Major-General Dr R Mohandas had an unblemished career and a deep sense of humility that embodied the finest qualities of leadership, grace and lifelong learning.
From Dr G Jayakumar
News of the death of Major-General Dr R Mohandas (Rtd) on July 27 saddened the nation, which mourned a gentleman who served with distinction as a soldier, a doctor and an academic leader.
More than five decades ago, a young freshly graduated medical student returned to his homeland, Malaysia, after graduating with a medical degree from the renowned Madras Medical College in India.
After completing his one-year housemanship at Alor Setar Hospital and a short stint as a medical officer in the health ministry, he had a calling to serve in the Malaysian Armed Forces.
He signed up as a doctor in the army. The rest is history!
He found the lifestyle suitable, structured and disciplined, and was strongly supported by his wife, Thilagavathy, who was his comrade-in-arms on the homefront and during social functions.
The young army captain pursued his academic goals by earning a diploma in industrial health from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons in the UK, and a diploma in tropical medicine from Mahidol University in Thailand.
He subsequently went to New South Wales to complete his masters in health planning and attended the senior management course at the Naval Post Graduate School in Monterey, California.
One of his remarkable contributions in the army on the global front was when he served as the chief medical officer as part of the United Nations peacekeeping force in war-torn Somalia.
He rose to the pinnacle of his career as a two-star major general. He was the first commanding officer of the Armed Forces Hospital at Lumut Naval Base and retired from the Malaysian Armed Forces as the director-general of health services in the mid-2000s.
Mohandas was bestowed with numerous honours and awards locally as well as internationally for his services. They included the conferment of the Dato’ Pahlawan title from the Perak sultan, the Panglima Setia Angkatan Tentera from the king and the United Nations Peacekeeping Medal.
His other accolades include being named the Most Outstanding Alumnus of the Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, and receiving the Malaysian Medical Association Gold Medal.
Upon Mohandas’s retirement in 2005 as director-general of the Armed Forces health services, he ventured into academic leadership.
He held various academic positions, notably as CEO of Melaka Manipal Medical College, deputy vice-chancellor of Mahsa University, and later as the founding vice-chancellor of Perdana University. Until his passing, he served as deputy chairman of the board of governors of the University of Cyberjaya.
He also served in numerous organisations, including as chairman of the MMA Foundation, former deputy secretary and honorary secretary of MMA, and a member of the Malaysian Medical Council.
I had the privilege of knowing Mohandas for the past 22 years, having worked with him at Melaka Manipal Medical College and later at Perdana University.
He possessed the hallmark qualities of a military officer: he was always impeccably dressed, placed great emphasis on punctuality, conducted pre- and post-meeting briefings after high-stakes discussions, expected silence and mobile phones to be kept on vibrate mode during meetings, instilled the habit of taking notes during important speeches, was meticulous, a great strategist, and expected deadlines to be met.
He had an unblemished career and a deep sense of humility that embodied the finest qualities of leadership, grace and lifelong learning.
A man of great empathy, he constantly reminded us that we live in a community bound together by the undeniable ties of our common humanity.
Through his experience, fellowship and contributions, he was one of the many stakeholders who played a significant role in shaping the future of healthcare, medical education and the leaders of tomorrow.
He was a doctor, a soldier, an academic leader, a friend to all and, most importantly, a loving husband.
Sir, we salute you and miss you. Thank you for your immense contributions and sacrifices to the nation. - FMT
Dr G Jayakumar is a professor and vice-chancellor of Manipal University College Malaysia.
The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.
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