M.K. Rajakumar
Encyclopedia
Dr M.K. Rajakumar was a veteran socialist leader and medical practitioner, regarded as a founding father of the discipline of family medicine by general practitioners and family physicians.
As a leftist intellectual he formed part of the leadership of the Labour Party of Malaya
and Barisan Sosialis
during the 1960s.
He helped build the Labour Party with other leaders like the late Tan Sri Dr Tan Chee Koon, David V.
, Ishak Haji Muhammad
(better known as Pak Sako) and Karam Singh.
campus of University of Malaya
where he met historian Prof Emeritus Tan Sri Dr Khoo Khay Kim and former Parti Sosialis Rakyat Malaysia Kassim Ahmad, who were also students.
Rajakumar, then 22 years old, was involved with the editorial board of Fajar, which was the Socialist Club’s newspaper. The team behind the newsletter were soon accused of sedition and involved in a court trial. Rajakumar and The Fajar team were defended by the legendary radical British Queen's Counsel DN Pritt, with Lee Kuan Yew
(who later became the first Prime Minister of Singapore
) as junior counsel.
He then moved on to be chairman of the Selangor Labour Party
and was always very dedicated. He was detained under the Internal Security Act
from 1966 to 1969.
Politically, his influence waned after the decline of the Barisan Socialis in the late 60s but he always held on to his ideals.
.
He also has a granddaughter named Priya.
Rajakumar's daughter Datin Sunita is married to the son of former senator Tan Sri Dr C. Sinnadurai. Over the last two years of his life, he was cared for by his son-in-law Datuk Dr Jeyaindran Sinnadurai, who is the head of general medicine at Hospital Kuala Lumpur.
Federal Scholar 1950-1956
University Scholar 1950
A.M.
F.A.Sc
FAFP (Mal.)
FCFP (S’pore)
FRCP Edin
FRCGP (U.K.)
FHKCFP
FRACGP
Medical Officer - Malacca General Hospital, 1957–60
In charge of : Outpatient Department, Drug Addiction Ward, Blood Transfusion Services
Postings : Gynecological Ward, Obstetrics Unit, Surgical Unit, Visiting District Clinics, Maternity Flying Squad
Lecturer to Nurses and Red Cross Society
Acting Registrar in Obstetrics & Gynecology, Malacca General Hospital.Registrar, Department of Orthopedic & Traumatology
General Hospital Kuala Lumpur
1960 - Trainee Anaesthetic Medical Officer
1960-63 - Registrar, Orhopedic and Trauma Unit
Acting State Surgeon, Kuantan, on leave relief (2 Weeks)
General Practice
1963 - Private General Practice
1975 - In group practice
Fellow of the Malaysian Scientific Association, (1978)
Honorary Professor at the Capital Institute of Medicine Beijing, China, (1989)
Award of Honour, Chinese Medical Association (2003)
Senior Fellowship Award, Consortium of Thai Training Institutes for STD and AIDS (COTTISA 2004)
External Examiner for the Diploma in S.T.D. and AIDS, Prince Songkla University, Thailand
Senior Academic Advisor, Academy of Family Physicians of Malaysia, 2001-
President, International Society for the Study of Sexual Medicine, 2002-
2. Establishment of a Science Centre in Malaysia. Report to the Council of the Malaysian Scientific Association in May 1976.
3. Specialization in Primary Health Care - Training for the new General Practice in Malaysia, Chairman of Committee, College of General Practitioners of Malaysia, 1979.
4. Chairman, Committee on The Future of the Health Services in Malaysia.
Report to Council of the Malaysian Medical Association, April 1980.
5. The Establishment of an Emergency Medical Response Unit of MASEAN.
Report to the Council of the Medical Association of South-East Asian Nations, July 1983.
