KUALA LUMPUR – Puan Sri Sukumari Sekhar led a life that many women would have envied.
Tan Sri B.C. Sekhar, her husband, had put Malaysia on the map by distinguishing himself as the father of the modern rubber industry, and her children – Datuk Dr Vinod Sekhar, who is Petra Group chairman and group chief executive; Jayan, Sujatha and Gopinath – simply adored their mother. As Sujatha said, “her heart was open to the world” and, as a “constant optimist”, their mother attracted friendships and camaraderie wherever she went.
Yesterday, Sukumari, for one final time, brought people together for her send-off at the Loke Yew Crematorium here.
Her passing at the age of 87 on Monday – International Women’s Day – brought tributes for a woman whose kindness and warmth belied a steely demeanour.
As a young student growing up in Jalan Bandar Hilir, Melaka, Sukumari Nair (as she was then known) proved to be a good student and was admitted to University of Malaya in Singapore as a young undergraduate in the Faculty of Arts. It was while she was attending university that Sukumari was introduced to Tan Sri V.C. George, who himself later made a name in the legal fraternity and who remembers her as a “sweet young thing”.
Met at the funeral, V.C. George said he remained lifelong friends with Sukumari and the Sekhar family since that moment.
However, there was more to Sukumari as, over the years, she became involved with the National Council of Women’s Organisation (NCWO) as its honorary assistant secretary-general from 1967 to 1972, and honorary secretary-general from 1972 to 1979, and distinguished herself on many fronts related to children’s rights, and even played a key role in the fight against drug abuse.
One of her closest friends, Datuk Ramani Gurusamy, who also served as NCWO deputy president, said Sukumari’s work as chairman of the organising committee at the National Education Conference on the Prevention of Drug Abuse in May 1977 shone a light on the problems of drug abuse being faced by Malaysian youth and how it was proving to be a “grave menace”, as outlined in her speech at the conference.
Not only did she serve as chairman of the Selangor branch of the Women Teachers’ Union, but Ramani revealed that Sukumari attended both national and international seminars and conferences, and represented Malaysia at the Year of the Child Conference held in Nairobi, Kenya, in the 1990s.
Apart from her passion for women to play active roles in their own families, she reached out to all the people around her to ensure they had the necessary support to achieve success in their lives. One such person was Jamil Khamis, whose father served in the capacity of driver to B.C. Sekhar for more than 20 years.
As Jamil said today at the wake, “Puan Sri Sukumari was wonderful to me as I lived in the compound of their house for 20 years and was the same age as her son, Datuk Vinod Sekhar, and in every way, encouraged me to study English and be brave in meeting people and making friends.
“Today, I work as a plantation manager with the Green Rubber plant under the Petra Group, and it is due to the support and encouragement given by Puan Sri to me,” said Jamil, who was overcome with emotion.
Pamela Sundram, who worked for the Sekhar family for more than 20 years as secretary, said both Tan Sri and Puan Sri were her “best friends”, and it was more of a friendship than work when it came to Sukumari.
“There was nothing we could not discuss, and I treasure all the moments I spent with her," Pamela said.
Gracious, motivating and full of life
Puan Sri Rathi Khoo grew to know the Sekhar family during the time her husband, the late Prof Emeritus Tan Sri Khoo Kay Kim, eminent Malaysian historian, was consulted for a book that B.C. Sekhar was working on.
“I found her to be a lovely, gracious person, and I greatly admired her thoughtfulness and had experienced many touching moments, especially after my husband passed away and Puan Sri Sukumari would call to ask how I was getting on,” she said.
Former deputy prime minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, meanwhile, said she felt inspired by Sukumari as she “appeared always full of life” and was a motivating person. Wan Azizah said she drew strength from that quality of hers.
Of the many things Sukumari was most interested in, it was apparent that Malaysian youth were always her greatest concern, and this was evidenced after the racial riots in Kg Medan, when she felt something needed to be done to “save the situation”. It was Sukumari who then proposed to lawyer S. Pasupati for a new foundation to provide professional skills training for needy youth, especially school dropouts, leading to the setting up of the MySkills Foundation in 2011.
“Puan Sri was instrumental in giving me the idea, and we specialise in attitude transformation at the foundation,” said Pasupati.
Today 1,000 students have graduated, and Datin Dr Winy Sekhar, Vinod’s wife, carries on the legacy as director and chairman of the MySkills Foundation.
A giving person and bedrock for all
To her son Vinod, Puan Sri remains one of the strongest women he has ever come across.
“Strong women are not those who compete for men’s positions,” he said.
“She did what she had to do. If people were down, she would help and she was a giving person. She became a friend to all my friends and remained a bedrock and foundation for all of us. She inspired me and was the original champion of women and women’s rights and fought injustices wherever she saw them.”
While observing the conditional movement control order, more than 400 mourners turned up to pay their respects at the wake yesterday. The well-wishers comprised the who’s who of Malaysia, including politicians from both sides of the divide.
Among them were Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun, opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Umno disciplinary committee chairman Tan Sri Zulhasnan Rafique, Bernama chairman Senator Datuk Ras Adiba Radzi, and MPs Gobind Singh Deo, Fahmi Fadzil and Charles Santiago, along with former Selangor executive councillor Ronnie Liu and former Dewan Negara senator Datuk Daljit Dhaliwal.
Also present were former Bar Council president Datuk Ambiga Sreenivasan, Brunsfield International Group executive chairman Tan Sri Gan Thian Leong and David Hashim, founder of Veritas Design Group.
Former international trade and industry minister Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz said: “I will always remember her, my former geography teacher at Convent Bukit Nanas.”
Several foreign heads of government also sent their condolences to the Sekhar family. Some were represented by their ambassadors and high commissioners.
Also present were personalities from the entertainment industry, including Petra Group executives and associates Datuk Afdlin Shauki and Kavita Kaur Sidhu. Alongside them were film director Datuk Suhaimi Baba and actor Datuk Hans Isaac.
Messages of condolences also poured in regionally and globally from former president of Colombia Andreas Pastrana, former chief justice Tun Zaki Azmi, Sabah Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun, Oscar-winning film producer Bruce Davy, AirAsia Group CEO Tony Fernandes and broadcaster Lorraine Hanh, among others. – The Vibes, March 10, 2021
