IPOH: A 9.3km stretch of the Ipoh-Butterworth trunk road has been renamed Jalan Tun Dr S. Samy Vellu, in honour of the visionary leader.
According to a Federal gazette, the stretch starts from the Kinta-Kuala Kangsar border and ends at the junction of Taman Makmur in Sungai Siput in Perak, FMT quoted.
Samy Vellu who died on Sept 15 last year at the age of 86, was not just the longest-ever serving MIC president, but he was also by far the longest-elected parliamentarian to serve Sungai Siput.
In September, a former aide to Samy Vellu urged Putrajaya to rename either Jalan Ipoh or Jalan Raja Laut, in Kuala Lumpur.
Datuk E. Sivabalan, who served as Samy Vellu's press secretary between 2002 and 2008 and then as his senior private secretary from 2010 to 2018, said this would be in recognition of the former minister's contributions to the country.
Samy Vellu had a decorated political career and was the longest-serving cabinet minister.
Samy Vellu was MIC president for 31 years from 1979 and served under three prime ministers during his time in the Cabinet namely Tun Hussein Onn, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Tan Sri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
He served as the Works Minister from 1979 to 1989 and had a second stint between 1995 and 2008.
In between, he served as the Energy, Communications and Posts Minister from 1989 to 1995.
The eight-term Sungai Siput member of Parliament died in his sleep at 8am at his home in Jalan Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur.