The Sri Murugan Centre (SMC) was founded on September 24, 1982 by Tan Sri Dato Dr. M. Thambirajah together with a group comprising 42 students of the Tamil Language Society and some lecturers of University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur.
From its inception SMC formulated immediate and long-term objectives. SMC's immediate concern was to prepare students for the STPM (Form Six) Examinations. Throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s the performance of Tamil students in the STPM Examinations had begun to decline to the extent that there were insufficient adequately qualified Tamil students to take up the seats allocated for Indian students in the local varsities.
Conducted any other way, the classes would have been subjected to the individual experience and whims of the teachers. It was conceived from the beginning that there would be run in exactly the same manner academically and administratively. In brief, the belief of SMC was that if it cannot offer to the Indians something far better than what they are exposed to, then it better not offer anything. Again, SMC set itself the goal of wishing silently to produce results - "We need workers not talkers".
The followers of SMC adhere to 3 beliefs:
These simple principles embody a whole philosophy that has acted as a dynamic agent of change. A belief in equality bestows upon the person a respect for fellow beings and above all a profound respect for himself. He does not tremble at the sight of a superior nor despise an inferior. He views with a balanced non-partisan attitude merits, strengths and. weaknesses of each individual. No individual is type-cast along categories of caste, socio-economic background, sub-ethnic group or employment. Every person is a unique human being with the same strengths, weaknesses and potential to rise through his will or fall through ignorance.