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Karpal Singh s/o Ram Singh Deo (; 28 June 1940 – 17 April 2014) was an
Indian Malaysian Indo-Malaysians are Malaysian of South Asian ancestry. Most are descendants of those who migrated from India to British Malaya from the mid-19th to the mid-20th centuries. Most Malaysian Indians are ethnic Tamils; smaller groups include the M ...
politician and lawyer. He was Member of Parliament (MP) for the constituency of Bukit Gelugor in the state of
Penang Penang is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia along the Strait of Malacca. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay Peninsula. Th ...
from
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
to 2014. During that time, he was also the National Chairman of the
Democratic Action Party The Democratic Action Party (DAP; ) is a social democracy, social democratic and Secularism, secular political party in Malaysia, sitting on the Centre-left politics, centre-left of the political spectrum. As one of four component parties of ...
(DAP). Born in Penang to
Sikh Sikhs (singular Sikh: or ; , ) are an ethnoreligious group who adhere to Sikhism, a religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term ''Si ...
Punjabi Indian immigrant parents, Karpal studied law at the
National University of Singapore The National University of Singapore (NUS) is a national university, national Public university, public research university in Singapore. It was officially established in 1980 by the merging of the University of Singapore and Nanyang University ...
. He was one of Malaysia's most prominent lawyers and took a number of high-profile cases, including drug-trafficking charges against foreign nationals. Karpal was an opponent of the death penalty, especially for drug trafficking. In the courtroom and Parliament, he was a controversial figure. Karpal was suspended from Parliament several times, charged with
sedition Sedition is overt conduct, such as speech or organization, that tends toward rebellion against the established order. Sedition often includes subversion of a constitution and incitement of discontent toward, or insurrection against, establ ...
and detained under Malaysia's internal-security law. His reputation as a lawyer and opposition politician gave him the nickname "the Tiger of Jelutong". Karpal's political career began in 1970 (when he joined the DAP), and he won a seat in the
Kedah State Legislative Assembly The Kedah State Legislative Assembly () is the state legislature of the Malaysian state of Kedah. It is a unicameral institution, consisting of a total of 36 lawmakers representing single-member constituencies throughout the state. Members of t ...
in
1974 Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; ...
. He was elected to
parliament In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
in
1978 Events January * January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213. * January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd ...
as representative for Jelutong, Penang, and held the seat for more than 20 years until he lost it in
1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...
. Karpal returned to Parliament in the next general election, and led the DAP to its strongest-ever performance in the 2008 general election. A 2005 motor-vehicle accident put Karpal in a wheelchair, with neuro-motor problems in his right arm, but he continued his legal and political careers. He died on 17 April 2014 after another motor-vehicle accident.


Early life and education

Born in Georgetown,
Penang Penang is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia along the Strait of Malacca. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay Peninsula. Th ...
, Karpal was the son of a watchman and herdsman, Ram Singh Deo. His mother was Kartar Kaur. Karpal studied at
St. Xavier's Institution St. Xavier's Institution, at Farquhar Street in George Town, Penang, Malaysia, is the oldest Lasallian school in Southeast Asia and one of the Catholic Lasallian schools in Malaysia. While it has a history dating back to 1787, the present-day ...
and received his
Bachelor of Laws A Bachelor of Laws (; LLB) is an undergraduate law degree offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree and serves as the first professional qualification for legal practitioners. This degree requires the study of core legal subje ...
degree from the
National University of Singapore The National University of Singapore (NUS) is a national university, national Public university, public research university in Singapore. It was officially established in 1980 by the merging of the University of Singapore and Nanyang University ...
, where he was the president of the student union. He was barred from his hostel for protesting against the university's decision to mandate certificates of political suitability for incoming students. Karpal said he took seven years to graduate, admitting that he was "playful" and "didn't attend lectures". After failing his final-year courses, the dean made him sit at the front of his classes; according to Karpal, "I couldn't play the fool anymore and I passed my exams accordingly!"


