Dato’ Saroja Dev Param, DSNS, AMN, PPN, PPT, PJK, PKL, JP was born in East Bengal, India in 1925. She migrated to Malaya (which is now part of Malaysia) in 1929.
A teacher, she was a pioneer in education in various rural areas in Malaysia. She and her late husband Mr. V. S. Param PJK, PKL, JP started two Government English Schools in 1954 and 1958.In these schools, they developed programmes of multicultural activities and sports, often involving the community, to complement the academic curriculum so that children received a holistic education. She retired from teaching fulltime in 1980.
Saroja’s community work concerns were in health, education and family social well-being.
At the state level she was founder member of several community organizations for Women, Youth, Child Welfare and Health issues. Saroja’s public service included serving on; the Juvenile Court, the Visitors’ Board of Seremban General Hospital, State Goodwill Council, State Unity Board, and Board of Governors of the Seremban Convent School.
Saroja is most passionate about Guiding.
Beginning as a Guider in 1946 she went on to serve in various capacities including as Malaysian National Guides Deputy Chief Commissioner (1973 to 1983). She represented the national association at the World Guide Conferences in; Helsinki (1969), Toronto (1972), Teheran (1978) Singapore (1981), Copenhagen (1983).
She has presented papers at International Guide Conferences in London, England; Edinburgh, Scotland; Adel Boden, Switzerland; Colombo, Sri Lanka; and Tokyo, Japan.
Saroja served in the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (W.A.G.G.G.S.) “International Sangam Committee” for nine years. She received “the Swift” the highest international Guide award.
She has also received Malaysian government federal and state medals in recognition of her service to the community.
Saroja’s political involvement was an extension of her interest in the welfare of women. She was State Women’s Leader and National Women’s Section Secretary in the Malaysian Indian Congress (1981-1987). She organized a Pre-School Teacher Training Programme mainly for girls from the rubber plantations.
Saroja was President of Friends of Sangam, Girl Guides Malaysia for 29 years (1982 - 2011) and President of the Convent Past Pupils’ Association, Seremban for 26 years. She organised an “adoption scheme” for promising but needy students from the Convent Primary School (Tamil). Students were “adopted” by the members for three years. In addition to scholarships and books, “adopter mothers” met with both parents and children together with their teachers. The children’s academic performance showed an improvement with students scoring A’s in public examinations.
Friends of Sangam Malaysia organized the Seminar in 2001: Across the Years – Inter-Generational Participation in Activities;
She served on the Consultative Body of the Health of the Older Person’s Committee of the Malaysian Medical Association.
In the 1990s she was recognized with a Malaysian Rotary Foundation award and in 2013 she was presented with the Rotary International Paul Harris Fellowship by the Winnipeg Transcona Rotary Club of Canada.
Her abiding philosophy remains the belief that interaction with people gives us the strength to reach out, and life itself provides us with the vision, wisdom and courage to build a better world for future generations.
A teacher, she was a pioneer in education in various rural areas in Malaysia. She and her late husband Mr. V. S. Param PJK, PKL, JP started two Government English Schools in 1954 and 1958.In these schools, they developed programmes of multicultural activities and sports, often involving the community, to complement the academic curriculum so that children received a holistic education. She retired from teaching fulltime in 1980.
Saroja’s community work concerns were in health, education and family social well-being.
At the state level she was founder member of several community organizations for Women, Youth, Child Welfare and Health issues. Saroja’s public service included serving on; the Juvenile Court, the Visitors’ Board of Seremban General Hospital, State Goodwill Council, State Unity Board, and Board of Governors of the Seremban Convent School.
Saroja is most passionate about Guiding.
Beginning as a Guider in 1946 she went on to serve in various capacities including as Malaysian National Guides Deputy Chief Commissioner (1973 to 1983). She represented the national association at the World Guide Conferences in; Helsinki (1969), Toronto (1972), Teheran (1978) Singapore (1981), Copenhagen (1983).
She has presented papers at International Guide Conferences in London, England; Edinburgh, Scotland; Adel Boden, Switzerland; Colombo, Sri Lanka; and Tokyo, Japan.
Saroja served in the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (W.A.G.G.G.S.) “International Sangam Committee” for nine years. She received “the Swift” the highest international Guide award.
She has also received Malaysian government federal and state medals in recognition of her service to the community.
Saroja’s political involvement was an extension of her interest in the welfare of women. She was State Women’s Leader and National Women’s Section Secretary in the Malaysian Indian Congress (1981-1987). She organized a Pre-School Teacher Training Programme mainly for girls from the rubber plantations.
Saroja was President of Friends of Sangam, Girl Guides Malaysia for 29 years (1982 - 2011) and President of the Convent Past Pupils’ Association, Seremban for 26 years. She organised an “adoption scheme” for promising but needy students from the Convent Primary School (Tamil). Students were “adopted” by the members for three years. In addition to scholarships and books, “adopter mothers” met with both parents and children together with their teachers. The children’s academic performance showed an improvement with students scoring A’s in public examinations.
Friends of Sangam Malaysia organized the Seminar in 2001: Across the Years – Inter-Generational Participation in Activities;
She served on the Consultative Body of the Health of the Older Person’s Committee of the Malaysian Medical Association.
In the 1990s she was recognized with a Malaysian Rotary Foundation award and in 2013 she was presented with the Rotary International Paul Harris Fellowship by the Winnipeg Transcona Rotary Club of Canada.
Her abiding philosophy remains the belief that interaction with people gives us the strength to reach out, and life itself provides us with the vision, wisdom and courage to build a better world for future generations.