You did it your way, Uncle Krish

 

My uncle G Krishna Iyer drew his last breath yesterday evening. He was nearly 90.

I don’t expect you will know him, but if I tell you that he was headmaster of Penang Free School from 1983 to 1988 that might ring a bell.

Or you might know other family members, for his brothers included former Primary Industries Ministry secretary-general the late GK Rama Iyer, former Bar Council president Sulaiman Abdullah (born G Srinivasan Iyer) and Australia-based doctor Dr Lakshmanasamy Iyer.

Personally, I knew him as a warm-hearted, witty, wonderful man who was kind to me at a difficult time in my life.

Uncle Krish (above) was married to my father’s older sister Santha and he always kept me entertained with his stories.

His own father, Ganapathy Iyer, was a teacher at PFS and as such Uncle Krish was born at No 15, Free School Road, in October 1933.

He went to school there, although there was a break when he had to learn Japanese during World War II. His proud association included that five-year spell as headmaster in the 1980s, during which time his wife served as a teacher and their three sons were enrolled as students!

He told me proudly of how, on his last day in 1988, he addressed the assembly briefly and then said he would like to end with some important words … before breaking into a song - Frank Sinatra’s My Way!

If that sounds a little zany, well my Uncle Krish always loved a laugh.

G Krishna Iyer with his wife Santha

I recall how he once called me aside sternly, right after I had dropped out of university and returned to Malaysia in disgrace. He said “let me have a word with you outside” and I braced myself for a lecture.

He then took me out of the house and said “I have brought you here for a very important reason” before pausing, pulling out a cigarette and saying, “I need an alibi!”

I had to laugh, as I did when he told me of how, as a junior teacher, he had befuddled a pompous Englishman by slipping rude Tamil words into complex English sentences just to see if the fella would call him out!

Uncle Krish would often reference the great Tamil poet Bharathiyaar, but in a humourous way, saying - “let’s not forget his wise words… manikam (Tamil for jewel), money go!”

He was educational as well, introducing me to the British humourist PG Woodhouse and epic songs like Gloomy Sunday and A Whiter Shade Of Pale.

He also told me, on his 75th birthday, that he was determined to live until at least 85 so that the government would spend more time paying him a pension than he did working as a teacher.

Krishna Iyer as the headmaster of Penang Free School, with the late Raja of Perlis Almarhum Tuanku Syed Putra

He had a serious side too and was passionate about donating blood, fighting drug addiction among youths and playing Scrabble. He taught many prominent students over the years particularly in PFS and MCKK, including our current prime minister.

And then there was the unfortunate incident that occurred on the first birthday of his second son, Sreepathy:

“He was born on May 13, 1968, and as preparations got underway for his first birthday party, I realised that there was no film in my camera. So I took my oldest son into town, little realising that a national disaster was unfolding.

“We went to the area that is now Central Market, and of course, the camera shop was closed. We then saw many army trucks, and I decided to get home with my son as soon as possible.

“We returned home just in time to hear that a curfew had been declared – it was sheer luck that we never strayed into any of the danger areas,” he once told me.

Uncle Krish had a way with words, and I will miss him. There have been many such losses of late and I can’t say it’s been easy - but I will say that people like him will live long in the memory. - Mkini

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Martin Vengadesan is an associate editor at Malaysiakini.