THE MAN WHO BUILT VICTORIA INSTITUTION
FARGOES
By Wani Muthiah
K. THAMBOOSAMY PILLAI is perhaps the best remembered Indian philanthropist in
Malaysia for his numerous contributions to society.
Sadly, not much is known of Singapore-born Thamboosamy as an individual and
family man.
His grandson, G. Raja Krishnan, 78, said even close family members do not know
much about Thamboosamy because he died rather young.
"What I know of my grandfather is what I read from books and magazines,'' said
Raja Krishnan, who lives in Selayang.
The former civil servant added that almost nothing of the wealth his
grandfather had amassed was left.
Born in 1850, Thamboosamy, who received his early education in the prestigious
Raffles Institution, sailed to Klang in 1875 with James Guthrie Davidson, when
the latter was appointed Malaya's first British resident.
Prior to that, Thamboosamy was a clerk in the legal firm in which Davidson was
a partner.
Once in Malaya, Davidson appointed Thamboosamy as a clerk in the Treasury, and
he was known to have taken on the position of acting treasurer on several
occasions.
By the time he left the government service to manage the New Tin Mining Company
in Rawang during the 1880s, Thamboosamy was a chief clerk in the colonial
administration.
This was indeed a feat of sorts because there were not many locals holding top
clerical positions in the colonial administration at the time.
He is also best remembered, together with Chinese tin mining tycoon Loke Yew,
for having used generators to power mines. They were also the first to use
electric pumps for mining in Malaya.
Thamboosamy's accomplishment did not end there. The father of four boys and
three girls was appointed a Justice of Peace and also sat on the Sanitary
Board, which in those days carried out the duties of the present-day town
councils.
With donations from the Sultan of Selangor and help from British resident W.H.
Treacher, Thamboosamy together with Loke Yew and Yap Kwan Seng also built the
Victoria Institution in 1893.
Among the local Tamil community, he is perhaps best remembered for building the
Sri Mahamariaman Temple in Jalan Tun H.S. Lee, Kuala Lumpur, which was
initially exclusively for the Pillai family.
The family, however, threw the temple doors open to the public during the late
1920s and eventually handed it over to a board of trustees.
Thamboosamy, who was a member of the Selangor Turf Club, also owned several
horses.
His other business interests included coffee planting, real estate and
construction.
He was also known for his good rapport with the European elite.
Apparently, it was common for him to throw lavish parties to entertain the
town's elite.
Thamboosamy died in 1902 in Singapore, where he had gone to attend a meeting at
the Singapore Turf Club. He is said to have been in his early 50s.
Such was his stature then that his remains were brought back to Kuala Lumpur in
Frank Swettenham's yacht.
Till today, his legacy continues. Besides Victoria Institution and the Sri
Mahamariaman Temple, a street and a Tamil primary school in Sentul still carry
his name.
Alan Teh
Old Victorians, please visit http://viweb.tsx.org
Lots of articles, pictures and stuff there.
Look up your old VI Classmate on http://vionline.tsx.org , the Victorians on
the Internet page
"FARGOES" <far...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20010129011045...@ng-mh1.aol.com...
Thamboosamy, a man of substance
By Wani Muthiah
K. THAMBOOSAMY PILLAI is perhaps the best remembered Indian philanthropist
in
Malaysia for his numerous contributions to society.
[snipped]