Dr M K Rajakumar : Former president of the Malaysian Medical Association

Dr M K Rajakumar : Veteran socialist leader and healthcare advocate;regarded as a founding father of the discipline of family medicine by general practitioners and family physicians

 1932-2008

Former president of the Malaysian Medical Association
Former president of the World Organisation of Family Doctors (WONCA)
Former president of the Malaysian Scientific Assocation
Former president of the World Organisation of National Colleges, Academies
Former president of the Academic Associations of Family Physicians

"Dr Rajakumar was very dedicated to his cause. As a medical doctor he could have spent his time making money, but he was only interested in helping people."

Prof Emeritus Tan Sri Dr Khoo Khay Kim

 "He was at his happiest when serving the poor. We in the Barisan Sosialis looked upon him as a true people’s hero because he was not interested in rewards...I know that he was offered titles by the Barisan government and also that Lee Kuan Yew tried to get him to move to Singapore but he turned both down because his only interest was serving the poor.”

Tan Khai Hee

A great man has passed away. He was a genuine Malaysian, a true patriot, a selfless leader and a public intellectual par excellence. I have the fullest admiration for him. Raja deserves to be regarded as the best role model for Malaysians, especially the youths of today.

 by Dr. Syed Husin Ali

Dr M K Rajakumar

Dr M K Rajakumar was a veteran socialist leader and medical practitioner, regarded as a founding father of the discipline of family medicine by general practitioners and family physicians. Dr Rajakumar is best known as a leftist intellectual who formed part of the leadership of the Labour Party and Barisan Sosialis during the 1960s. Along with other leaders like the late Tan Sri Dr Tan Chee Koon, V. David, Ishak Haji Muhammad (better known as Pak Sako) and Karam Singh, he made the Labour Party a force to be reckoned with (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M._K._Rajakumar). As a medical student at the University of Malaya in Singapore, he co-founded the University Socialist Club and later landed himself in court on a sedition charge for an editorial that condemned Western imperialism and aggression in Asia. Even after his return to Malaya to practice medicine, he was associated with politicians, trade unionists and activists detained without trial in various mass arrests (http://gbgerakbudaya.com/2012/02/an-uncommon-hero-m-k-rajakumar-in-politics-and-medicine/).He was also detained under the Internal Security Act from 1966-1969.

After he was released from detention Rajakumar focused more on his medical practice, but was still concerned with improving the general standard of healthcare.He served as President of the Malaysian Medical Association from 1979-80, President of the Malaysian Scientific Assocation from 1981-83 and President of the World Organisation of National Colleges, Academies and Academic Associations of Family Physicians from 1986-89.He elevated his crusade for primary health care and family medicine to the international level through the World Organisation of Family Doctors (Wonca). Posthumously, the global movement for mentoring young family doctors, The Rajakumar Movement, was named after him.

 Related links:

An Uncommon Hero: M.K. Rajakumar in Politics and Medicine

 <http://gbgerakbudaya.com/2012/02/an-uncommon-hero-m-k-rajakumar-in-politics-and-medicine/>

Dr Rajakumar – truly a patriot and people’s hero
<http://www.thestar.com.my/story.aspx?file=%2f2008%2f11%2f23%2fnation%2f2626772&sec=nation> 

Remembering Dr M K Rajakumar

 <http://aliran.com/820.html>

 

The Rajakumar Movement

<http://www.rajakumarmovement.org/photos.html>

Source:

 http://www.thestar.com.my/story.aspx?file=%2f2008%2f11%2f23%2fnation%2f2626772&sec=nation

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M._K._Rajakumar

 http://gbgerakbudaya.com/2012/02/an-uncommon-hero-m-k-rajakumar-in-politics-and-medicine/

 http://aliran.com/820.html

Puan Sri Janaki Athi Nahappan :Founding member of the MIC and Senator in the Dewan Negara of the Malaysian Parliament

Puan Sri Janaki Athi Nahappan

 Founding member of the MIC and Senator in the Dewan Negara of the Malaysian Parliament 

Puan Sri Janaki Athi Nahappan, also known as Janaky Devar, was a welfare activist and founder member of the Malaysian Indian Congress. She is one of the earliest women involved in the fight for Malaysian (then Malaya) independence and was even appointed as Senator in the Dewan Negara of the Malaysian Parliament.

