Datuk Thanapalan Paul Murugasu was the secretary of Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) from 1980-1987. During that period, football was going through its glory days and was enjoyed by almost everyone in Malaysia.
Datuk Paul was born on 8 September 1924 in Kuala Lipis in Pahang. He has his primary education in Kampar, Perak and completed his Senior Cambridge at Anglo Chinese School in Ipoh.
He worked as a teacher from 1948 to 1959, beginning at Trade School in Kuala Lumpur an later at the Kajang High School before moving to the Pasar Road English School.
He joined the Election Commission in 1959 and served as the State Election Officer in Kota Bahru (1961-1965), Seremban (1965-1970) and Kuala Lumpur from 1970 until his retirement in 1974.
Datuk Paul joined FAM in 1973. He served his “apprenticeship” with the dynamic Datuk Kwok Kin Keng in FAM taking over in 1980. He held the post for seven years and served under two presidents – Tan Sri Dato’ Setia Raja Haji Hamzah bin Abu Samah and HRH Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah.
He was honoured by the HRH Sultan of Pahang in 1983 and conferred a Datukship
Paul was given recognition as a sports administrator when he was inducted into the Olympic Council of Malaysia Hall of Fame in 2007.
Rest in peace...
