A tribute by Malaysia’s former Finance Minister Tun Daim Zainuddin.  

I HAVE known S.T. Gamany, who passed away on Oct 21, for more than half a century.

He was my contemporary when we were studying law in London, together with Tun Hussein Onn, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah and Osman Manan.

There he was active politically, attending Labour Party meetings and was a member of the Malayan Forum where many in the left-wing would gather to discuss Malayan politics.

He met Kassim Ahmad in London and upon their return both became office bearers in Party Rakyat Malaysia.

Gamany was also active with the unions and often would take me with him to address their members who, in most cases, supported socialist parties.

Apart from being socially conscious, we were also very active socially, spending our Saturday nights going to night clubs as he remained a bachelor for a long time.

I started practice on my own before him and was surprised that one day he came to my office and said he wanted to join me in my practice.

Although I advised him against it, he was adamant.

I warned him that we would find it difficult to pay the rent and staff salary as most of the time I was just catching flies in the office.

Next day, in spite of my warning, I saw him in my spare room and that’s how we became Daim & Gamany.

He had his left-wing clients and l am sure many were non-paying clients. I gave up practice to go into business and he carried on our practice till today.

Gamany was a very private person but friendly, unassuming and kind.

I have never heard him say anything bad about or look down on anybody and he always has kind words towards others.

We normally met for lunch in my office. It was quite sometime since I invited him but when we met we reminisced about our time and misspent youth in London and Kuala Lumpur.

I have lost a dear friend who struggled to make a living from legal practice, not because he couldn’t but because he was a softie at heart and one who kept to his ideals.

Gamany during his lifetime fought for the dignity of men against the exploitation of labour and was in the forefront against injustice.

He would defend those he believed were fighting for their legal rights and would give his services free if they could not afford counsel.

He was gentle but a man of steel when it involved principles, a rare breed these days.

The country may not have recognised his contributions but the Malaysia that was born then was also shaped by people like him, with their push for a more egalitarian society. In his unassuming way he was a giant of a man and I will miss him.