KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 12- MIC veteran leader and social activist Tan Sri Devaki Krishnan, was the first woman to contest in the country’s first open public election – the Kuala Lumpur Municipal elections and was elected.
She was the first Malaysian Indian woman in the country to be elected to the office in 1952 and currently a life member of the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC).
The accounts of her life story is to be launched in a biography on Wednesday.
The biography titled “Tan Sri Devaki Krishnan: With Elegance and Commitment’ consists of 192 pages and written by Kamala M.G Pillai.
Born in Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan on March 11, 1923, Devaki loved her involvement in association and other social activities, something that was considered against the tide at that time for a woman, especially an Indian woman.
“I did not want to be an ordinary woman from the age of nine. My family was then living in Sri Lanka, the birth place of my father and there I saw a woman win an election and since then I set a goal to be like her,” she told Bernama.
Devaki who joined the Independence of Malaya Party (IMP) upon the invitation of Datuk Onn Jaafar said the Municipal Council Election in 1952 was the official start of her involvement in politics.
She was the first Malaysian Indian woman to be bestowed the title of Tan Sri (in June 3, 1995). She said she was thankful that despite not being involved in politics, her late husband was a pillar of strength and encouragement to her.
Now at the age of 90 Devaki is still active in several associations and shows no signs of slowing down since she is also the MIC Syed Putra Division chairman.
“My services are still needed and I do not know if I can sit in one place without being involved in any activities,” she said.
– BERNAMA
