VM Chandran-A True Friend by Syed Akhbar Ali

Mr VM Chandran,Tuan Haji Baharuddin Dato Mokhsen and Mr Woo Choon Chow

Well it is certainty not easy to write something like this.Our human psyche is more tuned to accept the passing of elders who have advanced in age.But when our peers leave us there has to be more deliberateness in accepting it.

I want to say that Mr VM Chandran was a nice man.He was a good person.In the local parlance he always had a "niat yang baik" or good intentions.

Having known him almost 22 years and having spent hours at a stretch with him discussing everything from business,family,politics,government,country,
society,economics,the Americans,Indians,Japanese and everything else under the sun I came to understand him well.

In the adage 'reading maketh a full man" seeks a good example that would be Mr Chandran. He was well read therefore knowledgeable.Conversations were easy and enlightening because there was always a reference to facts and information that had been properly written somewhere.Aristotle who was a student of Plato became a teacher to Alexander the Great.Alexander and Aristotle discussed that they could not implement Athenian democracy in all societies.Each society had to find its own level.

The intense reading habit also helped at work where Mr Chandran carefully read every single document and contract that came before him.'We must read'he would say.'We must know the details'.Do not let others tell you what is in the document.Hence Mr Chandran could navigate through a diverse portfolio of businesses.

His vast reading habit even made him well versed about health care issues which did benefit many people who had need of advise on health care.Mr Chandran even wrote a series of useful articles about private health care which I carried in my blog.The articles elicited much discussion and comment and perhaps effected some reaction upon the private medical health sector.

By nature he was kind unto many people,especially those who needed help.He really went out of his way to help people.Passing is finality.It is a reminder to cherish the time that we have.Mr Chandran would have agreed.And laughed about it too.