Arumugam died at a private hospital on Saturday at age 96, leaving behind 13 children, 37 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren.
At age 15, Arumugam made the brave decision to work on the railway as he had wanted to find his older brother. Subsequently, he had to endure much hardship under the Japanese Imperial Army.
His youngest son, A Suthagar, 45, said Arumugam had once shared his hope of bringing his brother back to the family. Sadly, this wish went unfulfilled as he had been informed his brother had passed away.
“My father, the second of five siblings, told me that his purpose of joining the railway was to find his beloved brother. He was determined to save my uncle, but fate was not on his side,” Suthagar told Bernama.
“I would describe my father as a strong and wise man because during his three years of forced labour, he managed to master the Japanese language and was appointed as an interpreter because he could communicate in English, Tamil and Malay.”
Suthagar said this advantage allowed his father to rescue many victims of forced labour, including Indians, Chinese and Malays, and bring them back to their homeland.
After World War II ended, Arumugam returned home and worked as a clerk in a rubber estate, and later become active in politics, joining MIC.
Although saddened by their loss, the family is grateful to their late parents for raising them well and leading them to succeed in their respective careers, including becoming teachers, military personnel, police officers and architects.
“Father was very particular about studies, resulting in some of his grandchildren becoming professionals. My 18-year-old son will soon pursue studies abroad,” Suthagar added.
“My son, a student at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, was one of the closest grandchildren to my father and also learnt Japanese from him.”
Suthagar said throughout his father’s life, Arumugam’s memory had remained sharp even though he was close to 100 years old. He was often invited to give lectures to students at schools in Negeri Sembilan.
Suthagar also said his father had been disciplined with his diet and had not suffered from any diseases.
“My father did not consume alcohol but drank plenty of water and avoided overeating. He did not consume fast food and limited his sugary drinks. He loved to read, which is probably why his memory was so good.”
Arumugam had been among thousands of Tamils from estates in Malaya who were conscripted by the Imperial Japanese Army in 1942 to work on the 415km railway between Ban Pong, Thailand, and Thanbyuzayat, Burma.
Nearly 150,000 Indian labourers are believed to have died on the railway and buried in mass graves together with Malay, Burmese, Indonesian, Indo-Chinese and Javanese workers.