ி . ▁ <0xE0> <0xAE> <0x8E> <0xE0> <0xAE> <0xB8> ் . ▁ ர ா ம ந ா த ன ் ) ▁was ▁a ▁Malays ian ▁politician , ▁mayor , ▁teacher , ▁union ist ▁and ▁education ist ▁of ▁Sri ▁L ank an ▁origin . ▁He ▁was ▁a ▁member ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁chairman ▁of ▁the ▁Labour ▁Party ▁of ▁Mal aya , ▁and ▁subsequently ▁joined ▁the ▁Malays ian ▁Indian ▁Congress . ▁Besides ▁that , ▁Ram an athan ▁also ▁served ▁as ▁the ▁first ▁mayor ▁for ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁George ▁Town , ▁and ▁is ▁cred ited ▁for ▁his ▁pione ering ▁efforts ▁to ▁set ▁up ▁a ▁university ▁in ▁Pen ang . ▁The ▁idea ▁of ▁a ▁university ▁in ▁Pen ang ▁was ▁first ▁mo oted ▁by ▁him ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 9 ▁in ▁the ▁State ▁Assembly ▁and ▁later ▁cry st all ised ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁nominated ▁chairman ▁of ▁the ▁Pen ang ▁University ▁Project ▁committee . ▁ ▁The ▁Univers iti ▁S ains ▁Malays ia ▁opened ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 9 ▁and ▁is ▁today ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁leading ▁t ert i ary ▁institutions ▁of ▁learning ▁in ▁Malays ia ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁D . ▁S . ▁Ram an athan ▁was ▁born ▁to ▁Sri ▁L anka ▁T amil ▁family . ▁He ▁later ▁married ▁to ▁ ▁Ruth ▁V ann ias ingham . ▁D . S ▁Ram an athan ▁work ▁as ▁teacher ▁on ▁early ▁days ▁before ▁joining ▁politics . ▁The ▁former ▁teacher , ▁who ▁began ▁his ▁career ▁in ▁Per ak , ▁was ▁the ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁National ▁Union ▁of ▁Te ach ers ▁from ▁ 1