KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 21 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim conveyed his condolences to the family of Tan Sri Devaki Krishnan, the first Malaysian woman to be elected to public office, who died last night.

Anwar, in a Facebook post, said that Devaki was an important figure in the history of the struggle to elevate women’s stature in leadership and politics, and who devoted her life to serving the community.

"I am saddened by the passing of the first woman in Malaysia’s public service, Tan Sri Devaki Krishnan, last night.

"Her contribution and sacrifices will be remembered forever. Condolences to the family of the deceased,” he said.

Devaki, who died at the age of 100, was born on March 11, 1923, and began her career as a teacher. She was the first woman to hold public office in pre-independence Malaya when she was elected to the then Bangsar Municipal Council in 1952.

Born in Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan, she got involved in politics in 1950 and joined the Independence of Malaya Party (IMP) in 1951, at the invitation of the party’s founder-president, Datuk Onn Jaafar.

Devaki was also the first Indian woman conferred the title of Tan Sri, in 1995, and has received various awards, including Tokoh Wanita and the Tun Fatimah Gold Medal Award from the National Council of Malaysian Women’s Organisations (NCWO). — Bernama