SG Indian Pioneers

Sellapan Ramanathan ( 3 July 1924 – 22 August 2016),[ Usually referred to as S. R. Nathan, was the sixth
President of Singapore from 1999 to 2011, having been elected in uncontested elections in 1999 and 2005. In 2009, he surpassed Benjamin Sheares to become Singapore's longest-serving President.

Nathan experienced a troubled youth – his father committed suicide, his three brothers died at an early age, he was twice expelled from school, and he ran away from home. After living by his wits as a translator for the Japanese during World War II, he completed his secondary education through a correspondence course, and then earned a diploma from the University of Malaya in Singapore in 1954. This was followed by a distinguished career in the Singapore Civil Service, which he joined in 1955. Between 1962 and 1966 he was seconded to the National Trades Union Congress, and then worked in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Home Affairs. He was with the Security and Intelligence Division of the Defence Ministry when the Laju incident happened in 1974, and was among the government officers who agreed to accompany terrorists who had bombed petroleum tanks to Kuwait to secure the release of civilian hostages and ensure the terrorists' safe passage. He served as First Permanent Secretary of the Foreign Ministry from 1979 to 1982.

Nathan left the Civil Service in 1982 to take up the executive chairmanship of the Straits Times Press; he also held directorships in other companies. Between 1988 and 1996 he served as Singapore's High Commissioner to Malaysia and Ambassador to the United States, before his 12-year term as President of the Republic from 1999 to 2011.

Following retirement, Nathan turned to writing and also became a Distinguished Senior Fellow at the School of Social Sciences of Singapore Management University (SMU), and at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. He died in 2016 and was accorded the honour of a state funeral by the Government.

Among the awards and honours Nathan received were the renamed of Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) School of Human Development and Social Services to S R Nathan School of Human Development (NSHD) in 2018, Bintang Bakti Masyarakat (Public Service Star) in 1964, the Pingat Pentadbiran Awam (Perak) (Public Administration Medal, Silver) in 1967, the Pingat Pentadbiran Awam (Meritorious Service Medal) in 1975, and the Darjah Utama Temasek (Order of Temasek) (First Class) in 2013; and honorary degrees from the National University of Singapore and SMU.

Pillai Road named after Naraina Pillai

Naraina (Narayana) Pillai (Pillay) the first Indian to set foot on Singapore in 1819, who rose from chief clerk at the Treasury to being the first building contractor in Singapore with the Sri Mariamman Temple in South Bridge Road to his credit.

Major accomplishments
Early career
The Indians in Singapore form the third largest community today but when Pillai first came to Singapore in June (May according to one of the Historian) 1819 on the Indiana with Stamford Raffles, the only Indians were the soldiers that had accompanied Raffles. Attracted by Raffles' persuasive ideals of Singapore, he left Penang only to find he had to start from scratch. Other Indians who had come with him soon returned to their homes in Penang. He began as chief clerk at the Treasury, or shroff, where he checked coins for authenticity. When the Resident's shroff arrived from Malacca, Pillai was discharged.

Our SG Pioneers

Mistri Road was named in 1955 after India-born Navroji R. Mistri (1885-1953), a Parsi merchant most remembered for his generous contributions to the medical causes in Singapore. Coming to Singapore in 1909, Navroji Mistri spent many years working at a dock and aerated water company. In 1925, he started his own business, selling soda water which later expanded to the whole of Malaya.

In 1952, Navroji Mistri donated $950,000 to build a hospital block for sick children whose parents could not afford the medical fees. At his death, he gave half of his wealth to charities in Singapore, Malaya and India.

Resource: nlb/remembersg

Third President Of Singapore - C. V. Devan Nair (1925 - 2005)

Chengara Veetil Devan Nair also known as Devan Nair or C. V. Devan Nair, the 3rd President of Singapore (Presidency Period from Oct 1981 – Mar 1985).

Devan Nair was born in Malacca, Malaysia in the year 1925. When he was 10, his family moved to Singapore. After settling down in Singapore, Devan Nair enrolled into Rangoon Road Primary School for his young education.

After passing his “Senior Cambridge Examination” in year 1940, he was eligible to continue his academic study in Victoria School

In 1954, Devan Nair joined Lee Kuan Yew’s People’s Action Party (PAP) after leaving Communist Anti-British League.

In 1964, Devan Nair won the Malaysian Grand Election in the Bangsar constituency somewhere around Kuala Lumpur.

After Singapore separated from Malaysia, Devan Nair continued to stay in Malaysia. During his stay, he formed the Democratic Action Party but soon after, he returned back to Singapore to lead the Labour Union Movement. At the same period, he founded National Trades Union Congress.

