KLANG: Koopalai Kirnan, a retiree who quietly helped the needy for years, died suddenly while running in a marathon on Sunday (Jan 28).
His son Tinesh shared that the 65-year-old social activist had completed 8km of the run when he collapsed and could not be resuscitated.
“He was pacing himself, but I believe he may have pushed to try to complete the 10km goal,” said Tinesh.
Koopalai is well-known in Klang for his work with charitable homes, often offering support through the welfare organisation Humanitarian Helpers.
Under his leadership, the organisation regularly provided monthly groceries to poor families, supported rural schools and students, and supplied hospital beds, wheelchairs and crutches for those in need.
Humanitarian Helpers also rebuilt fire-damaged homes for needy families and fixed drinking water filtration systems in schools.
Koopalai, who had been involved in charitable and welfare activities for two decades, successfully organised a free market in Shah Alam in October, attracting over 1,000 people.
“My father was a hero to the many people he had reached out to and helped regardless of race or religion,” said Tinesh.
Tinesh also shared that Koopalai was a source of motivation for him and his younger brother Thiban.
Condolence messages are pouring into his Facebook account as many grieve his untimely demise.
Several individuals shared their memories of Koopalai’s kindness, including Geetha Preto Kaur, who wrote that Koopalai had delivered a wheelchair to her home in Cheras and had checked in the day before his passing.
Nitya Dev also expressed gratitude for Koopalai’s sacrifices and assistance to many lives.
One of Koopalai’s final acts was helping a disabled woman in Klang and sponsoring food for a school in Simpang Morib.
He is survived by his wife, sons, grandchildren, and a stepson.
Koopalai’s funeral will be held at Nirvana Memorial Park in Shah Alam.
