Mr Bala Subramanion, Singapore's first Asian postmaster-general and a veteran community leader, died peacefully at his residence on Wednesday evening. He would have turned 104 on March 5.

He and his wife, Mrs Sumitra Bala Subramanion, 87, had celebrated 55 years of marriage the day before his passing. They have a daughter Anidha Thomas, who is married with two daughters.

"More than his age, his wisdom and commitment to the community are extraordinary. Till his last day, he was very much interested in what the Indian community can do better. He never lost his enthusiasm for new ideas," said Institute of Policy Studies special research adviser Arun Mahizhnan, 75.

"He was always youthful and humble. He was an exemplary lifelong learner and an ardent reader."

The two men sat on the Singapore Indian Education Trust (Siet) and Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society management committees, and have been friends for about 35 years, he added.

A group of friends who call themselves "Bala Wallas", or disciples of Bala, met him regularly "because of our deep affection for him", said Mr Mahizhnan.

"When the pandemic hit, we started to have weekly Zoom sessions on Saturday afternoons. He made it a point to put aside other things and get ready for the chat," he said, adding that Mr Bala adapted to technology very well, unlike many past their 70s or 80s.

Siet vice-president V.P. Jothi, 70, said: "His mind was very sharp till his last days and he was well informed about world affairs."

Mrs Bala said her husband was learning Japanese up till his final days, mastering his pronunciation. "He was a voracious reader and loved poetry very much. He was an ardent fan of Omar Khayyam's poems," she added.

Mr Bala joined the public service in 1936 as a probationary clerk in the colonial Postal Services Department. After World War II, he studied the postal system in Britain on a two-year scholarship. He worked there for a few years before returning in 1955 to be assistant comptroller in the department.

In July 2016, Mr Bala's biography Singapore, My Country, by Nilanjana Sengupta, was launched by then Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam at The Fullerton Hotel - the former General Post Office where Mr Bala had an illustrious 35-year career.

Mr Bala became Singapore's first local comptroller of post in 1957, exactly 100 years after the British set up the postal service in Singapore.

He became the first Asian postmaster-general - the equivalent of chief executive - in 1967, a post he held till he retired in 1971.

Mr Bala received the Public Administration Medal (Gold) from Singapore's first president Yusof Ishak in 1965.

Active in the Indian community, he served as president and trustee of the Singapore Indian Association, and helped found Siet in 1967.

He contributed actively to the Hindu community in Singapore as well, going door to door to raise funds for the refurbishment of the Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple in Serangoon Road, and the Sri Sivan Temple when it was located in Orchard Road.

Mr Bala was also a member of the Hindu Advisory Board, set up in 1985 to advise the Government and the Hindu Endowments Board on Hindu religion and customs.

Mr Jothi said of his friend of 20 years: "He was a gentle soul and an inspirational person. His wisdom was immense and he was very supportive of all the community efforts.

"He had always volunteered to bring in members for the various organisations and his bag would be full of membership forms. He would persuade whoever he went for lunch or dinner with to become members."

Singapore Indian Development Association (Sinda) chief executive Anbarasu Rajendran said: "Mr Bala was always our cheerleader, encouraging everyone at Sinda to look out for the underprivileged and ensure that their needs are taken care of and their voices are heard.

"Every year, he made a point to attend Sinda's annual general meeting and share his thoughts. In 2020, we had our AGM virtually and Mr Bala was there in front of the computer!"

Mr Bala was cremated in Mandai yesterday.