6. Report of a visit to Beijing, People's Republic of China to advice on Primary Health Care, May 1988, WONCA.
7. Chapter in "Principles and Practice of Primary Care and Family Medicine.Editors-John Fry and Nat Yuen 1994.
8. Chapter in "General Practice" edited by John Fry 1988.
11 June 1971 - Great Economic Debates organised by The Economics Society, University of Malaya - Dynamics of Social Change in the Rural Areas
26 Oct 1980 - 1st. William Pickles Lecture 1980, College of General Practitioners of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur - Evolution of General Practice
15 April 1983 - Singapore Medical Association Annual Lecture, Singapore - Ethical Consequences of Technical Change
19 July 1986 - Tan Sri Danaraj Oration, organized by Alumni Association of the University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur - Rethinking The Medical Curriculum
Aug 1993 - Takemi Oration, 18th Congress of the Confederation of Medical Associations in Asia and Oceania, Malacca, Malaysia - Health, the Environment and the Physician
1993 - Dr Sun Yat Sun Oration, Conferment Ceremony, The Hong Kong College of Practitioners, Hong Kong – Between Fate and Reason : The Quest of a Physician
13 February 1998 - Malaysian Medical Association Annual Oration in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan - The Practice of Medicine through the Ages and the Challenges Ahead
As a leftist intellectual he formed part of the leadership of the Labour Party of Malaya
Labour Party of Malaya
The Labour Party of Malaya was a political party of Malaya that was active between 1952 to 1969. It was originally formed as a confederation of state based labour parties known as the Pan-Malayan Labour Party or PMFP.-Origins:...
and Barisan Sosialis
Barisan Sosialis
The Barisan Sosialis is a former Singaporean left-wing political party formed in 1961, by left-wing members of the People's Action Party and led by Dr Lee Siew Choh and Lim Chin Siong.-Formation:...
during the 1960s.
He helped build the Labour Party with other leaders like the late Tan Sri Dr Tan Chee Koon, David V.
David V.
David V. was a Malaysian unionist and former opposition politician. He won a seat in the Malaysian parliament twice representing the constituencies of Bangsar and Damansara. While in parliament, he was known to be fearless and vocal in raising issues concerning the Indian community in Malaysia...
, Ishak Haji Muhammad
Ishak Haji Muhammad
Ishak Haji Muhammad or better known as Pak Sako was a prominent Malaysian writer, active in the 1930s until the 1950s. He was a nationalist and his involvement began before independence and continued thereafter...
(better known as Pak Sako) and Karam Singh.
Early involvement
In the 1950s, Rajakumar was active in the Socialist Club while studying medicine at the SingaporeSingapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
campus of University of Malaya
University of Malaya
The University of Malaya is located on a campus near the centre of Kuala Lumpur, and is the oldest university in Malaysia. It was founded in 1905 as a public-funded tertiary institution...
where he met historian Prof Emeritus Tan Sri Dr Khoo Khay Kim and former Parti Sosialis Rakyat Malaysia Kassim Ahmad, who were also students.
Rajakumar, then 22 years old, was involved with the editorial board of Fajar, which was the Socialist Club’s newspaper. The team behind the newsletter were soon accused of sedition and involved in a court trial. Rajakumar and The Fajar team were defended by the legendary radical British Queen's Counsel DN Pritt, with Lee Kuan Yew
Lee Kuan Yew
Lee Kuan Yew, GCMG, CH is a Singaporean statesman. He was the first Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore, governing for three decades...
(who later became the first Prime Minister of Singapore
Prime Minister of Singapore
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore is the head of the government of the Republic of Singapore. The President of Singapore appoints as Prime Minister a Member of Parliament who, in his opinion, is most likely to command the confidence of a majority of MPs.The office of Prime Minister...
) as junior counsel.
He then moved on to be chairman of the Selangor Labour Party
Selangor Labour Party
The Selangor Labour Party was a political party in Selangor, Malaya. The party was founded on 22 December, 1951. As of 1953, K.C. Chia was the chairman of the party, A. Tharmalingam the secretary and M. Arokiasamy the vice chairman...
and was always very dedicated. He was detained under the Internal Security Act
Internal Security Act (Malaysia)
The Internal Security Act 1960 is a preventive detention law in force in Malaysia. The legislation was enacted after Malaysia gained independence from Britain in 1957. The ISA allows for detention without trial or criminal charges under limited, legally defined circumstances...
from 1966 to 1969.
Politically, his influence waned after the decline of the Barisan Socialis in the late 60s but he always held on to his ideals.
Family
Rajakumar was married to Ong Kik Hong and has three children - venture capitalist Datin Sunita Mei-Lin, Kiren Su-Lin in London, and Arjuna who is a vice-president at HSBC Hong KongHong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
.
He also has a granddaughter named Priya.
