PETALING JAYA: Renowned education advocate and social activist Rasammah Bhupalan has died at the age of 98.
According to an obituary cited by theSun, family members announced that a wake will be held at her Kuala Lumpur home tomorrow evening.
Rasammah, widely respected for her contributions to education and women’s social rights, leaves behind three children, seven grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
Her remarkable journey began at age 16 when she joined the women’s wing of the Indian National Army in their struggle against British colonial rule, serving in Myanmar (then Burma).
After contracting malaria, she returned to Malaya in 1945 to complete her secondary education. She subsequently earned her degree from the University of Malaya in Singapore in June 1953 and embarked on her teaching career at Methodist Girls School in Penang.
In 1960, Rasammah established the Women Teachers’ Union and later became principal of Methodist Girls’ School in Kuala Lumpur. Throughout her career, she championed gender equality, particularly advocating for equal pay for women educators.
Her significant contributions to education were formally recognized with the prestigious Tokoh Guru award in 1986.
Rasammah’s activism extended beyond education, as she campaigned for improved pension benefits and higher minimum wages, while also speaking out against domestic violence and rape.
Among her lasting legacies are the YWCA Vocational Training Opportunity Centre, which she founded to support girls from lower-income backgrounds, and her role as a co-founder of the National Council of Women’s Organisations.
