K. Pathmanaban
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Datuk K. Pathmanaban is a former Malaysian deputy minister, vice-president of Malaysian Indian Congress and founder of Melaka Manipal Medical College.
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[edit] Early Life
Born in Bukit Bertam Estate, Linggi, Negeri Sembilan, he obtained his Master of Arts in Public Administration in Economic Development from Harvard University.
He was among the first batch of Bachelor of Arts graduands majoring in Economics from the University of Malaya in Singapore in 1959. Before venturing into politics, he served as Assistant Secretary of the Labour and Manpower Ministry from 1960 and Director of Social Economics in the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) in the Prime Minister's Department from 1968 until his resignation to contest the Teluk Kemang parliamentary seat in 1974.
[edit] Political Career
He served as Teluk Kemang MP for four terms. He joined the MIC in 1974 and the following year was a member of the MIC Central Working Committee. Pathmanaban served as MIC vice president for three terms from 1979 until his retirement from active politics in 1991.
The former MIC vice president was Deputy Labour and Manpower Minister for five years from 1976. Pathmanaban was Deputy Health Minister for seven years from 1981. He last served in the government as Deputy Human Resources Minister from June 1989 to October 1990.
[edit] Social Service
Following his retirement, Pathmanaban was active in social service. He felt there was nothing greater than helping a fellow man. He actively sought ways to help the poor and disadvantaged Indian community in Malaysia.
He also served as a member of the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) following the setting up of the commission until his demise.
Pathmanaban was the founding chairman of Melaka Manipal Medical College. He was instrumental in getting both the Prime Ministers and governments of Malaysia and India to give their nod for his pet project which offers a twinning medical programme between both countries. His main purpose of setting up the medical college was to provide high quality medical education opportunities to Malaysians at an affordable price, particularly for Malaysian of Indian ethnicity.
[edit] Demise
Datuk K. Pathmanaban passed away due to kidney and liver failure at the Pantai Medical Centre in Kuala Lumpur at around 1am on June 9, 2001. He was just one day short of his 64th birthday.
His remains were cremated at the Hindu crematorium in Cheras and the ashes were taken to Port Dickson to be scattered in the sea according to Hindu rites.