Rajakumar's daughter Datin Sunita is married to the son of former senator Tan Sri Dr C. Sinnadurai. Over the last two years of his life, he was cared for by his son-in-law Datuk Dr Jeyaindran Sinnadurai, who is the head of general medicine at Hospital Kuala Lumpur.
Qualifications
MB, B S. University of Malaya (Singapore) 1956Federal Scholar 1950-1956
University Scholar 1950
A.M.
F.A.Sc
FAFP (Mal.)
FCFP (S’pore)
FRCP Edin
FRCGP (U.K.)
FHKCFP
FRACGP
Clinical Experience
Intern - Malacca General Hospital, 1956–57Medical Officer - Malacca General Hospital, 1957–60
In charge of : Outpatient Department, Drug Addiction Ward, Blood Transfusion Services
Postings : Gynecological Ward, Obstetrics Unit, Surgical Unit, Visiting District Clinics, Maternity Flying Squad
Lecturer to Nurses and Red Cross Society
Acting Registrar in Obstetrics & Gynecology, Malacca General Hospital.Registrar, Department of Orthopedic & Traumatology
General Hospital Kuala Lumpur
1960 - Trainee Anaesthetic Medical Officer
1960-63 - Registrar, Orhopedic and Trauma Unit
Acting State Surgeon, Kuantan, on leave relief (2 Weeks)
General Practice
1963 - Private General Practice
1975 - In group practice
Honorary awards
Award of ‘Senior Fellow’ of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia, designated “Academician”,1999, under the Academy of Sciences Malaysia Act, 1994.Fellow of the Malaysian Scientific Association, (1978)
Honorary Professor at the Capital Institute of Medicine Beijing, China, (1989)
Award of Honour, Chinese Medical Association (2003)
Senior Fellowship Award, Consortium of Thai Training Institutes for STD and AIDS (COTTISA 2004)
Principal Offices (as at 2008)
Honorary Medical Adviser, Tung Shin Charity HospitalExternal Examiner for the Diploma in S.T.D. and AIDS, Prince Songkla University, Thailand
Senior Academic Advisor, Academy of Family Physicians of Malaysia, 2001-
President, International Society for the Study of Sexual Medicine, 2002-
Key reports and books
1. Curriculum for General Practice. Chairman, Report to the Council of the College of General Practitioners of Malaysia, September 1975.2. Establishment of a Science Centre in Malaysia. Report to the Council of the Malaysian Scientific Association in May 1976.
3. Specialization in Primary Health Care - Training for the new General Practice in Malaysia, Chairman of Committee, College of General Practitioners of Malaysia, 1979.
4. Chairman, Committee on The Future of the Health Services in Malaysia.
Report to Council of the Malaysian Medical Association, April 1980.
5. The Establishment of an Emergency Medical Response Unit of MASEAN.
Report to the Council of the Medical Association of South-East Asian Nations, July 1983.
6. Report of a visit to Beijing, People's Republic of China to advice on Primary Health Care, May 1988, WONCA.
7. Chapter in "Principles and Practice of Primary Care and Family Medicine.Editors-John Fry and Nat Yuen 1994.
8. Chapter in "General Practice" edited by John Fry 1988.
Orations
4 Dec 1970 - Seminar organised by the Academic Staff Association, University of Malaya - Problems of Higher Education11 June 1971 - Great Economic Debates organised by The Economics Society, University of Malaya - Dynamics of Social Change in the Rural Areas
26 Oct 1980 - 1st. William Pickles Lecture 1980, College of General Practitioners of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur - Evolution of General Practice
15 April 1983 - Singapore Medical Association Annual Lecture, Singapore - Ethical Consequences of Technical Change
19 July 1986 - Tan Sri Danaraj Oration, organized by Alumni Association of the University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur - Rethinking The Medical Curriculum
Aug 1993 - Takemi Oration, 18th Congress of the Confederation of Medical Associations in Asia and Oceania, Malacca, Malaysia - Health, the Environment and the Physician
1993 - Dr Sun Yat Sun Oration, Conferment Ceremony, The Hong Kong College of Practitioners, Hong Kong – Between Fate and Reason : The Quest of a Physician
13 February 1998 - Malaysian Medical Association Annual Oration in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan - The Practice of Medicine through the Ages and the Challenges Ahead