Tan Sri G.K. Rama Iyer - In Memoriam

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A lovely piece by Tan Siok Choo. Both gentleman had obituaries on the same page in The Star on 18/3.

https://www.thesundaily.my/opinion/two-exemplary-civil-servants-AH2180112

Two exemplary civil servants ON March 15, Tan Sri Chong Hon Nyan passed away. Two days later, on March 17 – the death anniversary of my father, Tun Tan Siew Sin – Tan Sri Rama Iye...

Recognition from the Anti-Corruption Agency

Thank you to the Board of Directors, Management and Staff of MISC

Farewell to Rama Iyer, an eminent servant of old Malaysia
Martin Vengadesan
Malaysiakini

The first chairperson of Malaysia Airlines (MAS) GK Rama Iyer, who passed away on Tuesday morning, underwent his funeral rites according to Brahmin traditions this afternoon.

Aged 88, the late Rama Iyer was a celebrated civil servant who served as chairperson of MAS from 1970 to 1973 and was also secretary-general of the Primary Industries Ministry. He was also awarded a "Tan Sri" title in recognition of his efforts.

I knew him as the older brother of my uncle G Krishna Iyer who married my father's sister Santha. A younger brother of theirs is prominent lawyer Sulaiman Abdullah.

While my uncle Krish, himself a former headmaster of Penang Free School, is a man I have always known for his mischievous sense of humour - as a child I used to think of uncle Rama as serious and intimidating.

It was only when I grew older that his kindly smile and attentive manner became defining features.

Holding a master’s degree in public administration from Harvard University, the late Rama was known as a firm believer in the role played by an incorruptible and efficient civil service in building up the nation.

He was a skilled administrator trusted by the founding fathers of our nation during its critical formative years and such was his versatility that he filled a number of varying roles.

He was founder-director of Malaysian International Shipping Corporation Bhd, a committee member who helped draft many of the country's early five-year development plans, played a role in restructuring the railway system and was in later years a director of CIMB Bank Bhd.

To be honest, when he occasionally asked about the current developments in our political scene, I used to feel a little embarrassed having to explain what is going on given the sterling role our country's leaders had played during his heyday.

I last saw the late Rama Iyer just last month at a memorial wake for the equally distinguished Umasundari Sambanthan who passed away on Jan 31.

The late Umasundari was the widow of long time MIC president VT Sambanthan, and also the cousin of Rama's wife Vijayalakshmi.

This morning as I drove through a nearly deserted Kuala Lumpur to pay my respects, I thought of just how much Malaysia could do with a man like uncle Rama Iyer right now.

Forthright, intelligent, innovative, decisive.

He was both a product and a reflection of a time when Malaysia chose the best person for the job regardless of colour or creed.

A man like Rama Iyer helped the country navigate through dark days like the post-May 13 riots and emerge triumphant.

The cremation ceremony held at noon was a small and personal affair in view of the current movement control order which precluded many family members from returning from overseas.

It was also not advisable for senior citizens like my own parents to attend and my father asked me to represent him, which I gladly did.

It was indeed touching to see the deep impact Rama had had on those around him.

A memorial service will be organised at a future date to recognise a man who threw himself whole-heartedly into the task of building up a young and vulnerable nation.

Yes I can attest to the accuracy of this tribute about TS Rama Iyer. He made his mark as a civil servant by handling, together with TS Saw Huat Lye, the creation of MAS when the govt decided to break away from MSA - the Malaysia Singapore Airlines to form its own national airline. He then became MAS’ first chairman.

Tun Razak had so much confidence in TS Rama Iyer that when there was a job that needed fixing up, he was the man. His office GPU was next to us EPU. I could see him walking to our building with a pile of files in his hand. He was handling the Malayan Railway restructuring.

He was an active member of the National Development Planning Committee, which consisted of top govt officials chaired by the KSN. TS Rama Iyer was always outspoken and constructuve when considering the EPU proposals to the NDPC.

