KUALA LUMPUR: Many people may know him as Works Minister, while others remember him as MIC president, but to close friends and former colleagues like Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik, the late Tun S. Samy Vellu was a man of many talents and a great sense of humour.
Sultan of Perak Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah, Dr Ling and many others turned up to pay their last respects to Samy Vellu at his house in Taman Kaya yesterday.
The former MCA president described his long-time friend as a humorous individual and a man of many traits.
“He made even the most serious figures in the Cabinet burst out in laughter. Even Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad enjoyed his jokes,” Dr Ling said when they met at the former MIC president’s wake.
Dr Ling said he especially enjoyed Samy Vellu’s company at Cabinet meetings, adding that they would be seated next to one another.
“Mahathir would sit in the centre, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi next to him, with Samy and I flanking the duo.
“Despite any disagreements, things were always resolved the Barisan way (through peace and harmony),” he said.
“That is how we concentrated on the good things and solved issues,” he said.
Current MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong recalled Samy Vellu visiting him when he was recuperating after an operation in Hospital Kuala Lumpur in 2015.
“It was a pleasant surprise. Samy Vellu himself was coincidentally undergoing some treatment there,” he said.
Dr Wee added that the former Works Minister was someone who listened to the people.
“When I became Ayer Hitam MP in 2004, I brought up an issue in Parliament about road widening work from Batu Pahat to Kluang.
“In less than a week, his team was on the ground with a RM32mil allocation coming soon after.
“He was a national icon, not only for the government but also for the Indian community,” he said.
Also present at the wake yesterday were former Cabinet ministers Tan Sri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil and Tan Sri Leo Moggie.
Shahrizat said she was fortunate to be under the tutelage of leaders like Samy Vellu during her tenure as Cabinet minister.
“He (Samy) treated the freshies like his younger siblings and mentored us. He also taught us that being a leader did not mean only having a vision but also having a heart,” she said, adding that he was a leader not only for the Indians but for all Malaysians.
Moggie described Samy Vellu as an exceptional colleague who excelled at his work.
“He was very forceful in speaking up for the Indian community,” he said.
Samy Vellu passed away on Thursday at the age of 86.
He was Sungai Siput MP from 1974 to 2008, serving as Works Minister from 1983 to 1989 and again from 1995 to 2008.
His wake and funeral were a sombre affair, with Sultan Nazrin, many leaders, celebrities, and ordinary people turning up to pay their last respects from as early as 9am.
Bouquets with messages of condolences were lined up both inside and outside his house.
Sultan Nazrin arrived at Samy Vellu’s residence at 10am. His Highness was ushered into the residence by MIC president Tan Sri M. Vigneswaran, deputy president Datuk Seri M. Saravanan and other MIC leaders.
He then signed the condolence book at the entrance and shared a few words with Samy Vellu’s family members before leaving about 20 minutes later.
Besides Dr Ling, Dr Wee, Shahrizat and Moggie, others who came included Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan and Selangor Barisan Nasional chairman Tan Sri Noh Omar.
From the other side of the political divide, Iskandar Puteri MP Lim Kit Siang, Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo, Petaling Jaya MP Maria Chin Abdullah and Sungai Buloh MP Sivarasa Rasiah also turned up.
Celebrities like Datuk David Arumugam of Alleycats fame, Datuk DJ Dave and Original Penang Kayu Nasi Kandar managing director Burhan Mohamed were there too.
As the funeral procession to the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) crematorium began in the evening, it started to drizzle and the sound of the conch or shell trumpets being blown filled the air.
Leading the procession was his son Datuk Seri S. Vell Paari and other family members.
His casket was carried to the hearse by pallbearers, made up of all DBKL enforcement officers decked out in full uniform.
Flower petals were tossed to accompany the hearse, which was sent off by MIC Youth members waving the party’s flags.
The crematorium was also packed to the brim, with cars parked all along the roads leading there.
After the prayers were concluded, Samy Vellu’s body was brought for cremation at 5.40pm.
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