Former MIC President Subramaniam To Be Conferred India's Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award 

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 9 (Bernama) – Former MIC president and former minister Tan Sri Dr S. Subramaniam will be conferred the prestigious Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award (PBSA) 2025 by the Indian government tomorrow.

The PBSA, the highest honour bestowed on overseas Indians, will be presented by the President of India during the valedictory ceremony of the 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) Convention, held biennially, in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, from Jan 8 to 10.

The Indian High Commission in Malaysia congratulated Dr Subramaniam on his achievement.

“Hearty congratulations to Tan Sri Dr Subramaniam K.V. Sathasivam, former Minister of Health and former Minister of Human Resources, Government of Malaysia & former president of Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC), for the conferment of the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award 2025 in the field of politics.

“Congratulations on the well-deserved achievement, which reflects Tan Sri Dr Subramaniam’s longstanding commitment and dedication to public service and his positive contribution to the enhancement of India-Malaysia relations,” the High Commission said in a statement.

The PBSA recognises individuals for their exceptional contributions in various fields, including public service, politics and strengthening India’s international relations.

The awardees were selected by a jury chaired by the Vice President of India, assisted by the Minister of External Affairs and representatives from various agencies.

According to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs portal, 27 individuals of Indian origin have been recognised this year following a rigorous selection process.

Dr Subramaniam served as a minister from 2008 to 2018, holding the Human Resources and Health portfolios. During this period, he spearheaded several initiatives that significantly improved the socio-economic well-being of the Indian community in Malaysia.

Notably, he initiated the establishment of the Cabinet Committee for Indian Affairs, which laid the foundation for interventions such as the MyDaftar and Mega MyDaftar campaigns, resolving documentation issues for over 7,000 stateless Indians.

Under his leadership, administrative structures such as the Special Implementation Task Force (SITF) and Sedic (now known as MITRA) were created to address the education, welfare and socio-economic challenges of the Indian community.

One of his key achievements was securing annual government allocations for Tamil schools, beginning in 2010, which resulted in significant infrastructure improvements for many historically underfunded schools.

-- BERNAMA