When I was chairman of MIER, a think tank set up by BNM, he was our board member. In fact l, he was on the board since 1986 when it was formed.

Sad to say, all those he worked with in EPU are no longer with us. TS Rama has left with a record of service that made us all proud to be his associates.

Tan Sri Mohd Sheriff Mohd Kassim

Tan Sri G.K. Rama Iyer: An Appreciation

I have learnt of the passing away of my dear friend Tan Sri G.K. Rama Iyer with great sorrow. He was a true patriot who served Malaysia well. His contributions to nation building have been under-rated. He served with great distinction with our nation’s Founding Fathers in numerous capacities.
I had the privilege of first meeting Rama, as he was known to his friends, in late 1958. He worked at the Treasury while I was at the Department of Statistics. Our interactions were both of a professional and social nature. In that process we became closely associated and over the next several years we came to serve on many high level committees and task forces.
Rama’s contributions were unique as he contributed both to the policies in a variety of fields and the creation and management of several new institutions. Rama earned the role of a trouble shooter who was called often to address issues over a wide spectrum.
Rama was the first Chairman of MAS from 1970 to 1973 after Malaysia Singapore (MSA) Airlines became two separate airlines. Rama was a key player in the establishment of the Malaysian International Shipping Corporation Berhad (MISC).He was also responsible for the restructuring of Malayan Railways. Thus, he came to earn the lighted hearted moniker of “LORD OF THE AIR, SEA and LAND”!
Other institutions that owe their origins to Rama included the Anti-Corruption Agency, the Public Complaints Bureau. Rama was a formidable negotiator. I recall rather vividly the protracted and complex negotiations that he conducted with the oil companies following the Oil Crisis in the early 1970s. Then there were also the many issues that were the subject of delicate negotiations connected with the formation of Malaysia. As a member of the National Development Planning Committee, Rama also contributed to the fine tuning of the various Five Year Malaysia Development Plans.
As a civil servant, he stood out as one who was diligent and honest. He was respected by his peers and the political masters he served for his integrity. At various points in his career he directly reported to the Founding Fathers of the nation. He was known for his unquestionable loyalty to King and Country.
Rama had a second career that was no less significant. He was head hunted by the MIC to lead the newly established Maika Holdings. He took early retirement to join Maika Holdings but left when there were disagreements over policy. Rama joined the Board of the newly established United Asian Bank which later emerged as the CIMB. He continued to serve as the Chair of the Bank’s Committee.
I can recall a particular phase of our professional interactions. Between 1958 and 1977 we interacted intensely. For a brief period, I as the Chief Statistician of Malaysia, nominally reported to Rama who was then the Director-General of the General Planning Unit in the Prime Minister’s Department. Rama was most supportive and gave me full freedom to manage the Department. Although known for his sharp edge, ours was a remarkably cordial and comradely relationship. Rama was someone whose advice I could rely upon. He had a formidable capacity to apply his mind to complex issues and offer solutions.
Rama married somewhat late in life. He was truly family oriented and totally devoted to Viji and their four children. I have rather fond memories of the shared social occasions between our two families.
With his passing, we have lost a true Malaysian, an unsung hero who contributed much to the early foundational history of Malaysia. Let us give thanks for his contributions. Heartful condolences are extended to his grieving family.
May his Soul Rest in Peace

Datuk R. Chander
Washington DC
March 17th, 2020

Thank you for all the kind comments left in response to this post in The Star’s page.

First MAS chairman G. K. Rama Iyer dies at 88 KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama): The first chairman of Malaysia Airlines (MAS) Tan Sri G.K. Rama Iyer died Tuesday (March 17) morning. He was 88.

https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2020/03/575453/mas-first-chairman-dies

MAS first chairman dies KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Airlines first chairman Tan Sri G.K. Rama Iyer died at his home in Taman Ampang Utama, today.

