V. T. Sambanthan
Encyclopedia
Tun Thirunyanasambanthan Thevar s/o Veerasamy Thevar, better known as Tun V.T. Sambanthan Thevar, was the fifth President of Malaysian Indian Congress and one of the Founding Fathers of Malaysia along with Tunku Abdul Rahman
and Tan Cheng Lock
. He was the MIC President from 1955 to 1973, when he was ousted by party members.
Sambanthan Thevar was one of the leading Indian leaders who played a prominent role in the independence movement in Malaya. As president of the Malayan Indian Congress (MIC) during this important period of transition, he worked closely with Alliance Party leader Tunku Abdul Rahman and they developed a close personal bond.
He is credited with three important developments in Malaysian political history: the consolidation of the Malayan (now Malaysian) Indian Congress, its transformation into a mass-based party, and its integral role as a partner in the current ruling alliance.
The entry of the MIC into the multi-communal Alliance
in 1955 contributed greatly to enhancing the coalition’s image as the main representative of the three main communities in Malaya.
The finest hour was achieved on August 31, 1957 when Independence
was achieved under the Merdeka Agreement, to which Sambanthan was a signatory.
in 1919. His father, M.S. Veerasamy Thevar, came to Malaya
in the 1896, was a pioneer rubber planter in Sungai Siput
, Perak
and owned several rubber plantations. His siblings were V.M. Sundram V. Krishnan and V. Saraswathy .
Sambanthan received his early education at Clifford High School in Kuala Kangsar
, Perak
. A keen sportsman, Sambanthan was an intelligent student who loved to chat and joke.
Sambanthan continued his studies in economics at the highly respected Annamalai University
in Chidambaram
, Tamil Nadu
, India
. His interest in politics is said to have been triggered while studying in India as he closely followed the rise of the Indian nationalist movement. He even took part in some of the protests led by the Quit India Movement
against the British and was injured in one instance.
He subscribed to the Gandhian philosophy of non-violence in achieving independence and was attracted to the political ideas of independence fighter Subash Chandra Bose and Jawaharlal Nehru
who later became the first prime minister of independent India
.
Not surprisingly, he become involved with the Youth Wing of the Indian National Congress
. The ethnicity and sectionalism in Indian society troubled him and this was to influence his later advocacy of racial tolerance, harmony and cooperation in Malayan politics.
When his father died in 1942, Sambanthan was stuck in India
as World War II
raged. When the war ended, he returned to Malaya
in 1946 and took over the management of the family business that included vast rubber plantations.
He took a keen interest in the welfare of the estate community, developing a close rapport with them. He was particularly concerned with the rate of illiteracy among Indians in the estates and devoted much time and energy to introduce schooling.
In 1954, he built the Mahatma Gandhi Tamil School in Sungai Siput
with some assistance from the Senior Inspector of Schools, a British official.
His efforts to raise the education level of the Indians drew the attention of the authorities and he was appointed a member of the Board of Councillors by the Perak State Education Department.
However, the event that helped catapult Sambanthan Thevar to the forefront of MIC politics was a visit by Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit
, the younger sister of the then Indian prime minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru
. Sambanthan Thevar had befriended her when he was involved with the Indian National Congress
while studying at Annamalai University
.
On his invitation, she visited Malaya
in 1954 and despite the ongoing communist insurgency, visited Sungai Siput
where she officially opened the Mahatma Gandhi Tamil School. The meeting between Sambanthan Thevar and Vijaya Lakshmi in 1954 helped push the former into the limelight and then on to the party president’s position in 1955
In the same year, he was elected member of the legislative council for the Kinta Utara constituency. The constituency was renamed in 1959 as the Sungai Siput
seat.
period, the Indian professional elite was largely held together by the unifying ideology of Indian nationalism. In 1946, the Indian elite in Malaya formed the MIC. For the first eight years, the MIC leaders were either North Indian or Malayalee, representing a minority among the Indians. The majority of Indians (90%) in Malaya at that time were South Indians, mainly from the labouring class.
The Emergency (declared by the British in 1948 to battle communist insurgency) regulations and new trade union legislation also led to the leadership of the trade union movement passing from the Chinese, who were much better organised, to the Indians. This dilution of the MIC's objectives affected the status of Indian plantation workers in the Malaysian economy then and its repercussions are still being felt today.
In 1954, there were serious debates within the MIC as to whether the party should join the UMNO-MCA
Alliance that was emerging as the leading political movement in the country, following their successes in local elections. The MIC had aligned itself with Datuk Onn Jaafar
’s Independence of Malaya Party
and later Party Negara, and there was a rethink within the MIC leadership during this period.
According to Rajeswary Ampalavanar, author of The Indian Minority and Political Change in Malaya 1954-1957, the MIC leadership was quite eager to join the Alliance
but there was some resistance within the party’s broader membership. They were willing to support the move if the party could secure some concessions from the Alliance on inter-communal issues, particularly on education.
Then MIC president K.L. Devaser came under heavy criticism from the Tamil
media for not addressing the pressing issues facing the community. While he was quite outspoken, his influence was largely among the urban-based Indian elite and he lacked wider grassroots support.
Some in the party felt that there was a need for a leader with a stronger relationship with the party’s grassroots. In March 1955, reports in the local daily Tamil Murasu urged Tamils to boycott the MIC.
