Health Minister’s father dies

PETALING JAYA: The Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam’s father, KV Sathasivam, has died after a long illness.

One of Sathasivam’s sons, Palanivel, a lawyer, said that his father died in his house in Petaling Jaya at 9.45pm on Thursday.

He was was 84.

"He had not been well and had been hospitalised the last two months and we took him home when his condition took a turn for the worst," he said.

KV Sathasivam.

Palanivel said that Sathasivam had been a good father and had guided his children well.

He said that Sathasivam was a retired assistant registrar of trade unions in Malacca, Johor and Negri Sembilan, which came under the jurisdiction of the then Labour Ministry in the 1970s and the early 1980s.

"My father was very active in social and religious activities, and we are blessed to have had a father like him who guided us well," said Palanivel.

Sathasivam was also the Hindu Youth Organisation chairman in Penang in the 1960s and years later, Dr Subramaniam became the national vice-president before he went into politics, he said.

Sathasivam was also the former Hindu Sangam chairman in Malacca, Sepramaniam Throupathi Amman temple chairman in Malacca and the Temple of Fine Arts Malacca chairman in the 1980s.

Sathasivam leaves behind his wife S. Kalyani, 77, children Subramaniam, 61, Nallakumar, 59, Namasivayam, 54, Palanivel, 53, Shanmugam, 52, and nine grandchildren.

The funeral will be held at 11.30am Saturday at his residence at 429, Lorong Satu, Ujong Pasir, Malacca.

Among those who had visited the family and paid their last respects to the deceased on Friday were Malacca Chief Minister Datuk Seri Idris Haron, former MIC president Datuk Seri Samy Vellu, Malacca Yang di-Pertua Tun Datuk Seri Mohd Khalil Yaakob Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah and Health Ministry officials.