KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has conveyed his deepest condolences to the family of the late Tan Sri Devaki Krishnan who died yesterday.
In a Facebook post, he described Devaki as a distinguished political figure who championed the crucial role of women in leadership.
"Devaki was a significant figure in the history of the struggle to uplift the dignity of women in leadership and politics, dedicating her life to the community.
"The services and sacrifices of the deceased will be remembered forever. Condolences to the family of the deceased," he said in his Facebook post today.
The late Devaki was the first woman elected to public office.
Her death was confirmed by her grandson, Deputy Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister Datuk R. Ramanan.
"With deep sorrow, I regret to inform you that my grandmother, Tan Sri Devaki passed away last night. The entire family certainly deeply feels the loss at the age of 100," he wrote.
Devaki had worked with contemporaries such as Datuk Onn Jaafar, Yong Shook Lin, Tun Omar Ong Yoke Lin, Puan Sri Putih Mariah, Tun Fatimah Hashim, Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun V.T. Sambanthan, Tun Tan Cheng Lock and Tun Tan Siew Sin who rallied the Merdeka movement and developed the concept of a Malaysian society.
She was married to the late P. Krishnan, who died in 1998. He was a self-made businessman and the founder of Krishnan Taxis, which operated Kuala Lumpur's first fleet of Mercedes-Benz limousines and taxi services.