Sambanthan, then a state MIC leader, emerged during this period as an alternative candidate for the party leadership. Going by historical records, he was literally coerced into taking up the presidency. Another candidate, P.P. Narayanan, was approached by party leaders but turned down their invitation because he wanted to concentrate on union activities.
Sambanthan initially declined but following some pressure from the Tamil leaders agreed to take on the party leadership. He was duly elected the fifth president of the MIC in May 1955. Sambanthan Thevar was also acceptable to the Malay leadership because he played down political (and to some extent, economic) rights in favour of cultural and language rights.
in its popular South Indian form, increased use and fostering of the Tamil language, and Tamil cultural activities.
But the MIC under Sambanthan Thevar failed to reconcile the needs of labour with the political aspirations of the middle class. The traditionalists and the lower middle class strengthened their hold within the party, while the upper class professionals and the intelligentsia moved away from it. Subsequently, two paths to leadership emerged among the Indians - political and trade union - with very little interaction between them.
Under Sambanthan Thevar's leadership, the MIC effectively became a Tamil party. Sambanthan Thevar served as president of the MIC from 1955–71 and was largely responsible for the transformation of the party from an active, political organisation to a conservative, traditional one, emphasising Indian culture, religion and language.
It was also the weakest of the three main political parties. It had the smallest electorate - 7.4% in 1959; and it had little support from the Indian community at large.
Since the Indian community was geographically dispersed and divided, it comprised less than 25% in any constituency. Therefore, the MIC's overriding concern was to remain a partner in the Alliance (the UMNO-MCA
-MIC Alliance that had won the first elections in 1955, and that was subsequently renamed Barisan Nasional
) and obtain whatever concessions it could from the dominant UMNO. In the process, political and economic rights of workers were sacrificed.
Sambanthan Thevar, while as MIC president, helped strengthen the party economically by selling about half of his father’s 2.4 km² rubber estate to help the Indian community as well as to provide financial strength to the party coffers.
Sambanthan Thevar took over the mantle of the MIC during a period of turmoil in the party in 1955, barely months before the first federal elections, and over time strengthen the party and consolidated its position in the coalition. He did not always please his members, but was able to gradually unite a party that had considerable internal splits.
He met the new challenge and following negotiations with the Alliance leaders the MIC was allocated two seats – in Batu Pahat
, Johor
, and Sungai Siput
, Perak
. Sambanthan Thevar contested the Sungai Siput
seat and won comfortably.
The Alliance swept 51 of the 52 seats, the exception being a seat in Perak. Following the election win, Sambanthan Thevar was appointed to the Cabinet and sworn in as Labour Minister in the Alliance
government.
The coalition decided to push for a quicker transfer of power and an Alliance delegation went to London
in January 1956 to hold talks on a range of issues, including independence, with Secretary of State Alan Lennox-Boyd.
Sambanthan Thevar did not accompany the delegation to London
. He declared that he was confident Tunku Abdul Rahman
would be able to represent Malayan interests effectively. It was also a personal gesture of his confidence in Tunku’s leadership. Sambanthan Thevar was criticised for this decision by his party officials. Nevertheless, when the final constitutional negotiations were held in London in May 1957, Sambanthan Thevar was very involved.
.
Sambanthan Thevar was a pragmatic negotiator and worked hard to secure the interests of the Indian community, while at the same time being sensitive to the broader interests of the Alliance party’s diverse membership.
He was at times criticised by his party members for conceding on certain issues, but Sambanthan Thevar was faced with the need to find a suitable balance to the various sectoral demands and sought to take a middle path in the negotiations. For taking such as position, he was praised by the Tunku.
The final constitutional negotiations in London
in May 1957 also saw a personal transformation in Sambanthan. While in London for the constitutional talks, Tunku Abdul Rahman
decided that Sambanthan needed new attire.
Sambanthan Thevar had caused some controversy when he wore a dhoti upon being elected into the Federal Legislative Council
– a practice deemed taboo
during the British period. But Sambanthan defended his choice, arguing: “It makes the average man feel happier.” Even after the elections in 1955, when he was appointed Minister of Labour, his traditional Indian attire remained intact.
Thus when in London
, Tunku decided that something must be done. As the Tunku describes in his book Looking Back: “When walking with me in London, he was always trailing behind because he could not step out far enough to keep pace with me; or perhaps I walked faster on purpose. One day when we were out for a walk, I led him into Simpson’s men’s store in Piccadilly. On reaching there, I said: ‘Come in; I want to choose a new suit’, so he followed me inside.
”I asked the tailor to fit Sambanthan Thevar with a good ready-made suit. He protested, but only briefly, accepting the inevitability, and came out a new man in a new suit – West-End tailored, new shirt, new tie, new shoes and socks.”
The Tunku noted that after that incident, Sambanthan Thevar was not satisfied with just one suit and secretly went out to buy several more.
During the debate on the draft Constitution at the Federal Legislative Council on July 10, 1957, Sambanthan Thevar urged greater co-operation between the communities, reminding them that Malaya was a plural society. He told the council:
, and Sambanthan. For his part, Sambanthan Thevar ran the MIC as a largely informal party, in deference to Umno, rather than as a political party with definite programmes.
