A much-respected member of the Malaysian Red Crescent, Mr Gengatharan Nair, 88, died last week in Kuala Lumpur, having served the humanitarian body with distinction for several decades.
The late Genga was involved in a road accident, after which he fell into a coma and succumbed to his injuries. Genga was Advisor to the Selangor Branch of the Malaysian Red Crescent. He was also the state’s deputy chairman in his younger days.
Truly, Genga was a devoted volunteer, having been involved when the British Red Cross handed over the baton to the then Malayan Red Cross soon after Merdeka in 1957.
National Chairman of the MRC, Tan Sri Tunku Puteri Intan Safinaz binti Almarhum Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Syah, said Genga’s contribution as a volunteer from the age of 18, was extraordinary and most exemplary.
His demise is a great loss to the MRC and to the world of volunteerism as a whole, she said, adding that Genga served humanity with great passion and devotion. He is survived by two sons. Goodbye Genga.
the writer is a former NST group editor. His first column appeared on Aug 27, 1995, as ‘Kurang Manis’