PICTURES paint a thousand words…!
Suffice to say the family photo albums speaks volumes of Puan Sri Sukumari Sekhar as a dedicated wife, mother and grandmother who passed away late Monday (March 8, 2021).
Yet those are not the only accolades which can be showered upon the lady of distinction.
The 87-year-old was among the pioneers who championed the rights of women and children, in Malaysia and on the international arena.
“Last night, I became an orphan. My beautiful, strong and incredibly loving mother passed away at the age of 87. She was smiling and happy during the day. She’s now with my Dad, whom she has longed to be with. I guess God decided I was having too much of a good thing and took her back home. I am broken. I believe in God and the power of the Universe, so that brings some comfort. She is in his warm and loving embrace now, forever…” Petra Group chairman and group chief executive Datuk Wira Dr Vinod Sekhar posted on Tuesday over Facebook.
The wife of the late Tan Sri Dr BC Sekhar, former chairman of the Rubber Research Institute who revolutionised the nation’s rubber and palm oil industries, is survived by three other children – Jayan, Sujatha and Gopinath; daughters-in-law Bina, Rekha and Dr Winy Sekhar; son-in-law Dipak Naik and eight grandchildren.
Her steady demeanor was widely regarded as being the driving force behind BC’s work.
For her dedication and tireless efforts in her endeavour, Sukumari was rightfully accorded the founding deputy president post of the National Council of Women’s Organisations (NCWO).
A fierce advocate for welfare of children, she fought for the rights of children born out of wedlock.
This included petitioning the Government into granting them the same proprietary and inheritance rights as other children of the respective parents.
In October 2012, Sukumari was honoured with the Anugerah Tokoh Wanita Award in conjunction with the National Women’s Day celebrations from the Prime Minister’s office.
