KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 21 — Tan Sri Devaki Krishnan, the first Malaysian woman elected to public service, has died.

She was 100.

Her death was confirmed by her grandson and Sungai Buloh MP Datuk R. Ramanan, who is also deputy entrepreneur development and cooperatives minister, early this morning.

"Her loss, at the age of 100, is surely to be felt by all her family members.

"She was such an influential figure in Malaysian politics until she was called the ‘Grand Dame of Malaysian Indian Politics’.

"Her life was dedicated to serving the community. Her services and leadership raised the dignity of women in the eyes of the world,” he said in a Facebook post.

Devaki’s eminence in Malaysian politics began before the country was even founded.

She won a seat on the Kuala Lumpur Municipal Council in 1952, as part of Datuk Sir Onn Jaafar’s Independence of Malaya Party.

After the election, Devaki who hails from Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan joined the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC).

She was appointed MIC secretary in 1975 and Wanita MIC deputy chief in 1984.