LETTER | Tribute to former MIC leader VL Kandan: A lifetime of friendship and service

LETTER | It is with a heart weighed down by grief and helplessness that I mourn the passing of my dear friend, the late VL Kandan, whose last message to me was at 9.16am, on the day of his passing.

My health has been affected by the haze, and I am sadly unable to be present to pay my final respects in person.

Yet, distance and physical weakness cannot diminish a friendship that has endured for more than six decades.

I was able to speak with his daughter by telephone and have sent my son to convey my condolences and stand with the family on my behalf.

Kandan and I have known each other since our young teaching days in Selangor in the late 1950s.

We began as fellow educators, sharing not only a profession but also a concern for our community and its future.

As the years passed, our paths took us into different spheres of service - he as an active leader in MIC, and I through youth and Hindu community organisations, including Hindu Youth Organisation (HYO) and Malaysia Hindu Sangam (MHS).

Yet, our friendship remained constant, rooted in mutual respect, shared purpose, and a sincere desire to contribute to society.

United by community interests

We worked together in youth activities and on matters affecting the Hindu community.

During the period when law minister Athi Nahappan proposed the Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Act for non-Muslims, we participated in several sessions until the Act was formally established.

At the request of the late SM Ponniah, then president of MHS, our views were also conveyed to Kandan on various Hindu-related matters during his time as a Selangor state executive councillor.

Even the differences and tensions surrounding the Manickavasagam-Samy Vellu conflict did not weaken our shared commitment.

We remained united in the belief that community interests must always rise above personal or political differences.

Years of dedicated service

The most meaningful chapter of our partnership began during my tenure as president of MHS from 1996 to 2009.

From the very beginning, Kandan accepted the role of honorary legal adviser to MHS.

For the full 13 years of my presidency, he served the organisation without charge, not once asking for payment, not even a single sen.

Those were challenging and turbulent years. MHS and the Hindu community faced issues relating to temple demolitions, Act 121(1A), cases involving conversion to Islam, the Hindu Renaissance Action Plan, Hindraf, inquiries from the Home Ministry and the Prime Minister’s Office, as well as repeated harassment and picketing by anti-Hindu elements at MHS in Sentul.

Throughout these difficult moments, Kandan was a steady source of counsel and guidance.

He also provided invaluable legal assistance in formalising the purchase of many MHS premises throughout Peninsular Malaysia.

Steadfast friend, voice of unity

His contribution went far beyond legal advice.

He gave us confidence when uncertainty surrounded us, direction when the path was unclear, and assurance when our community was under pressure.

I come from a family of lawyers, but Kandan nevertheless took personal responsibility for managing many of our administrative and security matters during those 13 years.

His service was not transactional. It was an expression of loyalty, friendship, and devotion to a cause larger than himself.

I remember, too, the wisdom with which he viewed differences within the community.

At a time when I had to deal frequently with Samy Vellu, Kandan told me: “Brother Vaithi, Samy has the power to help the community, and so be it. We are both in the same party, and MIC is functioning.” Those words reflected his practical wisdom, maturity, and commitment to unity.

I was deeply pleased whenever they met at our functions and shook hands, because such moments reminded us that the well-being of the community must always come before disagreements.

A friendship that endured a lifetime

Even after I retired from MHS leadership, our friendship continued warmly.

We met through many friendly activities, especially at Bharathiar Tamil Mandram and Pure Life Society.

Each meeting carried the comfort of a friendship built over a lifetime, through teaching, public service, community struggles, difficult decisions, and shared hopes.

Kandan was not merely a colleague, legal adviser, or political leader. To me, he was a brother in service and a friend whose generosity cannot be measured in words or money. His life was marked by commitment, his counsel by wisdom, and his friendship by unwavering sincerity.

Though I am unable to stand beside his family today, my prayers, thoughts, and deepest condolences are with them.

May they find strength in knowing that he leaves behind not only a family who loved him, but also countless friends and members of the community whose lives and institutions were strengthened by his service.

My deep sympathies and heartfelt condolences to all the members of the family.

May the Almighty God bless his soul. Aum Namasivayah.

The author served as a school teacher, a senior administrator in the Selangor Education Department, in national athletics, as well as president of the Malaysia Hindu Sangam and co-founder of the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST).

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.

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