Tun Samy Vellu s/o Sangalimuthu (8 March 1936 – 15 September 2022) was a Malaysian politician who served as Minister of Works from June 1983 to June 1989 and again from May 1995 to March 2008, Minister of Energy, Telecommunications and Posts from June 1989 to May 1995, Minister of Works and Public Amenities from September 1979 to June 1983 and Member of Parliament (MP) for Sungai Siput from September 1974 to March 2008. He was a member and served as 7th President of the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC), a component party of the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, from October 1979 to December 2010. He is the longest-serving MIC president having held the position for 31 years and one of the longest-serving Cabinet ministers at 29 years. In December 2010, he announced his retirement from politics, paving the way for then MIC Deputy President Palanivel Govindasamy to succeed him as the new party president. Former MCA president Ling Liong Sik described Samy Vellu as a man of many talents and with a great sense of humour.

Political career

Samy Vellu's political career began at the age of 23, in 1959, when he and Govindaraj joined the Batu Caves MIC branch. After five years, he was elected Selangor MIC committee member and the head of the party. He made headline news by climbing up the Indonesian embassy's flag pole, pulling down the flag and burning it. He was charged in court and fined RM2. He was called Hero Malaysia on the front pages. He was a Member of Parliament for Sungai Siput constituency for eight terms from September 1974 to March 2008. During this time, from 1978 to 1979 he was Deputy Minister of Local Government and Housing. Then from 1979 to 1989 he was Minister of Works. He then served as Minister of Energy, Telecommunications and Posts from 1989 to 1995. From 1995 to March 2008 he was the Minister of Works until he lost his parliamentary seat to Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj of the Socialist Party of Malaysia (PSM) who contested on the ticket of the People's Justice Party (PKR) in the March 2008 general election. He was the second longest serving minister in the country during his time, after Rafidah Aziz. Samy Vellu was appointed Malaysia's Special Envoy of Infrastructure to India and Southern Asia, with ministerial rank, since 1 January 2011. The appointment was terminated by the new Pakatan Harapan (PH) government in 2018.

Personal life

Vellu was born in Kluang, Johor, and was of Indian descent. He was married to Indrani Samy Vellu and had one son, Vell Paari. He was a chartered architect and a member of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and of the Malaysian Institute of Architects.

Biography

''A Life. A Legend. A Legacy'' written by Bernice Narayanan reveals Samy Vellu's achievements and setbacks as well as "behind-the-scenes" events in his almost 50 years of active politics.

Election results

Note: 1 & 2 Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj amid contesting under the tickets of DAP in the 1999 election and PKR in the 2004 and 2008 elections, is a member of PSM.

Honours

Honours of Malaysia

Places named after him