In effect, it became a vehicle for distributing patronage (senate and legislative votes, nominations for decorations and awards, licences) to supporters, furnishing the Indian Malaysian vote, and an instrument for the leadership to entrench its role. But patronage was always in short supply and, eventually, rising dissatisfaction with Sambanthan Thevar led to a prolonged leadership crisis in the party.
as Malaysia's prime minister, the MIC was forced to become much more responsive to the dictates of UMNO. This was following the May 13 Incident
and Razak was more assertive than the Tunku to demonstrate Malay Supremacy or Ketuanan Melayu
.
Sambanthan Thevar, by now bearing the title "Tun", was forced to retire in favour of V. Manickavasagam Pillai
in 1973. This intervention is an indication of the inertia that had gripped the MIC following Sambanthan's rise to leadership in 1955.
During the time the Malaysian Government decided to ban the Chinese lion dance and racial tension was high after May 13, 1969, Tun Sambanthan Thevar as National Unity Minister in the early 1970s, took some Chinese leaders to Genting to talk things over. The discussions were successful and the lion dance ban was later lifted because the Government realised it was important to maintain each race’s culture.
Apart from ministerial duties, Tunku Abdul Rahman
often assigned important tasks to Sambanthan. In 1968, the Tunku sent Sambanthan Thevar to Fiji
as an emissary of peace; the Chief Minister of Fiji acknowledged Sambanthan’s contribution in a letter to Tunku thanking him for the “great success” of the delegation “under the superb leadership of Tun Sambanthan”.
Sambanthan Thevar also joined the delegation to Jakarta
, Indonesia
in 1966 to witness the signing of an agreement whereby diplomatic relations between Indonesia
and Malaysia were normalised after the Indonesian Confrontation episode.
After resigning as president of MIC, he was appointed chairman of the National Unity Board (1974–78) that replaced the National Unity Ministry.
Throughout his political career, which spanned 25 years, he had preached and practised the doctrine of unity amidst diversity. Appropriately enough, in the Malaysian context, it was to national unity that he devoted the last few years of his life.
and for the transformation of the South Indian Immigration Labour Fund into an education fund for the children of plantation workers.
The greatest challenge that MIC faced during his presidency was the fragmentation of estates, the livelihood of almost all Indian workers. In a bid to help the fragmentation, the party sponsored cooperative efforts to acquire estates and prevent displacement of the workers.
In 1960 Tun V.T. Sambanthan Thevar touted the idea of a social co-operative to help plantation workers during the British land sell off. Tun Sambanthan Thevar and K. R. Somasundram
worked closely to purchase their first estate at Bukit Sidim in that same year. The co-operative was later called National Land and Finance Co-operative Society (NLFCS).
He toured rubber plantations to persuade workers to buy shares in the cooperative; a worker with a registration fee of $2 and a share costing $100 (payable in instalments) could buy a stake in a plantation.
At the time of his death in 1979, the cooperative had bought over 18 estates, totalling 120 km² and had a membership of 85,000 workers. The Malayan Plantation Agencies administered the estates on behalf of the cooperative.
His wife, Toh Puan Umasundari Sambanthan
served as chairman and director of the National Land Finance Co- operative Society (NLFC) from 1980 to 1995 and its president in 1995 and 1996.
K. R. Somasundram
has since taken over the Chairmanship of the company upon the death of Tun Sambanthan Thevar and is still actively involved in the co-operative. Today NLFCS has 19 estates totalling 35000 acres (142 km²), as well as investments in Palm Oil, Property and Banking.
and has a daughter, Deva Kunjari, who is a lawyer.
Tunku Abdul Rahman
Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj ibni Almarhum Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah, AC, CH was Chief Minister of the Federation of Malaya from 1955, and the country's first Prime Minister from independence in 1957. He remained as the Prime Minister after Sabah, Sarawak, and Singapore joined the...
and Tan Cheng Lock
Tan Cheng Lock
Tun Dato Sri Sir Cheng-lock Tan, DPMJ, KBE was a Malaysian Chinese businessman and a key public figure who devoted his life to fighting for the rights and the social welfare of the Chinese community in Malaya...
. He was the MIC President from 1955 to 1973, when he was ousted by party members.
Sambanthan Thevar was one of the leading Indian leaders who played a prominent role in the independence movement in Malaya. As president of the Malayan Indian Congress (MIC) during this important period of transition, he worked closely with Alliance Party leader Tunku Abdul Rahman and they developed a close personal bond.
He is credited with three important developments in Malaysian political history: the consolidation of the Malayan (now Malaysian) Indian Congress, its transformation into a mass-based party, and its integral role as a partner in the current ruling alliance.
The entry of the MIC into the multi-communal Alliance
Barisan Nasional
Barisan Nasional is a major political coalition in Malaysia, formed in 1973 as the successor to the Alliance . Along with its predecessor, it has been Malaysia's federal ruling political force since independence...
in 1955 contributed greatly to enhancing the coalition’s image as the main representative of the three main communities in Malaya.
The finest hour was achieved on August 31, 1957 when Independence
Hari Merdeka
Hari Merdeka is a national day of Malaysia commemorating the independence of the Federation of Malaya from British colonial rule in 1957, celebrated on August 31 each year. It is not to be confused with the formation of Malaysia...
was achieved under the Merdeka Agreement, to which Sambanthan was a signatory.