Legal career

He was called to the Penang bar in 1969 and joined a firm in
Alor Star Alor Setar (Kedah Malay: ) is the state capital of Kedah, Malaysia. It is the second-largest city in the state after Sungai Petani and one of the most-important cities on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. It is home to the third-tallest t ...
,
Kedah Kedah (), also known by its honorific Darul Aman (Islam), Aman (دار الأمان; Arabic for 'The Safe Abode') and historically as Queda, is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia, located in the northwestern part of ...
. Karpal founded his legal firm the following year, and was known for his expertise in the field of
litigation A lawsuit is a proceeding by one or more parties (the plaintiff or claimant) against one or more parties (the defendant) in a civil court of law. The archaic term "suit in law" is found in only a small number of laws still in effect today. ...
. He was a pioneer in
drug trafficking A drug is any chemical substance other than a nutrient or an essential dietary ingredient, which, when administered to a living organism, produces a biological effect. Consumption of drugs can be via inhalation, injection, smoking, ingestion, ...
and
habeas corpus ''Habeas corpus'' (; from Medieval Latin, ) is a legal procedure invoking the jurisdiction of a court to review the unlawful detention or imprisonment of an individual, and request the individual's custodian (usually a prison official) to ...
cases, and opposed the
death penalty Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty and formerly called judicial homicide, is the state-sanctioned killing of a person as punishment for actual or supposed misconduct. The sentence ordering that an offender be punished in s ...
. Karpal was praised for "defending the little man", and was called "a friend to the oppressed and marginalised."
Universiti Teknologi MARA The MARA Technological University ( Malay: ''Universiti Teknologi MARA''; Jawi: اونيۏرسيتي تيكنولوڬي مارا; abbr. UiTM) is a public university in Malaysia, based primarily in Shah Alam, Selangor. It was established to ...
law professor Shad Saleem Faruqi praised Karpal's legal team for their innovative interpretations, which helped defendants with difficult cases.


Death penalty

Karpal was described as a leading opponent of the death penalty in Malaysia, and successfully defended at least ten foreigners on serious drug charges (which have a mandatory death sentence). However, in July 2010 he called for convicted child rapists to receive the death sentence. Among Karpal's highest-profile cases were his defence of Australian drug trafficker Kevin Barlow, who was
executed Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty and formerly called judicial homicide, is the state-sanctioned killing of a person as punishment for actual or supposed misconduct. The sentence (law), sentence ordering that an offender b ...
in Malaysia in 1986. Barlow and fellow Australian Brian Chambers were convicted of trafficking heroin by the High Court in Penang in July 1985, and Karpal continued fighting to clear Barlow's name after his execution. Karpal also defended New Zealanders Lorraine Cohen and her son, Aaron, against heroin-trafficking charges in 1987. They were convicted, with Lorraine sentenced to death and Aaron to life in prison. Lorraine's death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment in 1989, and both were pardoned and freed in 1996. In 1977, Karpal managed to persuade the
Yang di-Pertuan Agong The King of Malaysia, officially ''Yang di-Pertuan Agong'' ( Jawi alphabet, Jawi: ), is the constitutional monarch and Figurehead, ceremonial head of state of Malaysia. The office was established in 1957, when the Federation of Malaya gained ...
to pardon a 14-year-old Chinese boy who was sentenced to death for possession of a firearm under the Internal Security Act, reportedly suggesting that to let the boy hang would be "politically explosive." In 2006, Karpal represented two sisters who were charged with allegedly masterminding the murder of their Australian stepfather
Hans Herzog Hans Herzog (28 October 18192 February 1894) was a Swiss army officer, and was elected Switzerland's General during the Franco-Prussian War. Born in Aarau, he became an artillery lieutenant in 1840, and then spent six years in travelling ( ...
, who was killed by two male teenagers in a parang attack at his Kuala Lumpur home in 2003. The sisters were alleged to have hired the two boys to attack Herzog due to their resentment over the supposed abusive treatment they received from Herzog. The sisters were later acquitted without their defence being called, and Karpal would later represent one of the two hired hitmen in his appeal in 2009, which ended with the boy, who was 17 at the time of the crime, to be convicted for murder and detained indefinitely at the Selangor Sultan's pleasure. The boy's older friend Low Kian Boon (aged 18 at the time of the murder) was sentenced to death, before the sentence was reduced to 35 years' imprisonment and 12 strokes of the cane in 2024. Karpal also took on cases outside of Malaysia's jurisdiction during his legal career. In January 1995, Karpal travelled to
Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...
and represented Malaysian gunman Ng Theng Shuang in his appeal against the
death sentence Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty and formerly called judicial homicide, is the state-sanctioned killing of a person as punishment for actual or supposed misconduct. The sentence ordering that an offender be punished in s ...
issued to Ng under the Arms Offences Act for discharging his firearm during a goldsmith robbery heist at Singapore's South Bridge Road. Ng's appeal was dismissed despite Karpal's arguments in the appeal, and he was hanged on 14 July 1995 in
Changi Prison Changi Prison Complex, often known simply as Changi Prison, is a prison complex in the namesake district of Changi in the eastern part of Singapore. It is the oldest and largest prison in the country, covering an area of about . Opened in 193 ...
.


