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Mr M. Bala Subramanion, Singapore's first Asian postmaster-general and veteran community leader, died peacefully at his residence on Wednesday evening. He would have been 104 years old on March 5.
His body is resting in his home at 46 La Salle Street, and the funeral is set to take place today at 5.45pm.
Mr Bala is survived by his wife, Mrs Sumitra Bala Subramanion, daughter Anidha Thomas, son-in-law and two granddaughters.
Mr Bala joined the public service in 1936 as a probationary clerk in the colonial Postal Services Department. He experienced World War II, the Japanese Occupation, the merger of Singapore and Malaya and Singapore's eventual independence.
He rose through the ranks to become Singapore's first Asian postmaster-general in 1967. He retired from the postal department in 1971.
Mr Bala contributed actively to many notable Indian organisations, including the Singapore Indian Association, the Singapore Indian Education Trust (Siet) and the Singapore Indian Development Association (Sinda).
"He was a gentle soul and inspirational," said Mr V.P. Jothi, Siet's vice-president.
"His wisdom was immense and he was very supportive of community efforts. His mind was sharp till his last days and he was well informed about world affairs."
Sinda chief executive Anbarasu Rajendran said: "Mr Bala was always our cheerleader, encouraging everyone at Sinda to look out for the underprivileged and ensure that their needs are taken care of and, more importantly, ensuring that their voices are heard."
Irshath Mohamed
