Tan Sri M Ramasamy

"𝐀 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐩𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐲"

Last week, I had the privilege of visiting a dear friend and veteran of our party, Mr. K. Maniraja Krishnan at his home in Taman Tun Sambanthan.

Mr. Maniraja is a veteran leader of MIC Sungai Siput Division, and served for several years as Chairman of the Taman Lintang Jaya Branch. He has now stepped back from active party work due to his age.

But to me, his service and sacrifice will never be forgotten. It is leaders like Mr. Maniraja who are the backbone of our party; men who worked quietly, without seeking recognition or applause, simply out of love for the cause and for the community they served.

During my visit, I presented a small contribution as a token of appreciation and care. It is no measure of his service, for sacrifice like his cannot be valued in ringgit but a simple reminder that we still remember, and that we will always be grateful.

The names we put on banners today stand on the shoulders of people like him, who gave their best years when there was little to gain and much to give.

Thank you, Mr. Maniraja. May God grant you and your family good health and lasting peace.

Today I read something that stayed with me.

Rishika Suntharam, a 19-year-old from Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, has just become the only Malaysian admitted to the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) for the Class of 2030. One of the most selective universities on earth, and she earned her place there alongside offers from Wharton, Columbia and UCLA.

But it was her own words that moved me most:

"𝙄 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙢𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙨𝙩𝙪𝙙𝙮 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙐𝙎 𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙡 𝙄 𝙜𝙤𝙩 𝙖 𝙨𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙖𝙧𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥."

Talent has never been in short supply in this country. A young woman scores 10A+ in SPM, carries herself through A-Levels on a Shell scholarship, presents her research in Naples and co-founds a movement to bring more Malaysian girls into mathematics.

What changed that wasn't her ability. She always had that. What changed it was one door being opened: a scholarship, given on merit, to someone who had earned it.

That is the whole story, and it is the part we cannot afford to look away from. For every Rishika who finally gets that one opportunity, how many equally gifted young Malaysians are still waiting for a door that never opens? How much of our nation's potential are we quietly leaving on the table?

So this is my plea to corporate Malaysia and to our Government alike, to our ministries, GLCs, MNCs, foundations and every organisation with the means to act: invest in these young minds. Widen your scholarships. Raise your quotas. And anchor them firmly on merit and need, so that no deserving child is ever held back by where they were born or what background they carry.

These are the very people who will build, heal, lead and uplift Malaysia tomorrow. When we back them today, we are not giving charity, we are investing in the future of this nation.

Congratulations, Rishika. You have made Malaysia proud, and you have reminded us all that where you come from should never decide how far you can go.

Go and shine. The whole nation is cheering for you

Tan Sri M Ramasamy

Baru-baru ini, saya telah menziarahi keluarga mendiang Cik Umi Nor Alia di RPT Salak Kampung Tersusun, untuk berkongsi rasa dukacita atas pemergian seorang anak muda yang dijemput Ilahi terlalu awal pada usia 26 tahun akibat masalah kesihatan.

Kunjungan ini bukan sekadar menyampaikan ucapan takziah, tetapi untuk menzahirkan bahawa keluarga ini tidak keseorangan dalam menghadapi saat-saat getir ini. Sebagai tanda keprihatinan dan sokongan, saya turut menghulurkan sumbangan kewangan dengan harapan ia dapat sedikit sebanyak meringankan beban yang ditanggung keluarga pada waktu ini.

Takziah dan doa saya buat seluruh keluarga. Tabahlah menghadapi ujian ini, kalian sentiasa ada dalam doa kami.

𝗜𝘀 𝗜𝘁 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿???

US-Iran has signaled for a true peace deal after protracted negotiations, but is it really the light at the end of the tunnel?

While the upcoming signing ceremony in Switzerland is a promising step, the highly complex negotiations ahead mean that lasting peace is still fragile.

In any case, I sincerely hope the commercial ships and their sailors are finally freed to leave the Strait of Hormuz, where they have been stranded for 107 days.

Menziarahi Adik Naven di kediamannya. Dia kini sedang fokus menjalani proses pemulihan selepas mengalami patah kaki akibat kemalangan.

Laluan untuk kembali sembuh memang mengambil masa, tetapi semangatnya tetap kuat untuk bangkit semula. Sama-sama kita doakan agar proses pemulihannya berjalan lancar dan dipermudahkan.

Semoga cepat sembuh, Naven!