Anwar Ibrahim

Karpal represented former Deputy Prime Minister
Anwar Ibrahim Anwar bin Ibrahim (; born 10 August 1947), also known by his abbreviation as DSAI and PMX, is a Malaysian politician who is the 10th prime minister of Malaysia since 2022. A member of the People's Justice Party (Malaysia), People's Justice P ...
during Anwar's 1998 sodomy trial. In September 1999, he produced a pathological report confirming high levels of
arsenic Arsenic is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol As and atomic number 33. It is a metalloid and one of the pnictogens, and therefore shares many properties with its group 15 neighbors phosphorus and antimony. Arsenic is not ...
in Anwar's body and accused authorities of poisoning him: "It could well be that someone out there wants to get rid of him ... even to the extent of murder ... I suspect people in high places are responsible for this situation." The accusation led to Karpal's detention under the Sedition Act in January 2000. He was the lead defence counsel in Anwar's second sodomy trial, after new allegations in 2008. After a two-year trial, Anwar was acquitted on 10 January 2012; however, the acquittal was overturned two years later.


Political career


Entry into politics

Karpal joined the
Democratic Action Party The Democratic Action Party (DAP; ) is a social democracy, social democratic and Secularism, secular political party in Malaysia, sitting on the Centre-left politics, centre-left of the political spectrum. As one of four component parties of ...
(DAP) in 1970, citing its multiracial platform after the 1969 race riots. Although he planned to contest the 1974 general election in
Penang Penang is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia along the Strait of Malacca. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay Peninsula. Th ...
, he withdrew after his father's death. However, Karpal was persuaded by DAP national organising secretary Fan Yew Teng to stand for the
Alor Setar Alor Setar ( Kedah Malay: ) is the state capital of Kedah, Malaysia. It is the second-largest city in the state after Sungai Petani and one of the most-important cities on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. It is home to the third-tallest ...
parliamentary seat and the Alor Setar Bandar state seat. He won only the state seat, the first DAP candidate to win a seat in
Kedah Kedah (), also known by its honorific Darul Aman (Islam), Aman (دار الأمان; Arabic for 'The Safe Abode') and historically as Queda, is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia, located in the northwestern part of ...
. In the 1978 general elections, Karpal won the
Jelutong Jelutong is a suburb of George Town, Penang, George Town in the States and federal territories of Malaysia, Malaysian state of Penang. Located south of the Central George Town, Penang, city centre, Jelutong has been inhabited since as early as th ...
parliamentary seat and the Bukit Gelugor state seat. He held the Bukit Gelugor state seat until 1990, losing subsequent elections for the Sungai Pinang and Padang Kota seats. In 1989, Karpal accused Deputy Speaker D. P. Vijandran of appearing in pornographic videos. Although the allegations were dismissed due to lack of evidence, Vijandran resigned the following year. In 1992, Karpal produced the alleged videotape in parliament and gave it to Deputy Speaker
Ong Tee Keat Ong Tee Keat (; born 22 November 1956) is a Malaysian people, Malaysian politician who served as the Minister of Transport (Malaysia), Minister of Transport in the Barisan Nasional (BN) administration under former Prime Ministers Abdullah Ahma ...
. Vijandran was convicted in May 1994 of fabricating evidence in an affidavit seeking a court order to stop his nephew from allegedly distributing pornographic videotapes in which he appeared, but the conviction was overturned in 1998. In 2000, Karpal was ordered to pay Vijandran RM500,000 (reduced to RM100,000 on appeal) in damages for defamation after he accused Vijandran of
cheque fraud Cheque fraud or check fraud (American English) refers to a category of criminal acts that involve making the unlawful use of cheques in order to illegally acquire or borrow funds that do not exist within the account balance or account-holder's l ...
.


