I was aware that this week was the 10th anniversary of the tragic passing of one of the most magnetic Malaysians I have ever met.
For personal reasons, I now find it harder to write obituaries and tributes but as Karpal Singh’s 10th anniversary arrived, I suddenly felt compelled to share the brief time I spent with the man.
I only met him thrice, once in Parliament and twice in his law office off Jalan Pudu after he had been seriously injured in a 2005 car accident that left him with nerve damage and wheelchair-bound.
Despite the challenges, he was robust about his life-long struggle for justice and equality in Malaysia and remarkably entertaining.
The first occasion on which I met him in his office was in June 2010 for a feature story I was doing for The Star in conjunction with Karpal’s 70th birthday.
Troublesome youth
He told me how he met his wife Gurmit Kaur while he was tending goats and that she had originally been from Thailand but was sent to Penang for schooling.
He said that the marriage had met a little bit of opposition but that once the first-born child came along, order was quickly restored!
He also said that he had been a playful student who dragged his course on for seven years when studying law in Singapore. This ended when his dean Tommy Koh took him aside and said: “From now on, you’re going to sit at the front of the class with me!”
Koh’s action forced the young Karpal to stop playing the fool and he passed his studies soon after.
Another drama followed with his decision to trim his locks, which is against the tenets of Sikhism.
“Right up until 1970, I kept my turban. In fact, in 1969 in Penang, I was all ready to cut my hair and I was actually sitting in the barber’s chair waiting my turn when I looked out the window and saw my father cycling by! I bolted!
“The next year, I was in Alor Setar and it was very hot during the harvest season. I was just getting started in my law practice and washing my hair and tying the turban took up a lot of time. I decided something must be done.
“It is not easy, you know, to take such an action. I was alone in my room, going back and forth on my decision. Finally, I tied my hair, took my scissors and cut off the tail. Then I went to a barber and got it done properly!”
The deed done, and next was the issue of facing his parents.
“I put the turban back on but my mother noticed it looked different from the back and started weeping and wailing: ‘You have disgraced us!’ she shouted.”
Fortunately, his father was able to calm the situation down.
A man of firm principles
When I asked him who he looked up to, Karpal surprised me by citing Malaysia’s first prime minister.
“For me, it is still Tunku Abdul Rahman who was above it all. He was the one man who was determined to be a leader for all Malaysians, regardless of race.
“I know people were detained under his rule but he was not really in charge of things like security, that was more the work of others,” he said.
When I was growing up, the government-controlled media portrayed Karpal as an argumentative rabble-rouser and there wasn’t really much of an alternative to that. He never shied away from a fight or backed down from his principles.
He often engaged in heated debates, both in Parliament and court, and the late MIC president S Samy Vellu was a notable foe. Karpal joked that it led to his nickname, the Tiger of Jelutong.
“I told Samy he could be the lion and I could be the tiger because there are no lions in Malaysia!”
I did ask him how he found Samy and I was surprised by his answer because the supporters of both men were very vocal and passionate in their dislike.
“We have no ill will. We each had a job to do. I went beyond certain limits sometimes but I had to do it. It was a different era and part of the game. You either hit or get hit. I used to be stout, and sometimes after a few stouts, things happen!” he told me.
“I know I’ve been portrayed in the media as a fiery and fierce man... sometimes it helps. When I stand up in court, witnesses are shivering before I even open my mouth,” he revealed with great amusement.
Another joke he cracked occurred when I asked him if he was religious.
“I have my beliefs but let me tell you… I’ve been in Parliament, in the party, and in courts, but nowhere has more politics than the Gurdwara!” he said.
What would Karpal think?
He was serious when he talked about losing his mobility, saying that the accident was a terrible blow and that he felt like a prisoner within himself.
Another emotional moment occurred when he talked about being kept apart from his family during his Internal Security Act detention after the government under Dr Mahathir Mohamad carried out Operasi Lalang against its enemies.
The second time I went to his office was when I interviewed him in his capacity as a criminal lawyer for my book on true crimes, “Malaysian Murders & Mysteries”.
He got so carried away during the interview that one hour turned to three and he ended up giving me legal advice on what to leave in the book and what to retain.
Years later when I told his son Ramkarpal this, he said “My father was like that. If he likes you, he will make time.”
The late great Karpal was always firm on the issue of a multiracial and secular Malaysia, and I do wonder what he would make of the position his beloved party and country is in.
I can’t help feeling that he would want to shake things up… and we’d be all the better for it. - Mkini
MARTIN VENGADESAN is associate editor at Malaysiakini.
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