KUALA LUMPUR: Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah today expressed his condolences to the family of Tan Sri Devaki Krishnan, the first Malaysian woman to be elected to public office, who died on Saturday at the age of 100.
Also conveying her condolences was Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Hajah Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah.
According to a post on Istana Negara's Facebook page, Their Majesties expressed their sadness over Devaki's passing and hoped her family would remain patient and persevere in facing this sad and trying time.
"Their Majesties appreciate Devaki's service and contribution to the community and the country and describe her demise as a huge loss to the Malaysian civil service," according to the post.
Devaki, dubbed the "Grand Dame of Malaysian Indian Politics", had devoted her life to serving the community.
Born in Port Dickson on March 11, 1923, Devaki who began her career as a teacher, was the first woman to hold public office in pre-independence Malaya when she was elected to the then Bangsar Municipal Council in 1952.
In 1951, she joined the Independence of Malaya Party at the invitation of its founder-president Datuk Onn Jaafar.
After the municipal election, Devaki became the vice-president of MIC which at that time was just a social and welfare association.
The eldest of six children helped to form the women's section in MIC and was its first secretary in 1975. — Bernama