For many years prior to his demise, he had been off the radar of most Malaysians and in his last years suffered from dementia, according to sources close to him.
As the accolades poured in, I was taken aback by the lack of analysis of his failed ventures and the ensuing losses, which had left an indelible imprint on the Indian community.
Larger than life, he was the butt of many hilarious Lat cartoons and stood out as the longest serving MIC leader and also served as works minister under Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
What irks me was the millions lost in Maika holdings at a time when Indians needed a boost, not only in terms of representation in the financial sector but also to profit financially from their shares.
My now deceased father was one of them who had invested his hard-earned savings in Maika...