PETALING JAYA: The late Tan Sri Devaki Krishnan’s contribution and sacrifices will be remembered forever, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
"I am also saddened by the demise of Tan Sri Devaki Krishnan, the first woman to have served in the Malaysian civil service," he said in a Facebook post.
"Devaki is an important figure in the struggle to elevate women’s stature in leadership and politics, and she had dedicated her life to the people," he added.
"Condolences to her family," he said.
Known as the Grand Dame of Malaysian Indian politics, Devaki was the first woman to have been elected to public office.
Her grandson, Datuk R. Ramanan, who is also Deputy Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister, earlier said that she had passed away at her home at 8pm on Saturday(Jan 20) due to old age. She was 100.
She was born in Port Dickson, Negri Sembilan.
She contested for the Alliance for the Sentul seat in 1959 but lost.
During her time in the civil defence, Devaki was in charge of the medical clinic at the Merdeka Stadium during the May 1969 riots, when she was recalled to care for some 3,500 riot victims and the homeless.
She also played a pivotal role in pushing for amendments to the Guardianship of Infants Act in 1999, allowing single mothers to care for their children.
She was married to P Krishnan, who died in 1998.