Source:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janaky_Athi_Nahappan

 

 

Kundan Lal Devaser: Fourth president of the Malayan Indian Congress

Kundan Lal Devaser

Fourth president of the Malayan Indian Congress 

Kundan Lal Devaser was the fourth president of the Malayan Indian Congress from 1951 - 1955. It was under Devaser's presidency that the MIC joined the Alliance in 1954, which was then a political coalition formed between the United Malays National Organisation and the Malayan Chinese Association. The political alliance has stood the test of time over 50 years and continues today as the Barisan Nasional.

Source:

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K._L._Devaser

http://malayatimes.wordpress.com/2010/12/26/k-l-devaser-the-fourth-president-of-the-malaysian-indian-congress-mic-lazacode-com/

 

 

R. Ramani : Member of the Federal Legislative Council,Federation of Malaya

R. Ramani

Member of Pre-Independent Federal Legislative Council (Parliament)
 Federation of Malaya

Mr R.Ramani, a lawyer by profession was a member of the central executive committee of Parti Negara which was headed by Dato Onn. Being an influential Indian member of the Federal Legislative Council he tried hard to influence Indians to join his non-communal cause by becoming members of Parti Negara instead of the MIC [Means, Gordon,154]

Source:

http://library.perdana.org.my/Digital_Content/NLM/pnm_bk/M320.959504MEA.pdf

Means, P Gordon, Malaysian Politics, pg 154

Dato' E. E. C. Thuraisingham: The first Minister of Education

 Dato' E. E. C. Thuraisingham

(28 August 1898- 30 March 1979)

The first Minister of Education

  “I stand with Onn Jaafar, there is only one party for all the people”.

  Dato' E. E. C. Thuraisingham

 Dato Sir Onn bin Jaafar, US Vice-President Richard Nixon & Dato Sir Thuraisingham

Taiping born Thuraisingham was a member of the Federal Legislative Council from 1948 and served as the chairman of the influential Communities Liaison Committee and as Member (Minister) of Education. Dato Onn the founder of UMNO together with Thuraisingham, H.S. Lee and V.M.N. Menon, became the vanguard of the multiracial Malayan independence movement. Together they laid the ground-work for independence.

During a period of self-government which preceded full independence from Britain in 1957 and under the multiracial-minded British High Commissioner Sir Gerald Templar, Onn became the first Member (Minister) for Home Affairs while Thuraisingham became the first Member (Minister) for Education, two important portfolios from which they began shaping the future of Malaya.A close confidante of Dato’ Onn Jaafar, Thuraisingham played a leading role with Onn in the formation of the Independence of Malaya Party in 1951 and sought to instill a non-communal approach to Malayan politics,

However the multiracial politics they had expected didn't take shape. Instead race based politics rapidly gathered momentum eclipsing the moderate voice of Dato Onn thus leading to Dato Onn’s departure from UMNO. After the demise of non-comunal politics Thuraisingham continued to stand firmly by his decision of not participating in racial politics. He objected to the race-based policies of the Alliance Party and in 1955, Thuraisingham resigned as Member (Minister) for Education as a protest towards racial politics which was beginning to take shape.A man of principle Thuraisingham would not join the Alliance Party staying true to the multiracial politics of Dato Onn. With the demise of multiracial politics he returned to his legal practice in Ampang Street where he continued to provide his services to the public, which were free at times, especially for those who could not pay.

Other positions and awards in recognition of his contribution. 

Senator in the Parliament of Malaya/Malaysia from 1957 to 1974

Chairman of the Malayan Railways Commission ,1960

Chairman of the Rhodes Scholarship Board

Chairman of the Fulbright Commission 

 Chairman of the Malaysian Association for the Prevention of Tuberculosis (MAPTB)

Knighted by Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom on 12 July 1955 for his services to Malayan education and country and bestowed the title of Knight Bachelor.

In 1950, he was given a Dato (DPMJ) by Sultan Ibrahim of Johore in recognition for his services to Johore and Malaya. 

In 1948 he was given the CBE by King George VI of the United Kingdom.

Source:

 http://umpress.um.edu.my/index.php?productID=653

 http://www.thuraisingham.org/

http://umnews.um.edu.my/highlights-view.php?news_id=246

https://malaysianbossanova.wordpress.com/2012/08/31/always-and-forever-in-memory-sir-dato-e-e-c-thuraisingam/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._E._C._Thuraisingham