News
President Tharman's mother, 99, dies peacefully at home
She was cremated in a private ceremony.
April 20, 2026, 04:14 PM
Sarvambikai Shanmugaratnam née Viswalingam, the mother of President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, died peacefully at home on Sunday (Apr. 19) at the age of 99.
The President's Office confirmed her death on Monday (Apr. 20) in response to queries by Mothership, saying that she passed away on Sunday afternoon.
It added that she was cremated in a private ceremony in accordance with her wishes.
The President's Office also said:
"We ask that the family's privacy be respected during this time."
Private cremation
An obituary published on Obits.sg stated that Sarvambikai “drew her last in the comfort of home” on Sunday late afternoon and was cremated soon after, in keeping with her preference in tradition.
The obituary also described her as “a quiet iconoclast” who kept to her own counsel and chose a different path in life, standing on the side of adventure and independence.
Fourth of 11 children
Born on July 5, 1926, in Kuala Lumpur, she was the fourth of 11 children of Dr A. Viswalingam and Rathnammal Ayathurai, who were both natives of Jaffna.
She was married to the late Kanagaratnam Shanmugaratnam, an emeritus professor and leading authority in pathology in Singapore, who died in 2018.
According to the obituary, she is survived by her three children and four grandchildren.
Top image via Obits.sg
