PRIME MINISTER Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim conveyed his condolences to the family of Tan Sri Devaki Krishnan, the first Malaysian woman to be elected to public office, who died last night.
Anwar, in a Facebook post, said that Devaki was an important figure in the history of the struggle to elevate women’s stature in leadership and politics, and someone who devoted her life to serving the community.
“I am saddened by the passing of the first woman in Malaysia’s public service, Tan Sri Devaki Krishnan, last night.
“Her contribution and sacrifices will be remembered forever. Condolences to the family of the deceased,” he said.
Devaki, who died at the age of 100, was born on March 11, 1923, and began her career as a teacher. She was the first woman to hold public office in pre-independence Malaya when she was elected to the then Bangsar Municipal Council in 1952.
Born in Port Dickson, Negri Sembilan, she got involved in politics in 1950 and joined the Independence of Malaya Party (IMP) in 1951, at the invitation of the party's founder-president, Datuk Onn Jaafar.
Devaki was also the first Indian woman conferred the title of Tan Sri in 1995, and has received various awards, including Tokoh Wanita and the Tun Fatimah Gold Medal Award from the National Council of Malaysian Women’s Organisations (NCWO).
One of her legacies in politics is in nurturing and supporting her grandson Datuk Ramanan Ramakrishnan in his rise to become a PKR leader and deputy minister in the Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Ministry.
When contacted, Ramanan described Devaki as a pillar of strength not only for himself, but also for their family and the community at large.
"She had always been there to inspire and motivate us in politics, business and in life," said the Sg Buloh MP. – The Vibes, January 21, 2024
