RAJ

Nadarajan Perumal, fondly known Raj or Uncle Raj among family and friends, and Nada among colleagues, was a devoted family man, a loving husband and father, and a deeply respected professional whose life was defined by dedication, responsibility and service to others.

 

The eldest son in a family of eleven children, with two elder sisters, Raj grew up with a profound sense of family, duty and responsibility. His parents remained central to his life and to the person he became.

 

He held his father in the highest regard and spoke of him constantly, with great affection, pride and admiration, right until the end of his life. His father, G. Perumal, who served as a leader in National Union of Plantation Workers (NUPW), was someone Raj looked up to enormously and whose values and example had a lasting influence on him. He shared an equally deep bond with his mother, Kanagambal, whom he loved dearly. Her passing in 1991 was a devastating loss for him, and one that stayed with him throughout his life.

 

Family was always at the heart of who Raj was. He was a devoted husband and father, a loving son and brother, and someone who felt a deep sense of responsibility for those around him. After his marriage, that circle of family grew, and he became a father figure to his sisters- and brothers-in-law, forming close bonds that endured throughout his life. His care for family extended across generations. In later years, he became deeply interested in tracing the family’s ancestry and descendants, painstakingly piecing together a family tree. Sadly, it was a project he was not able to complete, but it remains a meaningful reflection of how deeply he valued his family’s history and the connections that bound everyone together.

 

Outside his family life, Raj was equally devoted to his work and to serving others. He joined the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF/KWSP) in 1969, straight out of college at the age of 21, beginning his career as an Inspector. Through his dedication, capability and aptitude, he steadily rose through the organisation, becoming a Senior Inspector, then a Prosecuting Officer, and ultimately Chief Prosecuting Officer in the Legal Department before his retirement.

 

Over the course of his long career, he became well-known, well-liked and highly respected within EPF circles. His commitment to his colleagues extended beyond his professional responsibilities. As President of the EPF Union, he represented his fellow employees and helped address a number of longstanding issues affecting them.

 

Raj leaves behind much more than a record of professional commitment. He leaves the memory of a man who loved his family deeply, revered those who came before him, cared about the generations who would come after him, took immense pride in his work, and earned the affection and respect of the many people whose lives he touched. Raj truly loved his family, and none more than his only granddaughter, Dhanya, who was his pride and joy, the apple of his eye and a priceless jewel to him. He would speak of her with great pride, and whenever he did, his whole face would light up. He would constantly dote on her when she was with him. He was a wonderful grandfather who loved Dhanya more than anything in his life.

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He will be greatly missed.