Late Karpal Singh to receive posthumous award from Penang

 

The late DAP stalwart Karpal Singh is set to receive a posthumous award from the Penang state government.

DAP posted on its Facebook page that Karpal will receive the Darjah Utama Pangkuan Negeri award which bears the title "Dato' Seri Utama" from the Penang governor. 

"Your sacrifice will not be forgotten and the struggle will continue to intensify," said the post.

Karpal was first elected to office in 1974 as Alor Setar Bandar assemblyperson before moving to Penang, where he served as MP for Jelutong (1978-1999) and Bukit Gelugor (2004-2014).

Lauded as one of the most prominent criminal lawyers in the country, Karpal was known for his fearlessness and integrity as well as his commitment to a multi-racial and secular Malaysia.

He was suspended from Parliament on several occasions and suffered detention under the Internal Security Act under Ops Lalang in 1987 when the administration of Dr Mahathir Mohamad detained numerous opposition politicians without trial.

In 2005, Karpal sustained serious injuries after being hit by a vehicle and became wheelchair-bound. He died on April 17, 2014, after another road accident.

Three of Karpal's sons currently hold elected office.

Jagdeep is a Penang executive councillor holding the local government, housing and urban and rural planning portfolio. 

Puchong MP Gobind was the first Malaysian Sikh to hold ministerial rank when he was appointed communications and multimedia minister under the Pakatan Harapan administration.

Ramkarpal has been Bukit Gelugor MP since winning the by-election that was held upon his father's death in 2014.

"Although my father always said that he would not accept titles while he was actively in politics, I feel this recognition given to him posthumously is well deserved in regard to his vast contributions, not only to Penang but to the nation as well," Ramkarpal told Malaysiakini.

"We are honoured to receive this award on my father’s behalf from the Penang governor," he added. - Mkini