CAT Announces Main Sponsor for the Community Food and Fun Fair!

The Ceylon Association Taiping is proud and delighted to announce the family of the Late Chief Inspector (Rtd) K. Shanmuganathan as the main sponsor of the Community Food and Fun Fair on Sunday, July 9th 2017 from 10.00 am - 4.00 pm at the Malaysian Ceylonese National Community Centre (MCNCC), Taman Kanagapuram.

K. Shanmuganathan (“Nathan”) was born on 22nd December 1935 in Bukit Bintang Kuala Lumpur, to Mr. T. Kandiah and Madam Maheswari from Vasavilan, Jaffna.

Nathan studied in St. Johns Institution, Batu Road Primary School and finally, in Maxwell Secondary School. He left school after Senior Cambridge. After a brief stint as a teacher, Nathan joined the police force at the age of 22 in 1957, when his father was on a long trip to Ceylon. He did so knowing that his father would object to him becoming a police officer, because of the dangers posed by Communist activities at that time. Fortunately for Nathan, his father subsequently accepted, with great pride, his son’s decision to become a police officer.

In 1963, he was posted to Petaling Jaya and shortly thereafter OCS Damansara New Village. After sometime, Nathan retuned to Petaling Jaya Police Headquarters as Sargeant and OCS.

Nathan was promoted to the rank of Inspector in 1976 and was posted to the Federal Reserve Unit (“FRU”) based at the Police Training Centre in Jalan Gurney Kuala Lumpur  as deputy commander of a troop. The next 12 years was spent in the FRU with long stints in Sarawak and Kelantan when there were hints of unrest.

The Late Chief Inspector (Rtd) K. Shanmuganathan (R)  with his friend and squad mate, the Late Inspector Shanmugam (L), after his graduation from Officer's School when he was promoted to Inspector.

He often mentioned how, as a rank and file officer at that time, rising to the rank of Inspector was a dream come true, as at that time, promotions were given only to the best. Having achieved the rank of Inspector, Nathan was no longer interested in promotions, as that would have meant being transferred out of the Klang Valley and uprooting his young family. For this reason, he turned down a subsequent offer of promotion to the rank of ASP and to be transferred to Penang. 

  

Nathan retired in 1990 with the rank of Chief Inspector. He was a proud police officer who wore the uniform with great pride and dignity. For his services to the nation, Nathan was highly commended and received a number of letters of commendation and cash rewards. Nathan was also awarded the Ahli Mangku Negara (AMN), Pingat Pekerti Terpilih (PPT) and Pingat Jasa Pahlawan Negara (PJPN).

On 12-2-1967, Nathan married Rathithevi Kandiah and they were blessed with 2 children.  Their daughter Jothi, born on 31-08-1971, is an ENT surgeon and head of the ENT Department in the Johor Bharu General Hospital. She is married to Manamohan Chandrarajan, an orthopedic surgeon practicing at the Gleneagles Medini Medical Centre, Johor Bharu. Jothi and Mohan have 2 children, Umesh Raaj Mohan and Isha Arathi Mohan.

Their son Ashok Kandiah, born on 22-09-1972, is a lawyer in Petaling Jaya and he is married to Hema Markandan, also a lawyer. Ashok and Hema have 3 children, Shanjeev Kandiah, Ashmeta Kandiah and Eashan Kandiah.

The Late Chief Inspector (Rtd) K. Shanmuganathan (R) established an education fund in memory of his father in conjunction with the Jaffnese Cooperative Society in 1998. The terms of the fund was later amended to include the granting of outright cash contributions to individuals and organisations and renamed the T. Kandiah MBE  Benevolent Fund

Nathan also had a great passion for the community and its organizations. While serving in Kuala Pilah, Nathan formed the Jaffnese Cooperative Society (“JCS”) branch there, and enrolled a number of members. In Petaling Jaya, Nathan was once the collector cum secretary for the district and later became its Chairman, a position held for over 15 years until his demise. He set up a charity fund in the name of his late father T. Kandiah MBE under the auspices of JCS and gave outright cash contributions to deserving students. Nathan had also served as Board member of JCS and the Jaffnese Cooperative Housing Society (“JCHS”).

The Late Chief Inspector (Rtd) K. Shanmuganathan (L) was so impressed by the musical talent exhibited by students of the Thiruvarul Thavaneri Mandram in Sentul that he donated a sum of money to aid their effort to continue teaching religious songs (thevarams) to the students. The Mandram later honoured him for his gesture.

Nathan also contributed generously to Jaffna based organizations such as the Negeri Sembilan Ceylonese Association and Malaysian Ceylonese National Community Centre, something his children hope to continue doing in his name.