D. S. Ramanathan
{{Short description|Malaysian politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = D. S. Ramanathan
| honorific-suffix =
| native_name = டி. எஸ். ராமநாதன்
| native_name_lang = Tamil language
| image =
| leader2 =
| office2 = Mayor of George Town (2nd Term)
| predecessor2 =
| successor2 =
| party = Malaysian Indian Congress (November 1963-)
Labour Party of Malaya (1953-4 June 1963)
| deputy1 =
| office1 = 1st Mayor of George Town
| predecessor1 =
| successor1 =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date|df=y|1908|12|23}}
| birth_place = Jaffna, British Ceylon
| death_date = {{death date and age|1973|||1908|12|23}}
| death_place = Kuala Lumpur
| nationality = Malaysian
| spouse = Ruth Vanniasingham
| children =
| alma_mater =
| website =
| term_start1 = 1958
| term_end1 = 1959
| term_start2 = 1959
| term_end2 = 1960
| office3 = President of Malaya National Union of Teachers
| leader3 =
| term_start3 = 1959
| term_end3 = 1962
| predecessor3 =
| successor3 =
}}
D. S. Ramanathan (Tamil: டி. எஸ். ராமநாதன்) was a Malaysian politician, teacher, unionist, Malayan Army and educationist of Ceylonese origin. He was a member as well as chairman of the Labour Party of Malaya, and subsequently joined the Malaysian Indian Congress.{{Cite web |last=Prabu |first=Naveen |date=2023-09-16 |title=D S Ramanathan: Penang’s socialist mayor, pioneer educationist |url=https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2023/09/16/d-s-ramanathan-penangs-socialist-mayor-pioneer-educationist/ |access-date=2024-12-31 |website=Free Malaysia Today {{!}} FMT |language=en}} Besides that, Ramanathan also served as the first mayor for the city of George Town, and is credited for his pioneering efforts to set up a university in Penang.{{Cite web|url=http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Community/2013/10/05/George-Towns-first-mayor-a-fiery-man/|title = George Town's first mayor a fiery man}}{{Cite web |url=http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2012/06/18/the-controversy-behind-jalan-d-s-ramanathan/ |title=The controversy behind Jalan D S Ramanathan | Free Malaysia Today |access-date=28 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150701041517/http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2012/06/18/the-controversy-behind-jalan-d-s-ramanathan/ |archive-date=1 July 2015 |url-status=dead }}
The idea of a university in Penang was first mooted by him in 1959 in the State Assembly and later crystallised when he was nominated chairman of the Penang University Project committee.
The Universiti Sains Malaysia opened in 1969 and is today one of the leading tertiary institutions of learning in Malaysia.
Biography
D. S. Ramanathan was born to a Sri Lanka Tamil family. He later married to Ruth Vanniasingham. He worked as a teacher prior to entering politics.{{Cite web |title=The Snuffing Out of Local Democracy in Malaysia |url=https://m.aliran.com/archives/monthly/2000/04h.html |access-date=2025-01-02 |website=m.aliran.com}}
He joined the Labour Party of Malaya and when in 1956, George Town was the first municipality in the Federation of Malaya to have a fully elected council, he became active in that arena. His time as the mayor of George Town lasted from 1958 to 1960.
He was also elected to the Sungai Pinang state constituency in 1959. However he lost narrowly in his bid to enter Parliament, being defeated by 258 votes by Umno's Ismail Idris in Penang Selatan. https://m.aliran.com/archives/monthly/2000/04h.html
The former teacher, who began his career in Perak, was also concurrently the president of the National Union of Teachers from 1959 to 1962 as well as vice-president of the Malayan Teachers National Congress from 1961-1962.https://www.thestar.com.my/News/Community/2013/10/05/George-Towns-first-mayor-a-fiery-man/
During that period, he was also an active member of the National Joint Council of Teachers. Even, after finishing his term as mayor, he was appointed as the headmaster of the Penang Pykett Methodist School.
In 1963, Ramanathan levelled allegations of malpractice and misconduct against members of the George Town council, and this triggered his departure from the Labour Party. He first became an independent politician before joining MIC later in the year. In 1964, he defended his Sungai Pinang state seat, albeit representing MIC.https://web.archive.org/web/20150701041517/http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2012/06/18/the-controversy-behind-jalan-d-s-ramanathan/
His son John passed away in 1970 and DS Ramanathan himself died in 1973 in Kuala Lumpur.{{Cite web |title=PressReader.com - Digital Newspaper & Magazine Subscriptions |url=https://www.pressreader.com/malaysia/the-star-malaysia/20160101/281629599245129 |access-date=2024-12-31 |website=www.pressreader.com}}
His wife Ruth passed away in December 2015. At the time his surviving children were David, Sarojini Ruth, Peter and Lakhshmi Lucy.{{Cite web |date=2016-01-01 |title=Wife of George Town’s first mayor laid to rest |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2016/01/01/wife-of-george-town-first-mayor-laid-to-rest |access-date=2025-01-01 |website=The Star |language=en}}
Memorials
=D. S. Ramanathan Road=
Scott Road, a small road off Air Rajah Road, has been renamed in honour of Ramanathan.{{Cite web|url=https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=zVurIisSrdbs.kaiSyouhE9lY&hl=en_US|title=Map of Scott Road (Jalan D.S. Ramanathan), Penang}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ramanathan, D. S.}}
Category:Malaysian politicians of Indian descent
Category:Malaysian trade unionists
Category:Malaysian people of Sri Lankan Tamil descent
Category:Malaysian politicians of Tamil descent
Category:Malaysian political party founders
Category:Malaysian people of Indian descent
Category:Labour Party of Malaya politicians
Category:Malayan Peoples' Socialist Front politicians