He's my mentor. Taught and encouraged me to express my thoughts and views so that others may know about them, just as he had been doing in Sangkancil. To him, it didn't matter that you did not accept what he had to say; suffice that he said what had to be said.

  We haven't lost him, for he's gone to be with the One who will continue to love him. We will not bid him farewell for we will always remember him, sharing with us the missing pieces in the jigsaw puzzle of Malaysian politics: race, religion and all.

  The cremation will be held tomorrow at 12 noon at the Cheras Crematorium. I will be paying my continued respect at his residence 211-G Bangunan Siewdor, Lorong Scott in Brickfields.

  Best wishes,
  KASSIM S.A. & SITI

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    ----- Original Message -----
    From: gnh
    To: sangkancil@googlegroups.com
    Sent: Friday, April 28, 2006 1:27 PM
    Subject: [sangkancil] Veteran journalist MGG Pillai dies

     Veteran journalist MGG Pillai dies

    Veteran journalist MGG Pillai dies

    Apr 28, 06 12:24pm

    The doyen of Malaysian journalism, MGG Pillai, passed away this morning at the Universiti Hospital due to heart complications.

    According to his son Sreejit Pillai, the veteran newsman who pioneered Malaysia's online journalism, died at 10.40am.

    Pillai, 67, began his career in journalism in the 1960s. He had also served as a war correspondent during the Vietnam War.

    He was expelled from Singapore for his reporting while he was stationed in the city-state.

    He later joined the Malay Mail.

    For the past 10 years, Pillai had taken to the Internet to pursue his craft. He was instrumental in the launch of discussion group Sangkancil in 1995 - Malaysia's first online community - and more recently his own website, MGGPillai.com.

    Pillai was a Malaysiakini columnist since the online news website was launched six years ago and till the end took his commitment very seriously.

    Despite being admitted to the hospital on Tuesday, he insisted on calling Malaysiakini that morning to say that his Chiaroscuro (Shades of gray) column wouldn't be coming in.  

    "I'm afraid I won't be sending you a column today because I'm in the hospital," he told Malaysiakini's opinions and features editor S Vicknesan.

    [Full report to follow]