PETALING JAYA: The late Tun V. T. Sambanthan’s family will donate the RM10,000 cash that came with the Anugerah Tokoh Kemerdekaan award to the Mahatma Gandhi Kalasalai Tamil school in Sungai Siput in Perak.
His daughter Deva Kunjari said she and her mother Toh Puan Umasundari had asked the Perak state government to give the money to the school founded by Sambanthan and a business partner in 1954.
“We chose to channel the money to this school because my father really loved it. If he hadn’t gone into politics, I believe he would have continued to develop education in Sungai Siput,” she told The Star yesterday.
The sum and award were presented to Sambanthan’s family in a ceremony on Aug 30 to honour his contributions to the country’s struggle for Independence.
Two others who received the award were former Perak Mentri Besar, the late Datuk Panglima Bukit Gantang Abdul Wahab Toh Muda Abdul Aziz and former Health Minister the late Tan Sri Dr Lim Swee Aun.
Deva Kunjari said her family declined the money because no monetary value could be attached to her father’s dedicated and committed service to the country.
“We accepted the award of a pingat (medal) and a certificate as an honour accorded to a son of Perak by the state government,” said Deva Kunjari.
She added that Sambanthan set up the school because he wanted to provide proper education for underprivileged children.
“This contribution also attracted people to him and they encouraged him to be involved in politics,” she said, adding that the RM10,000 will be disbursed to the school via the state’s unity department.
Sambanthan, the fifth MIC president, assumed the post in 1955, taking over from former party president K. L. Devaser.
He was in the forefront of the struggle for Independence with the country’s first Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman.
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