April 22,1979, saw the inauguration of a new community hall for the people of Raub, Pahang.
Standing majestically between the Siva Subramaniar Hindu temple and the Kuan Yin temple in Jalan Lipis, this community hall was built at a cost of RM150,000.
The man who constructed and gifted this building to the people of his beloved town was my paternal grandfather, S.K. Ampalavanar. The reason behind his benevolence was to pay back the society that propelled him from rags to riches.
I vividly remember the opening ceremony of the hall. It was a lavish affair filled with traditional dances, mellifluous songs and much fanfare. The hall was named after him – Dewan SK Ampalavanar.