Background
Sambanthan was born in Sungai SiputSungai Siput
Sungai Siput is a town and also a parliamentary constituency in Kuala Kangsar district, Perak, Malaysia. Since the recent Malaysian general election of 8 March 2008, this parliamentary constituency is represented by Dr Jeyakumar Devaraj, from Pakatan Rakyat Party, in the Dewan Rakyat, the lower...
in 1919. His father, M.S. Veerasamy Thevar, came to Malaya
British Malaya
British Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the Island of Singapore that were brought under British control between the 18th and the 20th centuries...
in the 1896, was a pioneer rubber planter in Sungai Siput
Sungai Siput
Sungai Siput is a town and also a parliamentary constituency in Kuala Kangsar district, Perak, Malaysia. Since the recent Malaysian general election of 8 March 2008, this parliamentary constituency is represented by Dr Jeyakumar Devaraj, from Pakatan Rakyat Party, in the Dewan Rakyat, the lower...
, Perak
Perak
Perak , one of the 13 states of Malaysia, is the second largest state in the Peninsular Malaysia bordering Kedah and Yala Province of Thailand to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kelantan and Pahang to the east, Selangor the Strait of Malacca to the south and west.Perak means silver in Malay...
and owned several rubber plantations. His siblings were V.M. Sundram V. Krishnan and V. Saraswathy .
Sambanthan received his early education at Clifford High School in Kuala Kangsar
Kuala Kangsar
Kuala Kangsar is the royal town of Perak, Malaysia, located at the downstream of Kangsar River, where it flows into the Perak River. It is the main town in the administrative district of Kuala Kangsar.-History:...
, Perak
Perak
Perak , one of the 13 states of Malaysia, is the second largest state in the Peninsular Malaysia bordering Kedah and Yala Province of Thailand to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kelantan and Pahang to the east, Selangor the Strait of Malacca to the south and west.Perak means silver in Malay...
. A keen sportsman, Sambanthan was an intelligent student who loved to chat and joke.
Sambanthan continued his studies in economics at the highly respected Annamalai University
Annamalai University
Annamalai University is a Public University located in Annamalai Nagar, Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu, India. The university offers courses of higher education in arts, sciences and engineering.The university also provides around 380 courses under distance mode...
in Chidambaram
Chidambaram
Chidambaram is a fast growing industrial city in Eastern part of Tamil Nadu and the taluk headquarters of the Cuddalore district. It is located in 58 km from Pondicherry, 60 km from Karaikal, and 240 km south of Chennai by rail...
, Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. His interest in politics is said to have been triggered while studying in India as he closely followed the rise of the Indian nationalist movement. He even took part in some of the protests led by the Quit India Movement
Quit India Movement
The Quit India Movement , or the August Movement was a civil disobedience movement launched in India in August 1942 in response to Mohandas Gandhi's call for immediate independence. Gandhi hoped to bring the British government to the negotiating table...
against the British and was injured in one instance.
He subscribed to the Gandhian philosophy of non-violence in achieving independence and was attracted to the political ideas of independence fighter Subash Chandra Bose and Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru , often referred to with the epithet of Panditji, was an Indian statesman who became the first Prime Minister of independent India and became noted for his “neutralist” policies in foreign affairs. He was also one of the principal leaders of India’s independence movement in the...
who later became the first prime minister of independent India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
Not surprisingly, he become involved with the Youth Wing of the Indian National Congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
. The ethnicity and sectionalism in Indian society troubled him and this was to influence his later advocacy of racial tolerance, harmony and cooperation in Malayan politics.
When his father died in 1942, Sambanthan was stuck in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
as World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
raged. When the war ended, he returned to Malaya
British Malaya
British Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the Island of Singapore that were brought under British control between the 18th and the 20th centuries...
in 1946 and took over the management of the family business that included vast rubber plantations.
He took a keen interest in the welfare of the estate community, developing a close rapport with them. He was particularly concerned with the rate of illiteracy among Indians in the estates and devoted much time and energy to introduce schooling.
In 1954, he built the Mahatma Gandhi Tamil School in Sungai Siput
Sungai Siput
Sungai Siput is a town and also a parliamentary constituency in Kuala Kangsar district, Perak, Malaysia. Since the recent Malaysian general election of 8 March 2008, this parliamentary constituency is represented by Dr Jeyakumar Devaraj, from Pakatan Rakyat Party, in the Dewan Rakyat, the lower...
with some assistance from the Senior Inspector of Schools, a British official.
His efforts to raise the education level of the Indians drew the attention of the authorities and he was appointed a member of the Board of Councillors by the Perak State Education Department.
Early Involvement
Sambanthan Thevar, with the intention of creating a more cohesive and unified Indian community, organised the Perak United Indian Council in 1953, the same year he was elected Perak MIC chairman.However, the event that helped catapult Sambanthan Thevar to the forefront of MIC politics was a visit by Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit
Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit
Vijaya Lakshmi Nehru Pandit was an Indian diplomat and politician, the sister of Jawaharlal Nehru, the aunt of Indira Gandhi and the great-aunt of Rajiv Gandhi, all of whom served as Prime Minister of India.In 1921 she married Ranjit Sitaram Pandit, who died on 14 January 1944...
