Former national footballer M. Viatilingam, 60, dies

GEORGE TOWN: Former international defender Viathilingam Murgeson, 60 passed away at the Pantai Hospital, Penang at 5.30am on Sunday morning.

His remains were brought back to his house at Taman Bandar Baharu, Pokok Sena, Kedah Sunday afternoon and the cremation will take place on April 2 at 2pm.

He leaves behind an only child, 27-year-old son Thana.

“My father died of a brain tumor. He complained of a heavy head and was restless on March 3. That night we took him to Kedah Medical Centre.

“He was then referred the Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital (both in Alor Setar). He was there for two days and we learnt that they were preparing for an operation later in the month.

“But we were not satisfied with the decision and, on the advice of close friends, we decided to take him to Pantai Hospital in Penang and he was admitted on March 6. It was here that the doctors diagnosed that he had a brain tumor.

His wife Jegajothy had died of breast cancer in August, 2011.

Viathilingam had represented Kedah state for 14 long years as the left back from 1970 to 1984. He represented the country from 1974 to 1979 in several international tournaments.

Among his team-mates in the national team were the late R. Arumugam, Santokh Singh, Soh Chin Aun, Ali Bakar, Shukor Salleh, Hassan Sani, Redzuan Abdullah, Mohd Azraai Khor, Jamal Nasir, Khalid Ali, Mokhtar Dahari, Abdullah Ali, Isa Baklar, John Engkatasu, Yahya Jusoh and many others.

His remains will be cremated at the Chinese Crematorium in Bukit Pinang at 2pm Monday about 12km from Alor Setar and the ashes will be strewn at sea off Yan district in Kedah.