MGG Pillai's reputation was built on his
no-holds-barred reports and commentaries
PETALING JAYA: Veteran journalist MGG Pillai died of a heart attack at Universiti Hospital at 10.40 am yesterday. He was 67.
Pillai, whose reputation was built on his no-holds-barred reports and commentaries, wrote for several publications and radio stations, including Radio Netherlands, during his long career.
He was once expelled from Singapore and permanently banned from there since 1991 over his reports. Of this, he wrote: "It did not bother me since, as an Italian journalist wrote in his book, 'I had done my shopping'. I had written in an Indian paper of Israeli-made Singapore tanks and why they were bought. It was true, but local journalists could not write about it as they can never could get official confirmation. In defence matters, Singapore is touchy."
He occasionally wrote on the Vietnam War.
He was also among the pioneers of the country's online journalism.
His last posting on his website, www.MGGPillai.com, was "Globalisation, for Malaysia, means the foreigner will control what the local always did in the past," posted on April 20 at 11.48 am.
Bernama editor-in-chief Datuk Azman Ujang, in expressing his condolences to Pillai's family, said he wrote his articles without fear or favour.
Former New Straits Times group editor P.C. Shivadas said: "Journalism was in his blood and he also attempted to push the limits of press freedom and often got himself into trouble from which he never flinched."
Pillai leaves behind wife P.C. Jayasree and two sons Sreejit and Sreekant.
The cortege leaves Siewdor Apartments in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur, at 10 am and is scheduled to arrive at the Cheras crematorium at 11 am today.
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