, the younger sister of the then Indian prime minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru , often referred to with the epithet of Panditji, was an Indian statesman who became the first Prime Minister of independent India and became noted for his “neutralist” policies in foreign affairs. He was also one of the principal leaders of India’s independence movement in the...
. Sambanthan Thevar had befriended her when he was involved with the Indian National Congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
while studying at Annamalai University
Annamalai University
Annamalai University is a Public University located in Annamalai Nagar, Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu, India. The university offers courses of higher education in arts, sciences and engineering.The university also provides around 380 courses under distance mode...
.
On his invitation, she visited Malaya
Federation of Malaya
The Federation of Malaya is the name given to a federation of 11 states that existed from 31 January 1948 until 16 September 1963. The Federation became independent on 31 August 1957...
in 1954 and despite the ongoing communist insurgency, visited Sungai Siput
Sungai Siput
Sungai Siput is a town and also a parliamentary constituency in Kuala Kangsar district, Perak, Malaysia. Since the recent Malaysian general election of 8 March 2008, this parliamentary constituency is represented by Dr Jeyakumar Devaraj, from Pakatan Rakyat Party, in the Dewan Rakyat, the lower...
where she officially opened the Mahatma Gandhi Tamil School. The meeting between Sambanthan Thevar and Vijaya Lakshmi in 1954 helped push the former into the limelight and then on to the party president’s position in 1955
In the same year, he was elected member of the legislative council for the Kinta Utara constituency. The constituency was renamed in 1959 as the Sungai Siput
Sungai Siput
Sungai Siput is a town and also a parliamentary constituency in Kuala Kangsar district, Perak, Malaysia. Since the recent Malaysian general election of 8 March 2008, this parliamentary constituency is represented by Dr Jeyakumar Devaraj, from Pakatan Rakyat Party, in the Dewan Rakyat, the lower...
seat.
Becoming MIC President
In the post World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
period, the Indian professional elite was largely held together by the unifying ideology of Indian nationalism. In 1946, the Indian elite in Malaya formed the MIC. For the first eight years, the MIC leaders were either North Indian or Malayalee, representing a minority among the Indians. The majority of Indians (90%) in Malaya at that time were South Indians, mainly from the labouring class.
The Emergency (declared by the British in 1948 to battle communist insurgency) regulations and new trade union legislation also led to the leadership of the trade union movement passing from the Chinese, who were much better organised, to the Indians. This dilution of the MIC's objectives affected the status of Indian plantation workers in the Malaysian economy then and its repercussions are still being felt today.
In 1954, there were serious debates within the MIC as to whether the party should join the UMNO-MCA
Malaysian Chinese Association
Malaysian Chinese Association is a uni-racial political party in Malaysia that represents the Malaysian Chinese ethnicity; it is one of the three major component parties of the ruling coalition in Malaysia called the Barisan Nasional in Malay, or National Front in English.Along with the largest...
Alliance that was emerging as the leading political movement in the country, following their successes in local elections. The MIC had aligned itself with Datuk Onn Jaafar
Onn Jaafar
Dato' Sir Onn bin Ja'afar, KBE was a Malay politician and a Menteri Besar of Johore in Malaysia, then Malaya. He was the founder of United Malays National Organization and was also responsible for the social economic welfare of the Malays by setting up the Rural Industrial Development Authority...
’s Independence of Malaya Party
Independence of Malaya Party
The Independence of Malaya Party was a political party in British-ruled Malaya that stood for political independence. Founded by Onn Ja'afar after he left UMNO in 1951, it opposed the UMNO policy of Malay supremacy....
and later Party Negara, and there was a rethink within the MIC leadership during this period.
According to Rajeswary Ampalavanar, author of The Indian Minority and Political Change in Malaya 1954-1957, the MIC leadership was quite eager to join the Alliance
Barisan Nasional
Barisan Nasional is a major political coalition in Malaysia, formed in 1973 as the successor to the Alliance . Along with its predecessor, it has been Malaysia's federal ruling political force since independence...
but there was some resistance within the party’s broader membership. They were willing to support the move if the party could secure some concessions from the Alliance on inter-communal issues, particularly on education.
Then MIC president K.L. Devaser came under heavy criticism from the Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
media for not addressing the pressing issues facing the community. While he was quite outspoken, his influence was largely among the urban-based Indian elite and he lacked wider grassroots support.
Some in the party felt that there was a need for a leader with a stronger relationship with the party’s grassroots. In March 1955, reports in the local daily Tamil Murasu urged Tamils to boycott the MIC.
Sambanthan, then a state MIC leader, emerged during this period as an alternative candidate for the party leadership. Going by historical records, he was literally coerced into taking up the presidency. Another candidate, P.P. Narayanan, was approached by party leaders but turned down their invitation because he wanted to concentrate on union activities.
Sambanthan initially declined but following some pressure from the Tamil leaders agreed to take on the party leadership. He was duly elected the fifth president of the MIC in May 1955. Sambanthan Thevar was also acceptable to the Malay leadership because he played down political (and to some extent, economic) rights in favour of cultural and language rights.
