MALAYSIANSKINI | From living with plantation workers in her early 20s to entering her first election in her early 60s, PSM central committee member Mohana Rani Rasiah’s political journey is a story of tireless dedication to the downtrodden.

Rani, recognised by her middle name which means “queen” in Sanskrit, co-founded PSM in 1998 - the country’s longest-standing left-wing political party.

But it was only two decades after PSM’s formation, in the 2018 general election, that Rani, at the age of 63, made her electoral debut contesting the Buntong state seat in Perak.

Despite many years in politics, the veteran politician admitted to being too shy to approach people directly for their votes and baulked at the idea of giving political speeches with sweet promises...