One voice that rattled the establishment

Apr 24, 2014

IIf there was one voice that dared rattle the ruling government of Barisan Nasional, it was that of DAP’s Karpal Singh. His no-nonsense reaction to the BN leadership’s machiavellian ways of staying in power scared the wits out of the ruling government. And it also made BN dislike Karpal, because he had the guts to pull the rug from beneath the federal government’s feet.

For over four decades as a politician, Karpal did just that — raising the red flag and cautioning the BN government of the latter’s nefarious ways of administering the country. The nation’s leaders, instead of taking cognisance of Karpal’s wise counsel, did the contrary — they punished him for speaking the truth.

The October 1987 Operasi Lalang saw Karpal along with many other opposition politicians detained, purportedly for inciting “racial tension.” He remained in prison until January 1989 and was declared a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International.

Karpal was detained under the now defunct Internal Security Act. If BN leaders thought the political hardships thrown at Karpal would scare him, they were in for a rude surprise. Karpal refused to cower under pressure. His fight for a Malaysia that was fair and just was endless with the indefatigable Karpal determined to battle corrupt powers until the end.

The former DAP national chairperson was tireless in his quest to ‘educate’ the country’s leaders on the Constitution, opposing any move to recognise Malaysia as an Islamic state, arguing that the Constitution provides for a secular nation.

Best known as the ‘Tiger of Jelutong’, Karpal remained true to his cause, until his very end. The seasoned politician passed away on Thursday, fatally injured in a pre-dawn car crash which also took the life of his personal aide. -- Jeswan Kaur, FMT