D. S. Ramanathan

D. S. Ramanathan
1st Mayor of George Town
In office 1958–1959
Mayor of George Town (2nd Term)
In office 1959–1950
President of Malaya National Union of Teachers
In office 1959–1962
Personal details
Born	23 December 1908 Jafna, Sri Lanka
Died	1973 Kuala Lumpur
Political party	Malaysian Indian Congress (November 1963-) Labour Party of Malaya (1953-4 June 1963)
Spouse(s)	Ruth Vanniasingham
Religion	Methodist Church

D. S. Ramanathan was Malaysian politician, mayor, teacher, unionist and educationist of Indian origin. He was the founder and the first chairman of Labour Party of Malaya, and subsequently joined the Malaysian Indian Congress. Besides that, Ramanathan also served as the first mayor for the city of George Town, credited for his pioneering efforts to set up a university in Penang. The idea of a university in Penang was first mooted by him in 1959 in the State Assembly and later crystallised when he was nominated chairman of the Penang University Project committee.

The Universiti Sains Malaysia opened in 1969 and is today one of the leading tertiary institutions of learning in Malaysia

D. S. Ramanathan was born to Sri Lanka Tamil family. He later married to Ruth Vanniasingham. D.S Ramanathan work as teacher on early days before joining politics.The former teacher, who began his career in Perak, was the president of the National Union of Teachers from 1959 to 1962 as well as vice-president of the Malayan Teachers National Congress from 1961-1962.

During that period, he was also an active member of the National Joint Council of Teachers. Even, after finishing his term as mayor, he was appointed as the headmaster of the Penang Pykett Methodist School. He died in 1973 in Kuala Lumpur.

Scott Road, a small road off Air Rajah Road, has been renamed in honour of Ramanathan.

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