Setback

In the 1999 election, Karpal lost the Jelutong parliamentary seat he had held for 21 years, and DAP leader
Lim Kit Siang Lim Kit Siang (; born 20 February 1941) is a retired Malaysian politician. Having held the position for a total of 29 years on three separate occasions, he is the longest-serving leader of the opposition, as well the second longest-serving m ...
was also defeated. The DAP had joined Barisan Alternatif, an opposition alliance with Parti Keadilan and the
Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party The Malaysian Islamic Party, also known as the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party ( Malay: ''Parti Islam Se-Malaysia''; abbrev: PAS), is an Islamist political party in Malaysia. Ideologically focused on Islamic fundamentalism and Malay dominanc ...
(PAS) (a move strongly supported by Karpal and Lim). Despite the ruling
Barisan Nasional Barisan Nasional (BN; ) is a political coalition of Malaysia that was founded in 1974 as a coalition of centre-right and right-wing political parties to succeed the Alliance Party. It is the third largest political coalition with 30 seats in ...
(BN) coalition's significant losses in the election, Keadilan and PAS absorbed the gains as DAP support eroded due to suspicion of PAS and its hard-line Islamic stance. Although the DAP gained seats, the party performed well below expectations and Lim called the results a "catastrophic defeat". Despite the setback, Karpal remained as party deputy chairman and Lim became chairman after the resignation of long-serving chairman Chen Man Hin. Karpal strongly opposed a PAS plan to introduce
hudud ''Hudud'' is an Arabic word meaning "borders, boundaries, limits". The word is applied in classical Islamic literature to punishments (ranging from public lashing, public stoning to death, amputation of hands, crucifixion, depending on the c ...
(Islamic codes of behavior) into the
Terengganu Terengganu (; Terengganu Malay: ''Tranung'', formerly spelled Trengganu or Tringganu) is a sultanate and States and federal territories of Malaysia, federal state of Malaysia. The state is also known by its Arabic honorific, ''Dāru l-Iman (c ...
state legal system in 1999, threatening to take the state government to court.


Return to Parliament

In the 2004 general election, Karpal returned to parliament with a 1,261-vote majority in the new Bukit Gelugor seat. The DAP regained its position as the largest opposition party in Parliament, and Karpal became the party's national chairman on 4 September 2004. On 7 September, he was sanctioned for "misleading Parliament" after claiming that MPs had to raise their right hand while they took the oath of office on 17 May. A report by the Parliamentary Rights and Privileges Committee gave Karpal three days to apologise or face a six-month suspension. He refused to apologise and served the suspension.


