K. Ramasen (1929-2007) – a great Malaysian son who never shirked from the battle for justice and equality for all Malaysians 

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Media Statement  
by Lim Kit Siang  
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(Parliament, Thursday) : The nation lost a great Malaysian son, K. Ramasen, 78, who died yesterday after a long illness, survived by two sons, Fatinathan, 53, Arabind, 51, daughter Prasanna, 51 and a grandson Fabian, 9.

Ramasen was in the first batch of DAP elected representatives voted into office in the 1969 general election, winning the Bukit Raja state assembly seat in Selangor with a thumping 1,886-majority.  He polled  4,773 votes while his Alliance opponent, S.S. Murugesu polled 3,442 votes.

Ramasen is a great Malaysian son who never shirked from the battle for justice and equality for all Malaysians.

Articulate and fearless in the Selangor State Assembly in the post-May 13 years, Ramasen is still remembered for his fiery attacks on the then Selangor Mentri Besar, Harun Idris.  In one unforgettable exchange, Ramasen told  Harun  that he would see him in jail for his abuses of power as Mentri Besar  while Harun swore that he would ensure that Ramasen would not return to the State Assembly. 

History would record that both threats were fulfilled – as Harun ended in jail for corruption while Ramasen was unable to win re-election although he contested four times subsequently, including the the Port Klang parliamentary by-election in 1979 caused by the death of  the then MIC President and Labour Minister, Tan Sri V. Manickavasagam.

Ramasen was teaching in Klang High School, his alma mater and  Selangor Chairman of National Union of Teachers (NUT) before he stood on the DAP ticket for the 1969 general election.

He was also active in the Klang Tamil Literary Society which he served as President.

Multi-racial, multi-religious, multi-cultural and multi-lingual Malaysia is all the poorer with the passing on of Ramasen. May his soul rest in peace.

(18/1/2007)