KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri N.S. Selvamany was more than just an educator.
Former student Datuk Seri Mohd Annuar Zaini remembers the late Selvamany as a caring mentor who always spoke with wisdom and was always by his side at challenging and difficult times.
"I even consider him as a second father to me," Annuar, who is Perak Economic Advisory Council chairman, told the New Straits Times today.
Selvamany, formerly of SMK Anderson in Ipoh, died this morning at the age of 93.
Annuar said he was aware that Selvamany had been ill for the past two years and was getting weaker.
"However I cannot escape feeling a tremendous loss not only for me, but for my family especially my wife and our two grown up children," he said.
Annuar recalls the former economics teacher as not only a teacher in the classroom, but also in his life.
"He injected life and soul in his lessons. For that he has produced outstanding students among them Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah (Gua Musang MP), Tun Ahmad Sarji (former chief secretary to the government), Tun Eousoff Chin (former Chief Justice), Tan Sri Salehuddin Mohamed (former chief secretary to the government), former Singapore Chief Justice Chan Sek Kiong, Tan Sri Wan Mohd Zahid Mohd Nordin (former Education director-general), Lieutenant General Tan Sri Mohd Yunus Mohd Tasi (former Royal Malaysian Air Force chief) and many others," Annuar remarked.
Remembering Selvamany as a man with a great heart, Annuar said the Batu Gajah born man had the heart of a saint.
"He will give encouragement and motivation. He was very humble and humbled himself when he went around to meet his successful students.
"He attended my wedding, and most of my wedding anniversaries when invited, until he got ill and was not able to travel.
"He was the first to speak to me on the phone upon hearing about my mother's death on Sept 24, 1997, and one of the earliest visitors to arrive at my house to pay his last respects. Similarly when I lost my father on June 4, 1998.
"I regret by the time my two children got married in 2016 and 2018, he was not in the position to travel to witness the two occasions.
"I am glad I had the opportunity to bring my son in law to visit him on the second day of Hari Raya in 2017. I am glad I had the chance to send him the last fruit basket this Deepavali," Annuar said.
As for the most historic moment they shared, Annuar said it was on Feb 3, 2009, when they were both conferred the Darjah Dato Seri Azlanii (DSA) which carried the title Dato' Seri by the late Sultan of Perak, Sultan Azlan Shah.
According to Sekolah Idris Shah, Gopeng Alumni's Facebook page, the funeral for Selvamany will be held on Friday in Ipoh.