THE philanthropic spirit of K. Thamboosamy Pillai (1850-1902) is deeply rooted in his family, according to the community leader’s great-granddaughter Santa Kumarie.
She said even though her siblings and cousins were not specifically reminded of their great-grandfather’s social contributions, the culture of caring for the others had always been strong in the family.
“It is not about having, but all about sharing — this has been inculcated in us since young,” said the 65-year-old when met in Petaling Jaya.
The last article on Our Street Heritage featuring Jalan Thamboosamy near Putra World Trade Centre caught the attention of Kumarie, who was eager to share more about the legacy the icon had left behind.
“In addition to the abundance of memorabilia that showed his affection for horse racing, as well as the fine curtains and cutleries, his charitable spirit was also passed down through the generations,” she said.
She also felt that help extended to those in need would become the greatest happiness for the giver. Thus she volunteers tirelessly at various organisations.
“My grandfather — K.T. Ganapathy — was the youngest of Thamboosamy’s sons. He loved bringing me to places. I can still remember how everyone stood up to greet him whenever he visited the Victoria Institution. As a little girl then, the scene really left a deep impression on me,” she said with a smile.
Kumarie said Thamboosamy had five sons and three daughters. Her father, T. G. Rajakrishnan, one of Thamboosamy’s grandsons, passed away a few years ago when he was 89.
One of the stories that went about in the family for a long while was a legal battle between one of Thamboosamy’s sons and one of his grandsons over the properties they inherited.
“The properties were scattered around Kuala Lumpur and Klang, including the old Umno building in Batu Road. They, however, were not located in Jalan Thamboosamy,” she said.
She believed the street was named after her great-grandfather because his workers lived nearby. It was situated near one of the major stops along the Gombak river — and the people used to refer to this stop as Thamboosamy because of that, too.
Spurred by an urge to know more, she researched extensively on Thamboo-samy.
She found out that he was the first man in Malaya to own a horse buggy, and he owned many race horses. He was also the first non-white to be a life member of the Royal Selangor Club.
He passed away in Singapore. As railways were not built to link Singapore and Kuala Lumpur then, the governor Sir Frank Swettenham sent his body back in the ‘Governor’s yacht’ to Port Swettenham, Klang, and it was then transported in a gun carriage from the Royal Selangor Club to his house.
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