“I have worked as a clerk, paramedic, hospital worker, logistics assistant and now a lorry driver.

“From the outside, people may think the work of a lorry driver is easy and the pay is high. But it is a tough job.

“I did it for six years and you need to work even when you have a fever. Sometimes if you are transporting 30 to 40 boxes, you have to carry them all by yourself if you have no assistant,” he told Malaysiakini at his service centre in Port Klang...