Tan Sri Dr M. Mahadevan, widely regarded as the father of modern psychiatry in Malaysia, has passed away at the age of 96.
Dr Mahadevan was the founding president of the Malaysian Psychiatric Association and also served as the government’s Chief Psychiatrist, playing a pivotal role in shaping mental healthcare services in the country.
Born in Kuala Lumpur in 1929, he completed his medical studies in Bengaluru, India, before furthering his expertise in hypnosis and psychiatry in Dublin, where he established a distinguished career in the field.
He was appointed as the first director of the psychiatric hospital in Tanjong Rambutan, Perak, and was instrumental in its transformation and rebranding as Hospital Bahagia Ulu Kinta. In recognition of his contributions to mental health, Harvard University established a travel fellowship in his name.
Members of the public may pay their last respects at his residence in Ukay Heights, Ampang, today and tomorrow.
Funeral rites will be held at his home on Thursday at 9.30am, followed by cremation at 12.00pm at the Sentul Hindu Crematorium in Kuala Lumpur.
Dr Mahadevan’s passing marks the end of an era in Malaysian psychiatry, leaving behind a legacy that continues to influence mental healthcare in the nation.
