The family of the late MGG Pillai have invited malaysiakini readers to join them for lunch in honour of his memory in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday.

Lunch will be served at the Kalamandabam Hall ( see map below ) - located next to the Kalamandabam Temple - in Jalan Scott, Brickfields from 12.30pm.

Pillai's son Sreejit told malaysiakini that the lunch is being held to thank all those who supported the family in their moment of bereavement.

The 16th day prayers will also be held later that day.

For further details, please call Sreejit at 016-2057114 or his brother Sreekant at 016-3808727.

Doyen of journalism

Pillai - the doyen of Malaysian journalism - passed away on April 28 from a heart ailment at the of 67.

The veteran journalist began his career in the 1960s with the Hong Kong-based Far Eastern Economic Review magazine.

He had also served as a correspondent with foreign news agency Reuters during the Vietnam War.

Pillai was also known as the pioneer of internet journalism in Malaysia. He was instrumental in the launch of discussion group Sangkancil in 1995 - the country's first online community - and more recently his own website, MGGPillai.com.

His demise has been described as a great loss to the industry, with his peers saying that he will always remain as a source of inspiration and admiration.