IPOH, MALAYSIA, December 25, 2000: The descendants of Marimuthu Ammal created history by holding the largest Indian family gathering, with some 480 relatives from peninsular Malaysia, Sabah, Singapore and New Zealand turning up. They comprised a third of about 1,200 descendants of the matriarch, who first came to Malaysia in the 19th century. The oldest in the group was third-generation descendant Sundari Kandasammy Ammal, 87, of Kuala Lumpur, who said, “I am so glad that this gathering has materialized. I hope everyone will stay united.” Marimuthu Ammal, a contractor, and her husband Muthu Ramalingam Pillai arrived in Taiping from Karaikal in South India and were said to have built a fortune through railways, roads and sanitary contracts.
A daily summary of world news for Hindus and non-Hindus alike