KUALA LUMPUR: Born into a family of politicians, Sungai Buloh MP Datuk R. Ramanan is set to continue his grandmother’s legacy following his appointment as Deputy Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister.
Ramanan, 42, is the eldest grandson of the ‘Grand Dame of Malaysian Indian politics’, Tan Sri Devaki Krishnan, the first woman to hold public office in pre-independent Malaya when she was elected to the then Bangsar Municipal Council in 1952.
The Kuala Lumpur-born MP, who also champions the cause of women’s involvement in the local political scene, became active in politics after joining the MIC in the year 2000.
He made his electoral debut in the 15th General Election last year under the Pakatan Harapan ticket and created a major upset by defeating Barisan Nasional’s Khairy Jamaluddin to capture the Sungai Buloh seat in a seven-cornered contest.
The Malaysian Indian Transformation Unit (Mitra) Special Committee chairman replaced Saraswathy Kandasami as Deputy Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister in the Cabinet reshuffle announced yesterday.
Ramanan secured 50,943 votes to win the ‘hot seat’ with a 2,693-vote majority, handing the then Health Minister his first defeat in a general election since 2008.
He held several positions in MIC, including Bukit Bintang division chief, disciplinary committee deputy chairman, strategic planning bureau deputy chief, central working committee (CWC) member for two terms before being appointed treasurer-general in 2013. Ramanan then stepped down as treasurer-general and quit the MIC in 2014.
He joined PKR after the ‘Sheraton Move’ in 2020 and served as member of the Central Leadership Council (MPP), as the party’s deputy strategic director and currently as deputy information chief I.
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