Devaki Krishnan

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Tan Sri Dr Devaki Krishnan is the first woman to contest in the country's first open public election - the Kuala Lumpur Municipal elections and was elected. She is thus also the first Malaysian Indian woman in the country to be elected to this office in 1952.

She is currently a life member of the Malaysian Indian Congress. Though she represents the MIC, she is actually of Ceylonese or Sri Lankan Tamil descent. In Malaysia, Ceylonese are sometimes grouped together under Indians in the national census.

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[edit] Early life

Devaki was born in Port Dickson, Negri Sembilan and was the eldest of six children. Her father was acting controller of Post and Telecoms Malaya before he retired in 1949 and her mother was a college-trained Tamil school teacher

She was educated at St Mary's Girls School, Kuala Lumpur. "In school, we had religious studies. I had to study the Old and New Testament, which I achieved an 'A' in my Form Five, but we were not converted and our parents were not scared," she recalled in an interview to Malaysian daily, The Star.

As a student in St Mary's, Dr Devaki had to pray in the chapel. She even encouraged her own daughter to do so. "When my daughter got called up to read parts of the Bible in front of the whole school, I told her to go ahead. People will know that you speak very good English. I was never scared because I know Hindu is strong in the house," she said.

She then became a school teacher after completing her studies. She also gave tuition to needy children from her school in Brickfields - Krishan Dial, which later became a top private school for boys.

In 1949, she became an active member of the Selangor Indian Association where she served as chairman of the entertainment and social committee. She was also actively involved in the Women's International Club where she spent her time raising funds for disaster victims.

[edit] Political career

[edit] Independent Malaya Party

As a young woman in her early 20s, Dr Devaki was leading a life quite uncommon at that time – that of a politician fighting for the rights of her fellow nationals prior to independence.

In the early 1950s, she became involved in politics after being approached by the late Datuk Onn Jaafar to become a member of the Independent Malaya Party (IMP).

"When I stood as a candidate, I needed help to address the audience, so I would sit with Datuk Onn and another lawyer, R. Ramani, at his office," she recalls, adding that the IMP quarters were above Coxton Press, in what is now the landmark Sultan Abdul Samad Building.

Devaki was the first woman to contest in the country's first open public election - the Kuala Lumpur Municipal elections. She won and was elected to the Municipal Council, thus becoming the first Indian lady in the country to be elected to this office in 1952.

Even the way she was selected as a candidate was news to her. As a dedicated schoolteacher, she was already a respected and popular individual in her community. In Dec 1951, her husband, P. Krishnan came home from a gathering which was discussing who would be best to serve the community in the municipal elections. He broke the news that the community had selected her.

"He was afraid that I might lose the election, but my father was firm and told him, 'we will see to it that she wins'."

Devaki, however, took it all in her stride. She learned all she could about the IMP and its causes, agreed with the Manifesto and decided that it was for her. "I told myself, God wants me to contest so I will contest."

Since then, Devaki has dedicated her life to public service. Her winning formula is having a "hands-on" approach and going down to the grassroots to solve their problems by offering workable solutions.

In her 1952 election manifesto, she stated "I will interest myself particularly in the lot of the women of Kuala Lumpur and in extending the programme of social work already carried out by the municipality."

In 1955, she stood for a second term for the municipal council in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur, and won. After her victory, she was paraded in an open-top car, accompanied by over 50 cars along Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, Kuala Lumpur.

[edit] Malaysian Indian Congress

After the election, Devaki became a member of the Malayan Indian Congress (MIC), which was then only a social and welfare association. She contested for the Sentul constituency in the 1959 state election under the Alliance ticket but lost.

She also was a champion for Indian women involvement in the Malaysian political scene. In those days, Indian women stayed at home. "No one taught them to come out as they were shy and had strict upbringings. Wherever they opened branches in MIC, I would open a women's branch. I will take the women aside, talk to them, and tell them what they would gain and how they could go about becoming members."

Wanita MIC was then established and went national in 1975, when MIC president Tan Sri V. Manickasavagam proposed for it. Devaki, in her relentless pursuit for members, recruited throughout the nation and was very much satisfied with her success.

"I educate women so that they'll educate their children. I feel proud that women have come up, although not enough," she says

In 1975, Devaki was appointed Wanita MIC secretary and Wanita deputy president in 1984 (a position she held for 10 years).

She also served as vice-president of the Selangor MIC and chairman of the Selangor Wanita MIC. She became the first chairman of the MIC marriage bureau which was set up in 1984.

Currently, she is Chairman of MIC Syed Putra branch. She continues to recruit women members for MIC and encourage MIC members to register as voters.

[edit] Social Contributions

Devaki. who is well-known for her social work, spends much time encouraging women to contribute effectively to society.

Devaki joined the Civil Defence Corp in 1953 where she underwent training in fire-fighting and welfare. She was later made an instructor. Her intensive training paid off during the May 1969 riots when Devaki donned the uniform, cap, socks and shoes to take care of the riot victims and homeless, numbering around 3,500, at Stadium Merdeka.

"I was in charge of the medical clinic. We prepared milk for the children, and we clothed them all. We stayed there until there were about 250 left, then we moved them to the nearby Victoria Institution."

As a member of the auxiliary police, she was in charge of the remaining 250, and managed to move them out within three months.

She was a committee member of the Indian Welfare Society, Family Planning Association of Selangor, The Pure Life Society and chairman of the St John's Ambulance Association.

She served on the Social Welfare Committee, Kuala Lumpur, for over 15 years and was a committee member of the Tengku Budriah Orphanage and the Serendah Boys Home. She is also a Juvenile Court adviser.

Devaki, an active member in women organisations, is also an Exco member of the National Council of Women's Organisation (NCWO).

Her most cherished achievement is the Guardianship Act 1999. "We had to canvass even from the opposition, and the National Council of Women's Organisation (NCWO) was the main vehicle. What took 12 years was worth it as it managed to allow single women to take care of their children."

[edit] Family life

Her husband, P. Krishnan, who passed away in 1998, was a businessman and was not involved in politics. She has three children and five grandchildren.

[edit] Awards and Recognition

  • In 1974, Devaki was honoured by the Queen Elizabeth II of England with the Serving Sister of St John award for her St John activities.
  • In 1985, she was named Tokoh Wanita by the National Council of Women Organisation (NCWO) and Sevai Mamani at the World Hindu Women Conference. Devaki was awarded the 1991 Tan Sri Fatimah award for her welfare services.
  • In August 1995, she was conferred the Panglima Setia Mahkota by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong which carries the title Tan Sri. She became the first Indian woman to received the award.

[edit] References