Victories and controversy

Karpal retained his seat in the 2008 election with a nearly-20-fold-vote increased majority (21,015 votes). The election saw historic gains for the opposition, who denied the ruling coalition
Barisan Nasional Barisan Nasional (BN; ) is a political coalition of Malaysia that was founded in 1974 as a coalition of centre-right and right-wing political parties to succeed the Alliance Party. It is the third largest political coalition with 30 seats in ...
(BN) a two-thirds majority in Parliament for the first time. The three major opposition parties formed a coalition (the
Pakatan Rakyat Pakatan Rakyat (PR; ) was an informal Malaysian political coalition and successor to Barisan Alternatif (BA). The political coalition was formed by the People's Justice Party (PKR), Democratic Action Party (DAP), and Pan-Malaysian Islamic Par ...
), and Karpal was listed as the DAP representative on the coalition's Shadow Ministry of Home Affairs Committee in July 2009. In April 2010, he was suspended from parliament for ten days after he called the speaker a "dictator". In December of that year, he and opposition members of parliament
Anwar Ibrahim Anwar bin Ibrahim (; born 10 August 1947), also known by his abbreviation as DSAI and PMX, is a Malaysian politician who is the 10th prime minister of Malaysia since 2022. A member of the People's Justice Party (Malaysia), People's Justice P ...
, Azmin Ali and Sivarasa Rasiah were suspended for six months. Anwar was suspended for stirring up
controversy Controversy (, ) is a state of prolonged public dispute or debate, usually concerning a matter of conflicting opinion or point of view. The word was coined from the Latin '' controversia'', as a composite of ''controversus'' – "turned in an op ...
over government links to
APCO Worldwide APCO Worldwide is an independent global public affairs and strategic communications consultancy. With more than 1200 employees in 35 worldwide locations, it is also the fifth largest independently owned PR firm in the United States. Headquar ...
, while the rest were punished for publicising a report by the Rights and Privileges Committee finding Anwar guilty before the report was presented to Parliament. In December 2011, Karpal and Penang second deputy chief minister P. Ramasamy feuded over Ramasamy's reported accusation that dissidents in the DAP were plotting against him for not giving them projects and favours. Karpal called Ramasamy a "warlord" and asked for him to resign as deputy chief minister. Ramasamy asked the party to remove its "godfathers", an apparent reference to Karpal. The feud was resolved internally, and Ramasamy later denied ever making the accusation. At the DAP national conference in January 2012, Karpal joined Ramasamy and asked the party's "warlords and godfathers ostand together against Barisan Nasional."


Political views

Karpal Singh cited David Saul Marshall,
Mahatma Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (2October 186930January 1948) was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalism, anti-colonial nationalist, and political ethics, political ethicist who employed nonviolent resistance to lead the successful Indian ...
and
John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), also known as JFK, was the 35th president of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. He was the first Roman Catholic and youngest person elected p ...
as influences. The
13 May Incident The 13 May incident was a period of violent racial conflict that erupted in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on 13 May 1969, following that year's general election. The clashes primarily involved the Malay and Chinese communities and were triggered b ...
convinced him that Malaysia needed to take a multiracial course, and he joined the DAP in 1970. Karpal praised the country's first prime minister,
Tunku Abdul Rahman Tunku Abdul Rahman (8 February 19036 December 1990), commonly referred to as Tunku, was a Malaysian statesman who served as prime minister of Malaysia from 1957 to 1970. He previously served as the only chief minister of Federation of Malaya ...
for promoting racial unity. He criticised the legal immunity granted to the hereditary Malay rulers in the original
constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organization or other type of entity, and commonly determines how that entity is to be governed. When these pri ...
, which was removed by the
Mahathir Mohamad Mahathir bin Mohamad (; ; born 10 July 1925) is a Malaysian politician, author and doctor who was respectively the fourth and seventh Prime Minister of Malaysia, prime minister of Malaysia from 1981 to 2003 and from 2018 to 2020. He was the ...
government in 1993. Karpal Singh opposed the idea of Malaysia as an
Islamic state The Islamic State (IS), also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and Daesh, is a transnational Salafi jihadism, Salafi jihadist organization and unrecognized quasi-state. IS ...
, arguing that the constitution provided for a secular nation with Islam as the official religion, and clashed with Mahathir and fellow opposition party PAS over the issue. Karpal said "an Islamic state over my dead body" about the debate during a political speech, but later said that he had apologised for the remark.


