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SINGAPORE – Dr. R. Theyvendran, a former Secretary General of the Management Development Institute Singapore (MDIS) and a veteran community leader, died on Tuesday (December 29) at the age of 79.
His cremation took place on Thursday and he is survived by his wife and son.
Dr. Theyvendran, who was affectionately known as Denan, was also active in various community organizations, including as chairman of the Tamil Representative Council (TRC), a body that brings together some 30 Tamil organizations in Singapore and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Singapore India (SICCI).
“He took TRC to new heights. Many new initiatives were established during his tenure, most notably scholarships for students,” said 58-year-old TRC President V. Pandiyan.
“A man with a good heart would never say no to anyone who approached him. He always lent a hand, monetary or not, to many organizations and individuals,” he added.
Pandiyan said that the death of Dr. Theyvendran is a loss for the Tamil organizations and the community.
Dr Theyvendran, of Sri Lankan descent, also led the Ceylon Sports Club and the Ceylon Tamil Association of Singapore.
Mr. M. Lukshumayeh, President of the Ceylon Sports Club, said: “He was a giant man. His heart and soul went out to others and his vision was to see so many people emerge in life. I certainly will not see anyone him in my life. lifetime “.
The Ceylon Sports Club and the Indian Association, neighbors of Balestier Road, planned to observe a minute of silence, with the lights off, as a sign of respect on Thursday night.
“It is a time for us to come together to celebrate the life of this extraordinary man who has positively impacted our lives and whose accomplishments and legacy will endure,” said Mr. Lukshumayeh.
Among the other notable contributions of Dr. Theyvendran are as President of the Telecommunications Credit Union, Second Vice President of the National Federation of Cooperatives of Singapore, President of the reconstruction project of the Sri Senpaga Vinayagar Temple on Ceylon Road, advisor to the Association Tamil from Sembawang and president of the SecureGuard Security Services cooperative.
He was also a trustee of the Print and Media Association, Singapore, the national representative body for the printing industry.
The veteran businessman had a reputation for changing troubled organizations and, after joining the Stamford Press printing company in 1983, he turned it into Stamford Media International in 2001.
The company was named one of the Top 50 Entrepreneurship Companies in 1996 and 2000, venturing into areas such as e-commerce, software development and technology.
Dr. Theyvendran served on the MDIS governing council from 1989 to 2020, where he “contributed greatly to the growth of MDIS,” the private nonprofit educational institution said in an obituary Wednesday.
When he joined, he had made losses of approximately $ 60,000 a year. In three years, he turned it around and had a surplus of more than $ 1 million.
“Regardless of the roles and responsibilities he took on, he was very focused and did extraordinarily well,” said Dr. T. Chandroo, president of SICCI, who served as vice president when Dr. Theyvendran chaired the association.
“His energy and enthusiasm would last through the entire task he embarked on and I had never seen lethargy in him. His leadership style had always mesmerized me,” she said.
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