Family and friends say goodbye to Khoo Kay Kim

© Provided by Malay Mail Sdn Bhd Puan Sri Rathi Khoo with her sons (from left) Eddin, Mavin and Rubin at the Nirvana Memorial in Shah Alam June 1, 2019. — Pictures by Yusof Mat Isa

SHAH ALAM, June 1 — Eminent historian Professor Emeritus Tan Sri Khoo Kay Kim was laid to rest today at the Nirvana Memorial Park in Shah Alam. 

Khoo, 82, died on Wednesday at Universiti Malaya Medical Centre of lung failure.

Over the last two days, relatives and friends came to pay their respects at the Nirvana Memorial Centre in Sungai Besi.

Among those who were at the funeral today was Indian classical dancer Geetha Shakaran Lam who is a close friend of the family.

© Provided by Malay Mail Sdn Bhd Family friend Geetha Shankaran Lam reciting the Shiva Mantra at the funeral held at the Nirvana Memorial in Shah Alam June 1, 2019. — Picture by Yusof Mat Isa

“I’m friends with Mavin. I was like his big sister at the Sutra Dance Theatre... we’ve known each other for 20 years,” said Geetha.

(Mavin, a leading international Indian classical dancer, is the youngest son of the late Tan Sri Khoo and his wife Puan Sri Rathimalar.)

“Mavin called me two days ago and said ‘Akka you’re close to the family... can you please come and sing some bhajans for us?’ so I recited the Shiva Mantra. The prayer is to sever all the bonds when one dies.”

© Provided by Malay Mail Sdn Bhd Relatives and friends at the funeral of Tan Sri Khoo Kay Kim at the Nirvana Memorial Park in Shah Alam June 1, 2019. — Picture by Yusof Mat Isa

Theatre practitioner Jo Kukathas was also spotted at the funeral. 

“My interactions with the professor was more ‘Hello Uncle, how are you?’ that sort of thing. But he was always kind, gentle and hard working. That’s what I remember him for,” said Jo who is a friend of the late Tan Sri Khoo’s eldest son Eddin.

After the prayers, Khoo’s body was cremated at 11.55am.