Becoming a Tamil party
The MIC's main challenge was to reconcile the political aspirations of the middle class with the poverty and needs of the labouring class, who in 1938 comprised 84% of the plantation labour force. Sambanthan Thevar started a recruitment campaign among plantation workers, relying on patronage of HinduismHinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
in its popular South Indian form, increased use and fostering of the Tamil language, and Tamil cultural activities.
But the MIC under Sambanthan Thevar failed to reconcile the needs of labour with the political aspirations of the middle class. The traditionalists and the lower middle class strengthened their hold within the party, while the upper class professionals and the intelligentsia moved away from it. Subsequently, two paths to leadership emerged among the Indians - political and trade union - with very little interaction between them.
Under Sambanthan Thevar's leadership, the MIC effectively became a Tamil party. Sambanthan Thevar served as president of the MIC from 1955–71 and was largely responsible for the transformation of the party from an active, political organisation to a conservative, traditional one, emphasising Indian culture, religion and language.
It was also the weakest of the three main political parties. It had the smallest electorate - 7.4% in 1959; and it had little support from the Indian community at large.
Since the Indian community was geographically dispersed and divided, it comprised less than 25% in any constituency. Therefore, the MIC's overriding concern was to remain a partner in the Alliance (the UMNO-MCA
Malaysian Chinese Association
Malaysian Chinese Association is a uni-racial political party in Malaysia that represents the Malaysian Chinese ethnicity; it is one of the three major component parties of the ruling coalition in Malaysia called the Barisan Nasional in Malay, or National Front in English.Along with the largest...
-MIC Alliance that had won the first elections in 1955, and that was subsequently renamed Barisan Nasional
Barisan Nasional
Barisan Nasional is a major political coalition in Malaysia, formed in 1973 as the successor to the Alliance . Along with its predecessor, it has been Malaysia's federal ruling political force since independence...
) and obtain whatever concessions it could from the dominant UMNO. In the process, political and economic rights of workers were sacrificed.
Sambanthan Thevar, while as MIC president, helped strengthen the party economically by selling about half of his father’s 2.4 km² rubber estate to help the Indian community as well as to provide financial strength to the party coffers.
Sambanthan Thevar took over the mantle of the MIC during a period of turmoil in the party in 1955, barely months before the first federal elections, and over time strengthen the party and consolidated its position in the coalition. He did not always please his members, but was able to gradually unite a party that had considerable internal splits.
First Federal Elections
The year 1955 was a milestone for Malaya’s advance towards self-governance. The British colonial administration had agreed to hold the first federal elections in July 1955 and Sambanthan Thevar was instantly thrown into the cauldron of electoral politics.He met the new challenge and following negotiations with the Alliance leaders the MIC was allocated two seats – in Batu Pahat
Batu Pahat
Batu Pahat is a district in the state of Johor, Malaysia. It lies south-east of Muar, south-west of Kluang, north-west of Pontian, and south of Segamat and the new Ledang district. The capital of the district is Bandar Penggaram, Batu Pahat....
, Johor
Johor
Johor is a Malaysian state, located in the southern portion of Peninsular Malaysia. It is one of the most developed states in Malaysia. The state capital city and royal city of Johor is Johor Bahru, formerly known as Tanjung Puteri...
, and Sungai Siput
Sungai Siput
Sungai Siput is a town and also a parliamentary constituency in Kuala Kangsar district, Perak, Malaysia. Since the recent Malaysian general election of 8 March 2008, this parliamentary constituency is represented by Dr Jeyakumar Devaraj, from Pakatan Rakyat Party, in the Dewan Rakyat, the lower...
, Perak
Perak
Perak , one of the 13 states of Malaysia, is the second largest state in the Peninsular Malaysia bordering Kedah and Yala Province of Thailand to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kelantan and Pahang to the east, Selangor the Strait of Malacca to the south and west.Perak means silver in Malay...
. Sambanthan Thevar contested the Sungai Siput
Sungai Siput
Sungai Siput is a town and also a parliamentary constituency in Kuala Kangsar district, Perak, Malaysia. Since the recent Malaysian general election of 8 March 2008, this parliamentary constituency is represented by Dr Jeyakumar Devaraj, from Pakatan Rakyat Party, in the Dewan Rakyat, the lower...
seat and won comfortably.
The Alliance swept 51 of the 52 seats, the exception being a seat in Perak. Following the election win, Sambanthan Thevar was appointed to the Cabinet and sworn in as Labour Minister in the Alliance
Barisan Nasional
Barisan Nasional is a major political coalition in Malaysia, formed in 1973 as the successor to the Alliance . Along with its predecessor, it has been Malaysia's federal ruling political force since independence...
government.
The coalition decided to push for a quicker transfer of power and an Alliance delegation went to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in January 1956 to hold talks on a range of issues, including independence, with Secretary of State Alan Lennox-Boyd.
Sambanthan Thevar did not accompany the delegation to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. He declared that he was confident Tunku Abdul Rahman
Tunku Abdul Rahman
Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj ibni Almarhum Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah, AC, CH was Chief Minister of the Federation of Malaya from 1955, and the country's first Prime Minister from independence in 1957. He remained as the Prime Minister after Sabah, Sarawak, and Singapore joined the...
would be able to represent Malayan interests effectively. It was also a personal gesture of his confidence in Tunku’s leadership. Sambanthan Thevar was criticised for this decision by his party officials. Nevertheless, when the final constitutional negotiations were held in London in May 1957, Sambanthan Thevar was very involved.
Merdeka Negotiations
Earlier, in 1956, Sambanthan Thevar led the MIC delegation in the negotiations between the Alliance parties in drawing up a memorandum to be presented to the Reid CommissionReid Commission
The Reid Commission was an independent commission responsible for drafting the Constitution of the Federation of Malaya prior to Malayan independence from Britain on 31 August 1957.-History:...
.
Sambanthan Thevar was a pragmatic negotiator and worked hard to secure the interests of the Indian community, while at the same time being sensitive to the broader interests of the Alliance party’s diverse membership.
He was at times criticised by his party members for conceding on certain issues, but Sambanthan Thevar was faced with the need to find a suitable balance to the various sectoral demands and sought to take a middle path in the negotiations. For taking such as position, he was praised by the Tunku.
The final constitutional negotiations in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in May 1957 also saw a personal transformation in Sambanthan. While in London for the constitutional talks, Tunku Abdul Rahman
Tunku Abdul Rahman
Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj ibni Almarhum Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah, AC, CH was Chief Minister of the Federation of Malaya from 1955, and the country's first Prime Minister from independence in 1957. He remained as the Prime Minister after Sabah, Sarawak, and Singapore joined the...
decided that Sambanthan needed new attire.
Sambanthan Thevar had caused some controversy when he wore a dhoti upon being elected into the Federal Legislative Council
Federal Legislative Council
The Federal Legislative Council was the legislative body of the Federation of Malaya and the predecessor of the Malaysian Parliament. It was formed in 1948 after the abolition of the Malayan Union and the formation of the Federation, as part of the United Kingdom's promise to grant self-rule to...
– a practice deemed taboo
Taboo
A taboo is a strong social prohibition relating to any area of human activity or social custom that is sacred and or forbidden based on moral judgment, religious beliefs and or scientific consensus. Breaking the taboo is usually considered objectionable or abhorrent by society...
during the British period. But Sambanthan defended his choice, arguing: “It makes the average man feel happier.” Even after the elections in 1955, when he was appointed Minister of Labour, his traditional Indian attire remained intact.
Thus when in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Tunku decided that something must be done. As the Tunku describes in his book Looking Back: “When walking with me in London, he was always trailing behind because he could not step out far enough to keep pace with me; or perhaps I walked faster on purpose. One day when we were out for a walk, I led him into Simpson’s men’s store in Piccadilly. On reaching there, I said: ‘Come in; I want to choose a new suit’, so he followed me inside.
”I asked the tailor to fit Sambanthan Thevar with a good ready-made suit. He protested, but only briefly, accepting the inevitability, and came out a new man in a new suit – West-End tailored, new shirt, new tie, new shoes and socks.”
The Tunku noted that after that incident, Sambanthan Thevar was not satisfied with just one suit and secretly went out to buy several more.
During the debate on the draft Constitution at the Federal Legislative Council on July 10, 1957, Sambanthan Thevar urged greater co-operation between the communities, reminding them that Malaya was a plural society. He told the council:
Working with the Tunku
The MIC's success in the early years was due to the close personal friendship between Malaysia's first prime minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-HajTunku Abdul Rahman
Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj ibni Almarhum Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah, AC, CH was Chief Minister of the Federation of Malaya from 1955, and the country's first Prime Minister from independence in 1957. He remained as the Prime Minister after Sabah, Sarawak, and Singapore joined the...
, and Sambanthan. For his part, Sambanthan Thevar ran the MIC as a largely informal party, in deference to Umno, rather than as a political party with definite programmes.
In effect, it became a vehicle for distributing patronage (senate and legislative votes, nominations for decorations and awards, licences) to supporters, furnishing the Indian Malaysian vote, and an instrument for the leadership to entrench its role. But patronage was always in short supply and, eventually, rising dissatisfaction with Sambanthan Thevar led to a prolonged leadership crisis in the party.
Working with Tun Abdul Razak
When Tun Abdul Razak Hussein succeeded Tunku Abdul RahmanTunku Abdul Rahman
Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj ibni Almarhum Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah, AC, CH was Chief Minister of the Federation of Malaya from 1955, and the country's first Prime Minister from independence in 1957. He remained as the Prime Minister after Sabah, Sarawak, and Singapore joined the...
as Malaysia's prime minister, the MIC was forced to become much more responsive to the dictates of UMNO. This was following the May 13 Incident
May 13 Incident
The 13 May Incident is a term for the Sino-Malay sectarian violences in Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia, which began on 13 May 1969...
and Razak was more assertive than the Tunku to demonstrate Malay Supremacy or Ketuanan Melayu
Ketuanan Melayu
Ketuanan Melayu is a political concept emphasizing Malay preeminence in present day Malaysia. The Malays of peninsular Malaysia claimed a special position and special rights owing to their long domicile and the role of the Malay rulers of the nine Malay states...
.
