A loss difficult to replace
The sudden and tragic death of
Mr.Karpal Singh, veteran opposition and DAP stalwart caught the nation by shock
and surprise on an otherwise peaceful and uneventful Thursday morning. The news
of his death in an early morning road accident was met with disbelief initially
and then sadness and grief.
Many of us know Karpal Singh as a fierce and combatant lawyer and opposition
politician who dared to do what many feared, confront the government in parliament, in the courts and outside without
fear for five decades. Even jailing could not stop him from his fight for the
people.
He was a man of integrity and a
defender of the constitutional rights of all Malaysians regardless of race and
creed. Despite the many setbacks, intimidations and harassment by the
authorities he stood firm to his principles and rose up to courageously to
defend the poor and victimized in society. He did that unwavering till the very
end, even after being confined to a wheelchair due to injuries sustained in a
road accident in 2005.
Coming from very humble origins he
worked his way up to become one of the most respected and sought-after lawyer
in the country. His courageous and vocal criticism of the government for nearly
five decades won him the title of the “Tiger of Jelutong”. At an age of
74,paralysed and sickly and convicted for sedition and possibly even jailed, Karpal
was still fighting for his ideals for a just and fair Malaysia for all. In fact
he died fighting and became a hero in the hearts of many.
His untimely death is a great loss
for the country and for fight against corruption and injustice in the country.
His death is a great loss for the opposition Pakatan Rakyat, at a time when it
is getting closer to the capturing Putrajaya,to the various human rights groups
and the people at large seeking justice. The nation has lost an illustrious son
who will be extremely difficult to replace for many years to come.
Karpal may be gone but he has left a
legacy as fervent fighter against legal, political and social injustice in the
country. He has earned a place in the hearts of all Malaysians and generations
to come will continue to hear the roar of the Tiger of Jelutong loud and clear.
Our
deepest condolences to his wife and children and our thoughts and prayers are
with them during this very difficult time.
We also
convey our deepest sympathies to the family of his personal assistant Michael Cornelius Selvam Vellu who died with
him in the accident. At 39years of age his death is a great tragedy to his family.
He was devoted to his master even in death.
May they rest in peace.
Michael was literally the man behind Karpal since the
39-year-old, would push his boss around in his wheelchair wherever he went,even to his death
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