Goodbye Aunty Uma We Ve Lost A Great Soul




Malaysia has lost a great soul. The late Umasundari (1929-2020) left us at 1.30pm and you and I are the poorer for it
She was living history, the last remaining dignitary who was present when Tunku Abdul Rahman made the historic declaration of independence on Merdeka Day, Aug 31, 1957
She was a pioneer in many fields and while some of her achievements may be forgotten, Uma never lost her passion for change
I was very fortunate to have known her, partly because we have relatives in common and mainly because she was an avid reader of the newspapers up to and including articles I used to write for a local newspaper

"Aunty" used to call me up full of passion and occasional indignation at what was happening in our beloved Malaysia. She said Tunku and "Uncle" (her late husband VT Sambanthan) would have been heartbroken by the open racism, religious extremism and rampant corruption that have come to define parts of 21st century Malaysia
Uma Sambanthan (centre) during her younger daysWhen I last visited her home just a year ago, it took quite a bit of coordination between myself and her daughter Kunjari, as Aunty’s health was no longer what it was. And her mind, while still sharp, was also prone to jumping about in a non-linear fashion when she told her stories
She was in pain too, and wheelchair-bound, but still able to enjoy reading, writing and watching Korean serials
Uma still got emotional when I asked her to tell me about the day when she, along with her husband and thousands of other eager Malayans helped usher in Malaysia’s independence from British rule
“On Merdeka Day, I was nearly 27. We were all gathered and saw the big crowd at Dataran Merdeka, and my first thought was ironic, 'We cannot go there, it is the Selangor Club, only the orang putih (white men) went there.' We were there to see the British flag come down
On the day of her wedding to VT Sambanthan“That feeling, I tell you [...] you had to have been born and bred during the colonial times to understand its impact. When God Save The Queen was played for the last time, and the British flag came down, we were so joyful. The youth sections of the three parties (Umno, MCA and MIC) were given the honour of collecting the flag. Then they played the new anthem, it was very exhilarating
“Even now, every time when I hear the anthem, I remember what it means to be free of a colonial regime.”Her husband, Tunku and MCA’s Tan Cheng Lock were men of a different era. They came from wealthy families but put out their own money out to help the people. It’s sad how things have changed since then
The early years after Merdeka and the formation of Malaysia were heady days of inspiration and hard work as the country coped with the legacy of British rule and the turmoil of a communist Emergency, as well as continuous political agitation over Malaya’s relationship with Singapore, Sabah, Sarawak, Indonesia and the Philippines. International boundaries that appear to be set in stone now were very fluid and being redrawn all the time back then
Uma was no shrinking violet. She led organisations and ensured that Malaysian women were active in nation-building at all levels. She helped with women’s groups and doing grassroots work on the estates. At that point, citizenship registration and getting a basic education were key
Uma fought for girls from many traditional families to be given the opportunity to study
A native of Muar, Johor, Uma was academically gifted and obtained a degree in chemistry from the Madras University in India and even did three years of postgraduate studies – a rarity for a young Malayan woman back in the 1950s
She also served as board chairperson of the Jalan Ampang Girls Secondary School in Kuala Lumpur, the first government secondary school for girls, and organised the infrastructure for the school (playing field, telephone communication, etc). She also introduced a multiracial art class alongside her late sister-in-law, V Saraswathy
Uma Sambanthan in recent timesUma also played a leading role in the National Land Finance Cooperative Society, which attempted to address problems that arose in the rubber-tapping community as it coped with drastic changes and eventual closing down of many rubber estates
She had a special personal touch, too, did Aunty. I won’t forget how she held my hand and would not let it go at the funeral of my own grandmother S Gomathy Iyer back in October 2010
As time went on, Uma became more worried about extremism and how Malaysia seemed to be straying from the unity and harmony that made this country so special
She was very upset at the Seafield temple riots and the death of Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim. She was angry at the treatment meted out to Indira Gandhi who is still waging a battle to find her missing daughter
She couldn’t stand to see racist and divisive comments made by the likes of Ibrahim Ali and Abdul Hadi Awang being given so much prominence
Aunty even used to ask me what role the media could play to help turn this around. She told me to remind Malaysians not to give up on the country when the situation seemed bleak
“I believe we really love this country and treat it as our home. No matter what happens, this is my country. We didn’t run away from the Japanese, we didn’t run away from the communists. What could be more terrible than them to run away from?” she asked
Today she slipped away, but her words ring truer than ever
Goodbye, Aunty Uma
MARTIN VENGADESAN is a Malaysiakini team member


Artikel ini hanyalah simpanan cache dari url asal penulis yang berkebarangkalian sudah terlalu lama atau sudah dibuang :

http://malaysiansmustknowthetruth.blogspot.com/2020/01/goodbye-aunty-uma-weve-lost-great-soul.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+MalaysiansMustKnowTheTruth+%28Malaysians+M

Kempen Promosi dan Iklan
Kami memerlukan jasa baik anda untuk menyokong kempen pengiklanan dalam website kami. Serba sedikit anda telah membantu kami untuk mengekalkan servis percuma aggregating ini kepada semua.

