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Crime buster Kulasingam dies
By GLADYS TAY
JOHOR BARU: Retired assistant commissioner S. Kulasingam, who was known for his bravery in fighting crime, passed away peacefully with family members and friends by his side. The 77-year-old veteran cop, who was wounded several times in the line of duty, passed away at 3.06am at the Sultanah Aminah Hospital here Thursday. With him were his younger sister S. Arthi, elder brother Dr S. Ratna, family members and close friends.
Kulasingam had been hospitalised since Sept 29 after he slipped and fell in the bathroom of his apartment at Jalan Sultan Abdul Samad. According to a close friend J. Joyce, one of his nephews who was there during the fall, helped him. "He was later hospitalised after fracturing his bone during the fall.
"He was able to walk again soon after undergoing an operation to replace a broken hip bone," she said, adding that she had known Kulasingam for the past 20 years.
The former Kuala Lumpur deputy CID chief was involved in police operations involving notorious criminals such as Botak Chin and Kepong Chai, a notorious criminal who used to rape women and then scar their face with a blade.
Former top crime-buster dies
KUALA LUMPUR, Thu.:
Former crimebuster S. Kulasingam, who was feared by the underworld for his relentless routing of dangerous criminals in the late 1970s, died of pneumonia today.
The former Kuala Lumpur CID deputy chief, who was later promoted to Johor CID chief, was 77. Kula, as he was affectionately known, succumbed to the illness at 3.06am at the Sultanah Aminah Hospital in Johor Baharu. His sister, Annamah, 74, and brother Dr Ratnasingam, 78, were at his bedside when he breathed last.
Kula was hospitalised on Sept 29 when he slipped and fell in the bathroom of his apartment at Jalan Sultan Abdul Samad in Johor Baharu.
He was warded at the hospital for a fractured hip bone.
During his illustrious career, Kula led countless police operations to nab notorious criminals, including the infamous Botak Chin who staged many armed robberies in the Klang Valley in the 1970s, and "Kepong Chai", the man who raped women and scarred their faces with a blade.
This afternoon, Kula's body was sent to Annamah's house in Taman Bukit Ampangan in Seremban for funeral arrangements. More than 200 people, mostly former colleagues, paid their last respects. Kula was cremated at the Hindu Crematorium at Jalan Templer in Seremban this evening.
Supercop Kulasingam dies
By Jassmine Shadiqejashadiqe@nst.com.my
JOHOR BARU: Malaysia's own supercop, S. Kulasingam, was once quoted as saying: "How could I die of anything but old age?"
After dodging bullets and surviving numerous attempts on his life when he was the Kuala Lumpur Criminal Investigation Department deputy chief, the former crimebuster died here yesterday at the age of 77. His death was due to old-age complications.
The retired assistant commissioner who never married, slipped and fell about a month ago in his apartment in Jalan Sultan Abdul Samad here and was bedridden after undergoing an operation at the Sultanah Aminah Hospital to replace a broken hip. He died in his sleep at 3.06am.
Kula, as he was popularly known in the police fraternity, was dubbed the "toughest cop the force ever had". The mere mention of his name was enough to send shivers down the spine of many criminals. "It's not easy to kill me. I won't go before my number is up," Kula had once said in an interview, after having survived several attempts on his life by desperate gangsters.
The first attempt was on Nov 22, 1975. He had stopped at a traffic light junction while driving alone when 11 shots were fired at him. One of the bullets shattered his right rib, piercing his liver, and grazed his lungs.
On April 7, 1976, Kula was shot in the stomach during a robbery at a jewellery shop in Paramount Gardens, Petaling Jaya. He also survived when a 44-pound jar of formic acid was splashed on his legs and chest; when a tree fell, killing a helper instead; when an axe-wielding man rushed at him; and when a patrol car in Sarawak was ambushed — another officer with the same name as him was killed.
Kula, who later held the post of Johor CID chief, was best known for capturing the infamous "Botak Chin", who carried out many robberies in the Klang Valley in the 1970s.
Johor police chief Datuk Hussin Ismail said Kulasingam, which means "lion of the community" in Tamil, would always be remembered for the rare qualities that made him the quintessential policeman. "He was a man who did not flinch in the face of danger. He was courageous, obstinate and steadfastly devoted to his duties and he held fast to the belief that these qualities made the difference in the fight against crime," Hussin said.
Before joining the police force in 1951, Kula had worked as a teacher for six months. He was only 19 when he joined as a probationary inspector in July, 1951. His courageous crime-fighting style soon caught the attention of his immediate supervisors, who recommended him for promotion to assistant superintendent of police in August 1957. Kula served the force with dedication for 35 years. He retired in 1985. He was also awarded the Ahli Mangku Negara (AMN) for distinguished service in the police force and had been hailed as epitomising the qualities that policemen should be made of — courage, tenacity and selfless devotion.
Classic example of a good policeman
SEREMBAN: Former Kuala Lumpur Criminal Investigation Department deputy chief Kulasingam Sabaratnam, who died at age 77, was cremated at his hometown here yesterday.
The body of Kulasingam, who died in Johor Baru, had arrived at his sister's house in Taman Bukit Ampangan here about noon. Family members, friends and colleagues were present to pay their last respects to the former crimebuster. Among them were Negri Sembilan police chief Datuk Osman Salleh and Malacca police chief Datuk Mortadza Nazarene. Kulasingam's body was later taken to the crematorium in Jalan Templer.
The former assistant commissioner had slipped and fallen in his apartment in Johor Baru a month ago and had been bedridden since undergoing an operation to replace a broken hip bone at the Hospital Sultanah Aminah.
Kulasingam was perhaps best known for his role in nabbing the notorious Wong Swee Chin, a.k.a Botak Chin, in February 1976. His bravery made him a legend in the force. Among those who paid him a glowing tribute yesterday was Federal CID director Datuk Christopher Wan Soo Kee. "Kula was a legend of the CID… I wonder if another Kulasingam will be born.
"He was a simple man but with a brave heart. He was one of the products which made us (police) proud. No one can question his commitment and dedication (to the force). "Those who aspire to be a police officer should use Kula's dedication and achievements as a yardstick. He is a classic example of what a good policeman should be."
Kulasingam's nephew S. Thirunavakarasu, 60, described his uncle as a man of principles. "He was very loyal to the country. We are very proud of his contributions and sacrifices. He had lived a long and full life despite the numerous attempts to kill him." He said his uncle, the youngest of six siblings, was independent and lived on his own for so many years. "He never complained of being sick before the fall. But I guess, after being shot at so many times, it finally took its toll on him."
