KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 15): Services contributed by the late Tun Dr S Samy Vellu in developing the nation's infrastructure will continue to be remembered, said the Ministry of Works.
In a statement following Samy Vellu's passing on Thursday (Sept 15), Senior Works Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said the deceased had contributed a lot to developing the infrastructure sector of Malaysia throughout his stint in leading the ministry.
Samy Vellu, who was the works minister from 1983 until 1989 and again from 1995 to 2008, was one of the longest serving ministers, being a member of the Cabinet for 29 years.
"As a ministry that supports the development of national infrastructure through engineering and technical services, his services will definitely be remembered forever," said Fadillah.
"The devotion and sacrifice of the late leader of Works Ministry will continue to be etched in the history of the country's development," he said.
According to Fadillah, Samy Vellu's significant contributions included the development of several highways that are now deemed to be the vital "heart", mainly in linking with the rakyat (people), providing mobility for business logistics, aside from giving access to locations for tourism, education, agriculture and also other sectors.
Additionally, the construction of highways such as the North-South Expressway, the Damansara-Puchong Expressway (LDP), the Federal Highway, the Sungai Besi Highway (Besraya), and the East Coast Highway Phase 1 (LPT) were among the infrastructure developments that took place during his time at the helm of the ministry.
The country's iconic bridges such as the Penang Bridge and the Sultan Abdul Halim Bridge Muadzam Shah Bridge were also the mega projects under his administration, in addition to the construction of the MATRADE building and the iconic gateway structure of the Parliament building that is shaped like the letter M which means Malaysia.
"The passing of the former minister of works, Tun Dr S Samy Vellu, is a great loss to the people and the country," said Fadillah.