KUALA LUMPUR: S. Uthaya Kumar, 23, the Malaysian medical student who was killed in a road accident in Chitradurga, Karnataka, India yesterday was an excellent student.
His college mate, Alya Aziz, 22, said Uthaya Kumar, a third-year medical student at the Melaka Manipal Medical College (MMMC) at the campus in Manipal, India, was a popular student as he constantly achieved excellent results in his examinations.
When contacted by Bernama today, Alya said Uthaya Kumar, a Public Services Department-sponsored student, was also a good person who was respected by all, regardless of religion or race, and loved by many, including his lecturers.
She said the classes at the Manipal campus, India, tomorrow had been cancelled for the religious ceremony in honour of Uthaya Kumar.
She also said Uthaya Kumar who was formerly a student of Sekolah Sains Seremban (SASER) was due to return to Malaysia to continue his studies at the MMMC campus in Melaka.
Meanwhile, his friend and neighbour in Bandar Baru Selayang, K. Loganathan, 23, said Uthaya Kumar’s father, K Selvaraj will leave for India tomorrow with another family member to arrange for his remains to be brought back.
He said Uthaya Kumar was the eldest of four children and his father, who was paralysed after a stroke, operated a retail shop with his wife in their housing area.
“The family is not rich, his father has health problems and only run a sundry shop beneath their home in Bandar Baru Selayang to support his family,” he said when contacted by Bernama today.
Loganathan who had known Uthaya Kumar since he was 12, said his friend had wanted to become a doctor to help his family.
Another friend, V. Gobinath, 23, said Uthaya Kumar had been a hardworking student in school who always studied late into the night and was very helpful to others.
According to a Wisma Putra statement, Uthaya Kumar died when the motorcycle he was riding pillion was involved in an accident with a bus in Chitradurga, about 600 km west of Chennai at about 11 pm.
He died while on the way to the Chitradurga Government Hospital. -- Bernama
