K. R. Somasundram

2021-08-02T17:16:28Z

149.12.11.178:

{{short description|Malaysian Indian (born 1930)}}
{{BLP sources|date=March 2011}}
[[File:The President Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam giving away the Pravasi Bharatiya Awards for Public Affairs to Tan Sri Dato Dr. K.R Somasundram from Malaysia, at the 5th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas-2007 in New Delhi on January 9, 2007.jpg|thumb|Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam bestowing the Pravasi Bharatiya Award for Public Affairs to Tan Sri Dato Dr. K.R Somasundram at the 5th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas-2007 in New Delhi on January 9, 2007]]
'''K R Somasundram''' ([[Tamil language|Tamil]]: கே. ஆர். சோமசுந்திரம்) (born 13 March 1930) is a [[Malaysia]]n Indian.<ref name=prom/> Born in [[Teluk Intan]], Malaysia in 1930, he was the son of a grocer who gained prominence by heading the National Land Finance Co-Operative for the last two and a half decades.

== World War II ==
Somasundram attained basic education but this was interrupted with the advent of World War II. He joined the [[Indian National Army]] at the age of 14 and later after World War II trained at the Tanjung Rambutan Training Camp where he gained Executive rank by the age of 20. He was then posted to the Azad School in Singapore for Combatant Training.

== Political years ==
After his stint in the armed forces, Somasundram worked at Bukit Sidim Estate in [[Kedah]] and by 1962 became the Estate Manager, one of the first non-British to be in such a position. He became Vice Chairman of the [[Malaysian Indian Congress]], Kedah Branch and a member of the National Central Working Committee. In 1967 he was elected as a [[Senator]] for Kedah. Part of his role was to represent the Malaysian Government in the 1968 [[UN General Assembly]].

== Social influence ==
In 1960 [[Malay titles|Tun]] [[V.T. Sambanthan]], leader of the Malaysian Indian Congress touted the idea of a social co-operative to help plantation workers during the British land sell-off. Tun Sambanthan and Somasundram worked closely to purchase their first estate at Bukit Sidim in that same year. The co-operative was later called National Land and Finance Co-operative Society (NLFCS). Somasundram took over the Chairmanship of the company upon the death of Tun Sambanthan and still actively manages the co-operative.
He is also a strong advocate for [[Tamil people|Tamil]] rights in Malaysia. He has been generous with the money of the co-operative he heads.

== National Land Finance Cooperative Society Limited (NLFCS) ==
Today NLFCS has 19 estates totalling {{convert|35000|acre|km2}}, as well as investments in [[palm oil]], property and banking at present the society has 9 subsidiaries along with 2 associate companies . Somasundram is currently Chairman of NLFCS and has been for the last two decades. The total active membership of the Society as at 31 December 2011 stood at 57,757 Shareholders.

'''Subsidiaries'''
* Nalfin Realties Sdn Bhd
* Minsawi Industries (KK) Sdn Bhd
* K.T Steel Sdn Bhd
* Nalfin Planting Materials Sdn Bhd
* Nalfin Healthcare Sdn Bhd
* Apollo Medical Centre Sdn Bhd
* Nalfin Trading Sdn Bhd
* Status Point Sdn Bhd
* Premier Nalfin Berhad (''formerly known as Premier Nutrients Berhad'')

'''Associate Companies'''
* Plantation Agencies Sdn Bhd
* Ecobuilt Packaging Sdn Bhd

== Honours and achievements ==
Due to his contribution to society through the co-operative he manages, Somasundram has been honoured on numerous occasions. In 1965 he received the [[Ahli Mangku Negara|AMN]] (equivalent to the British [[Member of the Order of the British Empire|MBE]]), a [[Justice of the Peace]] (JP) in 1971, a [[Malay titles|Datoship]] in 1988 as well as being conferred a [[Panglima Setia Mahkota|PSM]], bearing the title '[[Tan Sri]]' in 1996. He is also an honorary Indian citizen as well as being conferred a Doctorate by the [[University of Newcastle, Australia|University of Newcastle]], Australia.
Somasundram is also the first Indian Chairman of a floated firm in Malaysia (Premium Nutrients, [[Bursa Malaysia]])

In 2007 he was awarded the prestigious [[Pravasi Bharatiya Samman]]<ref name=prom>{{cite news|url=http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/1/4/nation/20100104151758&sec=nation|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100121134633/http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=%2F2010%2F1%2F4%2Fnation%2F20100104151758&sec=nation|url-status=dead|archive-date=21 January 2010|title=Malaysians to make up largest group in Indian diaspora meet|last=Letchhumanan|first=A.|date=4 January 2010|work=[[The Star (Malaysia)|The Star]]|accessdate=30 March 2011}}</ref> by the president of India, Dr. [[A. P. J. Abdul Kalam]]. The award carries title of [[Padma Shri|Padma Shree]]. {{Citation needed|date=March 2011}}

Somasundram has also been honored with a Malaysian Business Awards (MBA) Lifetime Achievement Award from the Kuala Lumpur Malay Chamber of Commerce (KLMCC)

===Honour of Malaysia===
* {{flagu|Malaysia}} : Member of the [[Order of the Defender of the Realm#Member|Order of the Defender of the Realm]] (A.M.N.) (1965)<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.istiadat.gov.my/index.php/component/semakanlantikanskp/|title=Semakan Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat}}</ref>
* {{flagu|Malaysia}} : Commander of the [[Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia#Commander|Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia]] (P.S.M.) (1996)<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.istiadat.gov.my/index.php/component/semakanlantikanskp/|title=Semakan Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2011}}

{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Somasundram, K. R.}}
[[Category:1930 births]]
[[Category:People from Perak]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Malaysian Hindus]]
[[Category:Malaysian politicians of Indian descent]]
[[Category:Malaysian politicians of Tamil descent]]
[[Category:Members of the Dewan Negara]]
[[Category:Malaysian Indian Congress politicians]]
[[Category:Commanders of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia]]
[[Category:Members of the Order of the Defender of the Realm]]

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K. R. Somasundram