Sambanthan Thevar, by now bearing the title "Tun", was forced to retire in favour of V. Manickavasagam Pillai
V. Manickavasagam
Tan Sri Dato' Seri V. Manickavasagam is the sixth president of the Malaysian Indian Congress from 1973–1978. He was also the former Minister for Communication in the Malaysian cabinet.-President of MIC:...
in 1973. This intervention is an indication of the inertia that had gripped the MIC following Sambanthan's rise to leadership in 1955.
Ministerial Posts
As president of a party that was a component of the ruling Alliance Party, he was appointed Minister of Labour (1955–57), Health (1957–59), Works, Posts and Telecommunications (1959–71) and National Unity (1972–74).During the time the Malaysian Government decided to ban the Chinese lion dance and racial tension was high after May 13, 1969, Tun Sambanthan Thevar as National Unity Minister in the early 1970s, took some Chinese leaders to Genting to talk things over. The discussions were successful and the lion dance ban was later lifted because the Government realised it was important to maintain each race’s culture.
Apart from ministerial duties, Tunku Abdul Rahman
Tunku Abdul Rahman
Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj ibni Almarhum Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah, AC, CH was Chief Minister of the Federation of Malaya from 1955, and the country's first Prime Minister from independence in 1957. He remained as the Prime Minister after Sabah, Sarawak, and Singapore joined the...
often assigned important tasks to Sambanthan. In 1968, the Tunku sent Sambanthan Thevar to Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
as an emissary of peace; the Chief Minister of Fiji acknowledged Sambanthan’s contribution in a letter to Tunku thanking him for the “great success” of the delegation “under the superb leadership of Tun Sambanthan”.
Sambanthan Thevar also joined the delegation to Jakarta
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
in 1966 to witness the signing of an agreement whereby diplomatic relations between Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
and Malaysia were normalised after the Indonesian Confrontation episode.
After resigning as president of MIC, he was appointed chairman of the National Unity Board (1974–78) that replaced the National Unity Ministry.
Throughout his political career, which spanned 25 years, he had preached and practised the doctrine of unity amidst diversity. Appropriately enough, in the Malaysian context, it was to national unity that he devoted the last few years of his life.
Contributions
In his own way, Sambanthan Thevar instituted some reforms among Indian plantation workers. For example, he promoted education and thrift among Indian workers, lobbied for the introduction of English language instruction in Tamil schools in PerakPerak
Perak , one of the 13 states of Malaysia, is the second largest state in the Peninsular Malaysia bordering Kedah and Yala Province of Thailand to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kelantan and Pahang to the east, Selangor the Strait of Malacca to the south and west.Perak means silver in Malay...
and for the transformation of the South Indian Immigration Labour Fund into an education fund for the children of plantation workers.
The greatest challenge that MIC faced during his presidency was the fragmentation of estates, the livelihood of almost all Indian workers. In a bid to help the fragmentation, the party sponsored cooperative efforts to acquire estates and prevent displacement of the workers.
In 1960 Tun V.T. Sambanthan Thevar touted the idea of a social co-operative to help plantation workers during the British land sell off. Tun Sambanthan Thevar and K. R. Somasundram
K. R. Somasundram
Tan Sri Dato K.R. Somasundram is a prominent Malaysian Indian.Born in Teluk Intan, Malaysia in 1930, he was the son of a grocer who gained prominence by heading the National Land Finance Co-Operative for the last two and a half decades....
worked closely to purchase their first estate at Bukit Sidim in that same year. The co-operative was later called National Land and Finance Co-operative Society (NLFCS).
He toured rubber plantations to persuade workers to buy shares in the cooperative; a worker with a registration fee of $2 and a share costing $100 (payable in instalments) could buy a stake in a plantation.
At the time of his death in 1979, the cooperative had bought over 18 estates, totalling 120 km² and had a membership of 85,000 workers. The Malayan Plantation Agencies administered the estates on behalf of the cooperative.
His wife, Toh Puan Umasundari Sambanthan
Uma Sambanthan
Toh Puan Umasundari Sambanthan née Subramaniam is the wife of the late Tun V.T. Sambanthan, former Malayan Labour Minister, president of the Malaysian Indian Congress and regarded as one of the founding fathers of Malaysia. She is an activist, social worker and leading figure of the cooperative...
served as chairman and director of the National Land Finance Co- operative Society (NLFC) from 1980 to 1995 and its president in 1995 and 1996.
K. R. Somasundram
K. R. Somasundram
Tan Sri Dato K.R. Somasundram is a prominent Malaysian Indian.Born in Teluk Intan, Malaysia in 1930, he was the son of a grocer who gained prominence by heading the National Land Finance Co-Operative for the last two and a half decades....
has since taken over the Chairmanship of the company upon the death of Tun Sambanthan Thevar and is still actively involved in the co-operative. Today NLFCS has 19 estates totalling 35000 acres (142 km²), as well as investments in Palm Oil, Property and Banking.
Family
Tun Sambanthan is married to Toh Puan Umasundari SambanthanUma Sambanthan
Toh Puan Umasundari Sambanthan née Subramaniam is the wife of the late Tun V.T. Sambanthan, former Malayan Labour Minister, president of the Malaysian Indian Congress and regarded as one of the founding fathers of Malaysia. She is an activist, social worker and leading figure of the cooperative...
and has a daughter, Deva Kunjari, who is a lawyer.