In 1979, he won the Anson seat during the elections and accepted the appointment as a President of Singapore in year 1981. Upon accepting the appointment, Devan Nair became the 3rd President of Singapore.

In 1985, Devan Nair resigned from his position as a President of Singapore.

In 1995, Devan Nair moved to Canada with his wife, Avadai Dhanam.

April 2005, Mrs Devan (1925 - 2005) passed away leaving Devan Nair alone in Canada. In the same year, December, Devan Nair passed away with an age of 82.

P. Govindasamy Pillai (b. 1887, Mayavaram, Tamil Nadu, India–d. 1980), popularly known as PGP, was a well-known and successful South Indian businessman who established the string of PGP stores. He was also a noted philanthropist, the biggest donor to Perumal Temple, a founder-member of the Indian Chamber of Commerce set up in 1937, the founder of the Ramakrishna Mission Singapore, and a Justice of the Peace in 1939.

Early life
Pillai grew up in an Indian village, Koorainadu, in Mayavaram, Tanjore District, Tamil Nadu. In his teens, he ran away from home and boarded a ship to Singapore, landing at Tanjong Pagar in 1905.1

After many unsuccessful attempts looking for a job, Pillai gained employment at a provision store at 50 Serangoon Road.2 It was a back-breaking job starting before dawn and ending after midnight. He was given no wages, only food and accommodation. However, it was during this time that he learned to run a business – knowledge that would put him in good stead later.3

Career
In 1929, Pillai went to India and returned to Singapore with his young wife, 15-year-old Pakiriammal. On his return, he found himself without a job as the provision store had been put up for sale following the owner’s demise. Pillai turned the occasion into an opportunity and bought the shop. He borrowed $2,000 from the Chettiars (Indian moneylenders) and started a business selling spices, oils and grains. He named the stores in Malacca, Dhanalakshmi Stores, after his eldest daughter, and later changed the names of these stores to P. Govindasamy Pillai or PGP Stores.4

As he was frugal, Pillai saved enough to invest in properties and start other businesses such as textile shops, flour and spice mills. His saree shops were popular and his sons later expanded this business.5 The PGP saree shop and supermarket had stood at the location occupied today by Little India Arcade. Pillai also invested in properties in Serangoon Road, Race Course Road and Buffalo Road.6

One of the few successful South Indian businessmen, Pillai built houses in Campbell Lane and later Race Course Road.7 During the Japanese Occupation, he and his family escaped the horrors of war, as they were in India, but lost his property and goods. He returned to Singapore in 1945 and started all over again, expanding his business across the Causeway and opening PGP stores in Malacca and Johor.8

Pillai retired in 1963, handing over the family business, valued at $3 million, to his children. After the death of his youngest son, his daughter-in-law managed the PGP stores. The stores ran into huge debts and were closed down in 1998.9

Philanthropist
Pillai died of a heart attack in 1980 at the age of 93.10 He is most remembered for his generosity and charity. A pious Hindu, he donated a large sum to the Sri Perumal Temple to build a gopuram (entranceway) and a wedding hall. The latter was one of the first Indian wedding halls in Singapore and bears his name – Govindasamy Pillai Kalyanamandabam. The first wedding to be solemnised there was that of his son Ramakrishnan and his granddaughter.11

In 1952, a new home for the Ramakrishna Mission was built at Bartley Road with Pillai’s generous donation.12 Pillai also donated to many other institutions, including the University of Malaya and the Mount Alvernia Hospital.13

On 28 February 2001, Singapore Post released stamps featuring Pillai, in recognition of his contributions to Singapore and the Indian community.14

Family15
Wife: Pakiriammal.
Sons: Ramachandran, Ramakrishnan, Thanabalan.
Daughters: Dhanalakshmi, Rukumani, Pushpa, Shanbhagavalli.

Author
Sitragandi Arunasalam

S. Rajaratnam
Born: 1915
Birth Place: Jaffna, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka)
Died in: 2006
Age: 91
Achievement: "One united people, regardless of race, language or religion."

S. Rajaratnam was born in 1915 in Jaffna and was grow-up in Seremban, Malaysia, where his father rose from being a supervisor of rubber estates to a plantation owner. He attended the Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus for six months and was transferred to St Paul's, a boys' school. He continued his education in the prestigious Victoria Institution in Kuala Lumpur and then in Raffles Institution in Singapore.

In 1937, he went to King's College in London, to pursue a Law degree. There he received his political awakening, became fashionably anti-imperial, anti-British, joined the socialist Left Book Club and became a Marxist.