President Tharman's mother dies aged 99

Sarvambikai Shanmugaratnam née Viswalingam, mother of President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, died at the age of 99 on Sunday (April 19) afternoon.

In a statement on Monday, the Istana said that in keeping with her wishes, she was cremated soon after in a private observance.

"We ask that the family's privacy be respected during this time," the statement said.

Born on July 5, 1926, in Kuala Lumpur, Sarvambikai was the fourth of 11 children, born to parents from Jaffna, Sri Lanka.

She was married to Emeritus Professor K. Shanmugaratnam, a leading pathologist who founded the Singapore Cancer Registry. He died in 2018.

According to an online obituary, Sarvambikai was described as a quiet iconoclast who kept her own counsel, chose a different path in life and valued independence and adventure.

She is survived by her daughter, two sons — including President Tharman — four grandchildren, and two sisters.

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xingying.koh@asiaone.com