Yet T Balasubramaniam, who will turn 87 on Nov 29, is as spritely as ever, going about his daily chores in a wheelchair – much like Raymond Burr of television’s “Ironside”, who portrayed a paraplegic former San Francisco chief detective.
Balasubramaniam has even summoned enough courage, wit and fortitude to organise a grand luncheon themed “After 50 years – Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang: Reunion of the Classes of the ‘70s” at the Armada Hotel in Petaling Jaya on July 6.
With his wife, K Sarasvathy, by his side, “chief” Bala as he is fondly known, was the event’s organising chairman as well as the oldest alumni, that saw USM graduates from all over the country and abroad attend the event.
The spirited Balasubramaniam credited his enthusiasm about the gargantuan task of organising the event in his current condition, to his positive attitude in life.
“Positive thinking is my motto. One should not use disability as an excuse not to move on with life, especially in catching up with those from yester-years.”
Balasubramaniam said he believed reunions were an ideal way to reconnect with former varsity mates and re-establish friendships, “especially during these trying times concerning race, religion and ethnicity.”
He even delivered a short-and-sharp speech at the reunion, paying homage to his varsity mates as well as USM staff and lecturers.
“Fifty years have passed since our university days in Penang, but the friendship we forged and the memories we created back then have stood the test of time.
“Looking around the room, I see familiar faces that bring back a flood of fond memories – of lecture halls, late-night slogging at studies, chats at the Fu Manchu canteen, and long hours at the library,” he said.
He paid special tribute to their late political science lecturer Dr Paul Tennant, and said it reminded him of their “young eager minds, full of curious questions and a promising future”.
He added: “Who will have thought that half a century later, we will meet again to commemorate those wonderful years.”
Before attending USM, Balasubramaniam was a teacher for 15 years, graduating from Malayan Teachers’ Training College at Kirby in Liverpool, England in 1959.
In 1975, he graduated from USM with a Bachelor of Social Science (Economics) degree and later a law degree.
“Two years later, I became a senior industrial relations advisor with the Malaysian Employers Federation until 1996, before establishing my own Meca Employers Consulting Agency providing lectures at various tertiary institutions.
“I am now completing my 12th book on labour law,” said Balasubramaniam, who has also served as the National Union of Teaching Profession general-secretary.
The alumni at the USM reunion were made up of professionals in various fields, senior civil servants, uniformed officers, entrepreneurs, and some from the judicial and diplomatic services.
Among those present were former USM vice-chancellor and former USM alumni president Dzulkifli Razak, former USM pro-chancellor Mustafa Mansur, veteran journalist and corporate communications icon Rajan Moses, and his varsity-mate-cum-wife Pearly Shanta Robert.
Rajan, who graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Mass Communications) in 1974, worked with various news agencies including The Star, Bernama, New Straits Times and Reuters.
He created a ripple in the late 1970s reporting on the infamous news story that Malaysian authorities had threatened to shoot the arriving Vietnamese boat refugees landing on the peninsula’s shores.
“I recall when that news hit world headlines. It inadvertently propelled my journalism career into the international news agency Reuters.
“Reuters gave me the big break into the world-class arena when I was appointed its correspondent in Chicago, US in 1986, followed by a stint in Washington DC.
“I have the distinction as the first Malaysian to have attended two White House Correspondents dinners with two US presidents, following Congressional White House briefings,” said Rajan, feared as a “chief-ragger” by his USM juniors.