Siva, as he is fondly known, recalled how Singapore’s founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew had summoned him during the premier’s surprise early-morning visit in 1969 to the national university (NUS), where Siva had been pursuing his law studies.
“As the student union vice-president, I had written an article in the local press concerning the university’s management, highlighting some grouses. Some of my points were seen as interfering in the university’s matters and a stinging attack on the republic’s administration.
“This clearly irked Lee, who had read the contents in detail that morning. At 7am that same day, he suddenly appeared at the university and his officials were sent to look for me.
“At first, I was apprehensive of the summons but, after Lee politely admonished me, I realised he meant business and would not hesitate to kick me out of NUS if I persisted in my ‘recalcitrant’ pursuits.”
Siva recalled that Lee had firmly reminded him he was only able to pursue his studies thanks to his retired father’s person-with-disabilities pension fund.
“He also reminded me that I was not so bright, unlike my siblings who had earned Colombo Plan scholarships!” Siva added with a laugh.
The 78-year-old was relating the episode during the Anglo-Chinese School (ACS) Ipoh’s 130th anniversary reunion (Kuala Lumpur and Klang Valley Chapter) in Damansara Jaya here recently, attended by close to 300 of his former schoolmates.
Siva studied at ACS Ipoh from 1963 to 1965. He has been a practising lawyer since 1971 and served as president of the Royal Lake Club KL from 1985 to 1990.
He is also an ardent aviator, having obtained in 1972 his private pilot’s licence from the Royal Selangor Flying Club (RSFC) in Sungai Besi. To date, he has clocked over 2,000 flying hours.
“I got much of my aviator’s knowledge and skills from my brother, Param Yoganathan, who served many years with Malaysia Airlines,” said Siva, who also served as RSFC president in 1991.
ACS Ipoh churned out many prominent personalities, including Olympic and World Cup legends the likes of athlete and cricketeer Karu Selvaratnam, 1975 Kuala Lumpur hockey World Cup striker Poon Fook Loke, and hockey goalkeeper Azraai Zain.
Other sporting luminaries included hockey Olympians Savinder Singh, Jagjit Singh and Nor Saiful Zaini, as well as Philip Sankey.
Then there were Teoh Seng Khoon (1949 inaugural Thomas Cup champion); weightlifter Thong Saw Pak (1952 Helsinki Olympics); football’s Looi Teik Soon (1972 Munich Olympics); swimmer Ong Mei Lin (Munich Olympics and Malaysia’s Sportswoman of the Year); Ravichandran (1987 taekwondo World Championship bronze and Asian heavyweight gold); and badminton’s Cheah Soon Kit (1992 Thomas Cup).
Non-sports figures included special branch chief Khaw Kai Boh; Perak police chief Khoo Chong Kong; Royal Malaysian Air Force pilots Samuel Welch Ponniah and Danny Doong; and Asian Cycling Federation supremo Darshan Singh Gill.
At the reunion dinner, Siva was joined by his ex-classmate, professor emeritus Chong Meng Siong from Melbourne University, who flew in from Australia.
Other notables present were ACS Ipoh KL and Klang Valley Chapter chairman Peter Lee Siew Choong; reunion organising chairman Chew Beng Hian; actor-director Mano Maniam; school principal Magaswari Ubbudari; alumni association president Sushil Kumar Ratti; and alumni foundation project director Gong Wee Ning.