Toh Puan Umasunthari Sambanthan, the wife of late MIC president Tun VT Sambanthan, passed away this afternoon, aged 90.

According to The Star, she breathed her last about 1.30pm. She is survived by her daughter, Deva Kunjari, a lawyer.

Uma was an activist, social worker and a leading figure in the cooperative movement in Malaysia, who was well known for her charity work and advocation of women's issues and rights.

She was a founding member of the National Council of Women's Organisation (NCWO), and had also once served as its president.

Uma had also served as the chairman and director, and later, president of the National Land Finance Cooperative Society (NLFCS), which was established by her husband to prevent the fragmentation of estates in the early 1960s.

Sambanthan was the fifth president of the MIC, and one of Malaysia's founding fathers, along with Tunku Abdul Rahman and Tan Cheng Lock.

The politician, whose real name is Tirunyanasambanthan Veerasamy, was also the MIC president from 1955 to 1973.

He held various ministerial portfolios: Labour (1955–57), Health (1957–59), Works, Posts and Telecommunications (1959–71), and National Unity (1972–74).

He was even Acting Prime Minister for a day in August 1973 when then Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak was at a conference in Canada and Deputy Prime Minister Tun Dr Ismail died.


Source: The Star
Photo source: The Star