by Lee Shi-Ian
The Malaysian Insider
April 19, 2014

The late Bukit Gelugor MP Karpal Singh was given a moving tribute and farewell by his grandchildren tonight, who vowed to take up the mantle of Tiger of Jelutong.

The 11 grandchildren, aged between 1½ years and 11, showed the media a poster which they had made together.

“Singh is King. We love you, Tiger of Jelutong. We will miss you. Jangan main-main. My defender of the defenceless. We will all be tigers like you,” the grandchildren said. Read the rest of this entry »

Michael Ong
19.4.2014

Karpal was unquestionably unique

A gentle giant among lawyers and politicians

Relentlessly reaching for justice within a weaken judiciary

Playing the game despite rigged rules and changing goal posts

Always hoping against hope that a new dawn will deliver Read the rest of this entry »

Mariam Mokhtar | April 18, 2014
Free Malaysia Today

It is now for us to band together and emulate his unshakable sense of duty and fair play, to resume his fight for a just and equal society.

COMMENT

Karpal SinghA plaque, presented by a grateful client, hangs on the wall of Karpal Singh’s office and it reads, ‘Noble and able defender of the defenceless’. The words were a source of inspiration for the Bukit Gelugor MP, whose untimely death in the early hours of Thursday morning, has shocked a nation.

“I will definitely return,” said Karpal to Penang’s Chief Minister, Lim Guan Eng, when they met recently, and he told Lim that he would vacate his post as the DAP chairman, pending his appeal against the charges of sedition.

A few days after making those remarks, Karpal perished in a car accident on the highway near Gua Tempurung. Malaysia has been robbed of one of its true patriots.

Karpal will return. His death has stirred our consciences. His “return” would be symbolic because it is now for us, to band together and continue his legacy, to resume his fight for a fair, just and equal society for all Malaysians.

Instead of having to thwart one Karpal Singh, the authorities will now have to fight off hundreds, if not thousands of Karpal Singhs, all with one aim – to continue the struggle for fairness, to fight injustice and to uphold the rule of law, without fear or favour. That is Karpal’s “return”. Read the rest of this entry »

Josh Hong
Malaysiakini
Apr 18, 2014

Like many, I belong to the generation who grew up hearing the great name and deeds of Karpal Singh who fought tirelessly for a just Malaysia that would adhere to constitutionalism at all costs.

The fact that I had never met the man personally did not stop me from developing a profound admiration for his fighting spirit. In the past 15 years especially, the borderless Internet has made access to news and information far easier, and I enjoy thoroughly watching Karpal’s public speeches and listening to his uplifting messages that he was hammering home.

Most importantly, coming from a generation when legal practice was highly respected and in which lawyers and judges must work strenuously, arduously and judiciously to prove their worth, Karpal has clearly left a deep imprint in Malaysian society.

In any mature and healthy parliamentary democracy, the tragic and untimely passing of an outstanding lawyer and also a formidable parliamentarian who has contributed tremendously to upholding the true spirit of law and constitution as well as to the democratic process would rightly deserve a full and proper acknowledgement by the state, and parliament would be recalled so that fellow lawmakers could have an opportunity to pay tributes to an experienced and well respected statesman.

But Karpal was not born in the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada or New Zealand but Malaysia. Be that as it may, one can take comfort in the fact that the Tiger of Jelutong himself would have no regret being born a true son of Malaysian soil and fighting a good fight for a country that he held dear. Read the rest of this entry »

– Francis Loh Kok Wah
The Malaysian Insider
April 18, 2014

The Board of Governors and Managers of the St Xavier’s schools in Penang have expressed sorrow over the death of one of their most illustrious students.

We, the Boards of Governors and Managers of St Xavier’s Institution, SK St Xavier’s, and SK St Xavier’s Cawangan are deeply saddened to hear of YB Karpal Singh’s sudden death.

Karpal was one of our “towering Malaysians”, a most illustrious son, no doubt.

He was dubbed the “Tiger of Jelutong”, from where he was repeatedly elected into Parliament, before he moved to contest and represent Bukit Gelugor, both constituencies in Penang.

Karpal was a fearless and renowned lawyer. In and out of Parliament, Karpal spoke out bravely against the making of unjust and bad laws, and opposed policies that discriminated against the downtrodden and minorities while favouring the cronies and racial or religious exclusivists.

He also condemned the use of these bad laws to oppress critics, activists and opposition leaders.

In this regard, he was among those detained without trial under the Internal Security Act during Ops Lalang 1987. Read the rest of this entry »

– C.K. Yeo
The Malayian Insider
April 18, 2014

Part 1 – The sad tribute

Fate,
As life will dictate
Sad,
Your work more to add
Cry,
Our tears will never dry
Mourn,
We will, as you journey on
Rest,
You have done your best
Stay,
Forever in Heaven’s bay Read the rest of this entry »

– Tan Zhong Yan
The Malaysian Insider
April 18, 2014

He is the one whom I look up to since young;

the one whom I respect and admire.

He is the one who will always be at the forefront,

to fight for justice and rights of the weak and oppressed.

He is the one who believes in justice;

the one who upholds the Constitution and the rule of law. Read the rest of this entry »