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2020/03/17/first-mas-chairman-g-k-rama-iyer-dies-at-88

First MAS chairman G. K. Rama Iyer dies at 88 KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama): The first chairman of Malaysia Airlines (MAS) Tan Sri G.K. Rama Iyer died Tuesday (March 17) morning. He was 88.

TAN SRI G.K. RAMA IYER: ECONOMIST AND MAVERIC BUREAUCRAT
by Veloo Saminathan

Tan Sri Rama Iyer (full name: Ganapathy Iyer Kalyana Rama Iyer) passed away at his home in Ampang around 8.00 in the morning on March 17, 2020 at age 88. He is survived by his wife Puan Sri Vijayalakshmi or Viji, as she is more popularly known, and four children. His father, the late Ganapathy Iyer was an ace Mathematics Teacher in Penang’s prestigious Penang Free School which boasts on its alumni of students many prominent citizens including the nation’s founding father: the late Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj.

The late Tan Sri Rama Iyer was one of the earliest post-Merdeka Economists to graduate with an Honours Degree in Economics in the University of Malaya in Singapore in the 1950s, at that time the only University catering for the then Malaya, Singapore, the Borneo States and Brunei. Entry to the University was strictly on merit and economics was held in somewhat awe by undergraduates for its novelty - as opposed to the more “mundane” Geography or History. Those admitted to its faculty possessed a certain aura about their intellectual ability: they were certainly held a cut above the ordinary run, the lesser mortals, as it were.

Among other things, the immediate post Merdeka years saw a strong, almost a passionate, commitment for accelerated economic progress as a means of consolidating the fruits of Merdeka. The Economic Planning Unit, or EPU, as it came to be known more popularly in the corridors of power, was already active in charting the future course of accelerated economic development for the country. The newly-minted local economists were much in demand and were set to work as soon as they were recruited to serve the Government.

Rama Iyer, however, was first posted to serve in the Treasury, then under the late Tun Tan Siew Sin as the nation’s Finance Minister. The Tun was a strict disciplinarian and kept a tight hold on the nation’s finances which were powered at that time by increasing world demand for tin and rubber. Trade, which was also to be an important source of revenue, was in its nascent stage and required innovative strategies to develop it.

As a Budget Officer, Rama Iyer soon gained a reputation for being thorough and meticulous in his approach. In those days Heads of Departments leading their teams had to present their draft budgets in open sessions. For many it was quite an experience because of the incisive way in which Rama Iyer went through their draft proposals. The Minister brooked no excesses, prudence and pragmatism were two of his priorities. Rama Iyer was so adept at his work that he became almost irreplaceable until his time for promotion to a higher level appeared.

At this point Tun Razak, the Deputy Prime Minister, got him transferred to his Ministry of Rural Development to lead his newly-created, Special Purposes Department - the
General Planning Unit or GPU, in short. While the EPU in the Prime Minister’s Department planned and strategized economic development, the GPU was assigned special tasks to complement the tasks of the EPU. The Prime Minister and his Deputy kept a stringent eye so that there were no conflicts or overlaps in the duties and responsibilities of the two Units which, although called only Units, grew to be powerful organs of Government in their own right.

One of the earliest tasks assigned to Rama Iyer in his new avatar was to establish a new airline for the nation which required splitting the old Singapore Malayan Airline. This was an extremely complex task involving not only asset-splitting but a whole range of complicated moves and activities to render the Malayan Airline to come into fruition and the planes airborne according to the target dates set for him by the political leadership.

This project was assigned to Tun Dr. Ismail, the Home Minister, who had a reputation for not accepting excuses. That Rama Iyer pulled it all off as scheduled testifies to his uncanny abilities in planning, in negotiations and in being decisive and resolute at the same time. He was, to start with, even Chairman of the Airlines’ Board of Directors. Given time, (who knows?) he might even have trained himself to become an airline pilot!

