My three children have never met him, but when they heard about Tun S. Samy Vellu’s passing, they sent messages of compassion to me because they knew he meant a lot to me.
As a journalist, I have shared many anecdotes and experiences with them about how colourful and extraordinary a leader he was.
I first met the former works minister, the earliest politician to arrive two hours after the South Port blast in Port Klang at 4am on June 5, 1980, personally moving gas cylinders at a warehouse with workers to prevent further explosions.
I was six months into my job as a reporter and was touched by his quick action to roll up his sleeves and join in the search and rescue without any protocol.
My first impression of him became a lasting one as he continued to display bravery, fearlessness, sometimes presumptuousness and most of all, nothing is impossible to him.
I purchased my first tape recorder after Samy Vellu claimed I had misquoted him on a story about Batu Caves, although I had written it accurately on my notepad.
He did not hold grudges, and in the subsequent meetings covering his events, he remembered me and displayed care and affection.
In 1990, I was based in Ipoh and covered his events when he made his weekly trips to his Sungai Siput parliamentary constituency without fail.
He once took ward leave from hospitalisation in Kuala Lumpur for asthma. He flew to Sungai Siput with the drip needle still embedded in his left hand and wheezing in his throat to deliver a speech at a Tamil school Parent-Teacher Association AGM.
His showing up despite being unwell moved several parents to tears at the function.
The following week at the Ipoh airport, an unemployed UK graduate in telecommunication approached Samy Vellu for a job in Telekom Malaysia.
I witnessed the latter telephoning Telekom chairman, the late Tan Sri Mohd Rashdan Baba to accept the application because the applicant had all the requirements.
Two weeks later, the graduate met Samy Vellu at the airport again and showed him the letter that his job application was unsuccessful.
A visibly upset Samy Vellu called Rashdan Baba and gave him a scolding, and told the graduate "If you don’t get a favourable reply in two weeks, I will get you a job elsewhere".
A week later, the graduate received a positive response and was hired as a telecommunication engineer.
I also observed another incident at the airport when a MIC member met Samy Vellu and told him that the bank would be confiscating his house soon. This was because he could not repay the loan he had taken for Maika Holdings shares, MIC’s investment company.
Samy Vellu immediately went to the bank in Ipoh, signed a personal cheque, and paid off the loan for the man.
He is a no-nonsense character who would go out of his way for his community, boldly or amicably.
I felt fortunate to be assigned for one year to handle the MIC beat and Indian issues when I returned to The Star headquarters because it gave me more significant insights into an iconic figure.
My classmate, who had a strong admiration for Samy Vellu attended the party leader’s annual birthday bash in his house on March 8, in the 1990s shared a story about losing his shoes after the party.
Samy Vellu gave him his pair of shoes and jested: “Maybe one day you will be in my shoes”.
Sure enough, my friend is now a member of the MIC central working committee.
I once had an opportunity to follow him in his official car for the events he was officiating in Sungai Siput, which was astonishing.
On that day, it involved attending several official functions, a wedding, a funeral, a dialogue, a birthday dinner and several other smaller unscheduled meetings. He accommodated them without any fatigue.
He instructed his driver to stop randomly at a roadside stall along the Ipoh-Sungai Siput highway and have tea to connect with the locals.
We went to his favourite Rama Villas vegetarian restaurant in Ipoh for lunch. When he stepped foot at the restaurant, he would inform the cashier that he was paying for all the dining patrons.
He was a vocal leader with a big heart and was misunderstood for his courage, unstoppable nature and straightforward manner, which sometimes landed him in controversies.
We last met on October 24, 2004, at TV3’s MHI programme, where he appeared for Deepavali, and I was on the same breakfast show to share tips on Vasthu Sastra for the festival of lights.
I presented my Vasthu Sastra Guide book to Samy Vellu, and he commended me for writing and spreading ancient Indian wisdom.
Samy Vellu’s passing impacted people in so many ways because he had reached out to the poorest of the poor in the estates and transformed the Indian community.
In my journalism career of over 40 years, I have taken photographers with prime ministers, ministers and celebrities. The only image framed and hung in my living room is the one with Samy Vellu and me.
Why? I wanted my family to remember how remarkable an icon he was to the community and a mentor to me.
T. Selva was the former senior consulting editor at The Star and is the author of the Vasthu Sastra Guide book.