Anda juga boleh memberikan sumbangan anda kepada kami dengan menghubungi kami di sini
China Shut Downs Temples Disneyland And Even The Great Wall Together With Mcdonalds

China Shut Downs Temples Disneyland And Even The Great Wall Together With Mcdonalds

papar berkaitan - pada 25/1/2020 - jumlah : 230 hits
Residents and tourists leaving the Disneyland on Friday after the China Government had announced more measures to coronavirus attack in the country DIsneyland and the Great Wall of China will be closed during the Chinese New Year Holidays f...
A Bowlful Of Pongteh Chicken To Warm The Soul

A Bowlful Of Pongteh Chicken To Warm The Soul

papar berkaitan - pada 30/1/2020 - jumlah : 247 hits
Credit Gerald Lee With my busy schedule I love when I have a long uninterrupted weekend all by myself The serenity I felt as I spent quiet Saturday mornings with a book or tending to my garden is just the break I need from the hustle and bu...
The Great Arab Double Cross

The Great Arab Double Cross

papar berkaitan - pada 2/2/2020 - jumlah : 312 hits
As the dust settles on the deal of the century US President Donald Trump s peace plan there isn t any stronger criticism that I can offer than has been already expressed from every quarter not least of which from America s own political lea...
When Sitham Use Afterthought As Argument Its A Lost Cause

When Sitham Use Afterthought As Argument Its A Lost Cause

papar berkaitan - pada 23/1/2020 - jumlah : 300 hits
A renown lawyer whispered When prosecution use use afterthought as argument it is indication that he is dumbfounded without any arguments to resist an application That was exactly the argument used by out sourced and hired DPP for SRC case ...
Wan Azizah Expresses Condolences Over Uma Sambanthan S Passing

Wan Azizah Expresses Condolences Over Uma Sambanthan S Passing

papar berkaitan - pada 1/2/2020 - jumlah : 311 hits
Deputy Prime Minister Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail has conveyed her condolences to the family of Uma Sambanthan wife of late VT Sambanthan who passed away at about 1 30pm today May the family remains strong in facing this difficult situation sh...
Baby Mana Wanita Terkejut Dengar Jeritan Aunty Cina Itu Saat Dia Mahu Start Kereta

Baby Mana Wanita Terkejut Dengar Jeritan Aunty Cina Itu Saat Dia Mahu Start Kereta

papar berkaitan - pada 7/2/2020 - jumlah : 757 hits
Baby Mana Wanita Terkejut Dengar Jeritan Aunty Cina itu Saat Dia Mahu Start Kereta Meskipun pada masa sekarang pelbagai isu perkauman dimainkan di laman sosial tular kisah seorang wanita Cina yang berjaya menepis stigma sedemikian dengan ti...
Makan Steamboat Dapat Henna Free

15 Kafe Di Johor Bahru Instagrammble Muslim Friendly

Suspek Buruan Kes Samun Toreh Dicekup

A Botched Shot

Antara Projek Pungguk Rindu Bulan Tilapia M Sia Pro Hamas

Sarawak And Malaysia Can T Afford Escalating O G Disputes

Isu Calon Perdana Menteri Kembali Menjadi Tegang Di Kalangan Pemimpin Pn

Worldcoin Dan Ai


echo '';
Info Dan Sinopsis Drama Berepisod Lara Kasih Slot Samarinda TV3

Senarai Lagu Tugasan Konsert Minggu 2 Gegar Vaganza 2024 Musim 11

Keputusan Markah Peserta Konsert Minggu 1 Gegar Vaganza 2024 Musim 11

Senarai Lagu Tugasan Konsert Minggu 1 Gegar Vaganza 2024 Musim 11

Info Dan Sinopsis Drama Berepisod Dhia Kasyrani Slot Akasia TV3


Resepi Spaghetti Seafood Marinara

Drama Skuad X Lakonan Imran Aqil Yusof Hashim

Enjoy The Rhythm Of Life A Nature Inspired Residence In Hefei China

Hopes Of The Chinese For Pn

Mara Beli Hartanah Terlebih Nilai Di Uk Australia Meskipun Ditolak Mof

Ikut Sop Tampal Lubang Jalan Dalam Tempoh 24 Jam Kkr Seru Syarikat Konsesi