Tunku Abdul Rahman’s negotiations with the Japanese Government for compensation for wartime damage resulted in Japan offering two ships to start a shipping line and Rama Iyer was required to lay the foundations for the new shipping line to come into existence. Although in the final stages Robert Kuok, the country’s richest man and world class entrepreneur, played a strong part Rama Iyer cleared the hurdles on the official side. The nation’s shipping line, the Malaysian International Shipping Corporation or MISC, as it came to be known, was the final fruit of all his endeavours in this field.

Tun Razak’s dream of uplifting the technical expertise of local citizens to help the nation forge ahead in economic development made him order Rama Iyer to prepare a blue-print for technical training needs of the country in the coming years based upon projections in its Five-Year Development Plans. Rama Iyer’s blueprint based upon a nation-wide survey involving many Government Departments and Agencies resulted in the Government to decide to establish the University of Technology Malaysia. It is today an impressive university in Scudai with branch campuses in appropriate localities.

Very people know that Rama Iyer, as Director of the GPU, set up the Anti - Corruption Agency, on directions issued to him by Tun Razak. In its halcyon days the Anti-Corruption Agency was helmed by Harun Hashim, from the country’s Judiciary. It acquired a solid reputation for identifying and bringing the culprits, including a couple of Menteri Besars, to book. However, political imperatives resulted in the removal of Harun Hashim and a golden opportunity to cleanse the system was lost. Today, the Anti-Corruption Agency founded by Rama Iyer has morphed into the MACCR.

From the days of Tan Sri V. Manickavasagam there has been much talk of setting up an Ombudsman in the country, who is yet to make his appearance on the horizon. However, as from the early years when civil society mounted its pressure in the mass media the Government decided to set up a Public Complaints Bureau, the task was assigned to Rama Iyer. Rama Iyer researched extensively and finally wrote out his blue-print which formed the legal basis for the organisation to be established. And when the Bureau was finally established it was Rama Iyer who helmed it in the early years drafting thick reports for Government Agencies to act upon.

Rama Iyer was once again confronted by being almost irreplaceable but according to civil service rules his opportunity for promotion beckoned him and he was promoted to become Secretary-General of the Ministry of Works and later Secretary of the Ministry of Primary Industries. He hit off beautifully with the Minister and was happy as he no longer had to work under extremely stressful conditions.

Rama Iyer’s reputation for integrity and strategic thinking always preceded him. The MIC head - hunted him (the rumour being on a suggestion by Tun Dr.M) to manage MAIKA HOLDINGS which had collected one hundred and ten million Malaysian Ringgit mainly from Indian estate workers. Rama Iyer retired on option and took up the appointment offered to him. However, MIC politics hung like a millstone round his neck and he quit after the MIC was embroiled in the Telecoms shares scandal.

For a few years thereafter, Rama Iyer was Head of the Audit Committee of CIMB Bank. He was highly self-disciplined. A vegetarian Malayan Brahmin, he was ever mindful of keeping fit, playing tennis in the Lake Club and Badminton with his boys at home. He is reported to have practised yoga and meditation at home. He loved to listen to Indian classical ragas and whenever in Tamil Nadu, from where his wife comes, he never missed any of the great Tamil classical vocal presentations put up in the city by experts.

In retirement he read avidly and deeply, biographies of great world leaders such as Nelson Mandela, were his hot favourites. It is not known whether he wrote or recorded anything down despite being in the innermost sanctum sanctorum of policy-making. Socially, he tended to be bashful and, although respectful, he was never warm, all the warmth and love being reserved for his family.
Rama Iyer, or Tan Sri Ganapathy Iyer Kalyana Rama Iyer, was the quintessential civil servant, a Technocrat in every sense of the term, a maverick bureaucrat and a great Malaysian. He belonged to a band of last, fast fading, Malaysian “Mohicans”.

https://www.bernama.com/en/general/news.php?id=1822042

G.K Rama Iyer, MAS first chairman dies G.K Rama Iyer, MAS first chairman dies

This page was created on behalf of the family of the late Tan Sri G.K. Rama Iyer as a place to post memories and tributes.