Controversies and issues

Karpal was a controversial figure, and he and fellow DAP politician Lim Kit Siang have been referred to as racial provocateurs. He was nicknamed "the Tiger of Jelutong" by admirers after serving five terms as Jelutong MP. Karpal attributed the nickname to a confrontation with former
Malaysian Indian Congress The Malaysian Indian Congress ( abbrev: MIC; ),formerly known as Malayan Indian Congress, is a Malaysian political party. It is one of the founding members of the coalition Barisan Nasional, previously known as the Alliance, which was in pow ...
President Samy Vellu when he said to Samy, "he could be the lion, and I could be the tiger, because there are no lions in Malaysia!"


Slurs

He clashed with government parliamentarians and assemblymen during debates. On two occasions in the Penang State Assembly, the speaker called police to have Karpal removed from the chamber. Karpal ordered the police officers out both times, saying that they had no right to be there before walking out on his own. He criticised the
Yang di-Pertuan Agong The King of Malaysia, officially ''Yang di-Pertuan Agong'' ( Jawi alphabet, Jawi: ), is the constitutional monarch and Figurehead, ceremonial head of state of Malaysia. The office was established in 1957, when the Federation of Malaya gained ...
in the
Dewan Rakyat The Dewan Rakyat (; Jawi script, Jawi: ), is the lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral Parliament of Malaysia, Parliament which is the federal legislature of Malaysia. The chamber and its powers are established by Article 44 of the Constitu ...
for allegedly assaulting two men who were brought to the palace by police, which sparked demands for an apology from members of Parliament; Karpal refused. Karpal filed a lawsuit against the king, Iskandar of Johor, in 1986 on behalf of one of the men. He lost, and the sultan reportedly named one of his dogs after him. Karpal served two six-month suspensions from Parliament: in September 2004 for "misleading" Parliament, and in December 2010 for contempt. During a May 2008 session, he called fellow parliamentarian Bung Moktar Radin the "
Bigfoot Bigfoot (), also commonly referred to as Sasquatch (), is a large, hairy Mythic humanoids, mythical creature said to inhabit forests in North America, particularly in the Pacific Northwest.Example definitions include: *"A large, hairy, manlike ...
from Kinabatangan". Moments later, Karpal was mocked by Ibrahim Ali and Bung Moktar Radin for his inability to stand while speaking as a result of his disability (provoking a furore among opposition members). The following month, he received a death threat in the form of a bullet delivered to his law firm. In October, Karpal was suspended from Parliament for two days for calling speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia "not serious" and "playful".


Detentions

He and a number of other opposition politicians were detained without trial under the Internal Security Act during Operation Lalang in October 1987 for inciting "racial tension" in Malaysia. Karpal was released for several hours in March 1988 in response to a
habeas corpus ''Habeas corpus'' (; from Medieval Latin, ) is a legal procedure invoking the jurisdiction of a court to review the unlawful detention or imprisonment of an individual, and request the individual's custodian (usually a prison official) to ...
application before being rearrested and imprisoned until January 1989.
Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says that it has more than ten million members a ...
called him a
prisoner of conscience A prisoner of conscience (POC) is anyone imprisoned because of their race, sexual orientation, religion, or political views. The term also refers to those who have been imprisoned or persecuted for the nonviolent expression of their conscienti ...
.


Sedition trials

Karpal, four other opposition politicians and the editor of the ''Harakah Daily'' (the newspaper published by the opposition
Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party The Malaysian Islamic Party, also known as the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party ( Malay: ''Parti Islam Se-Malaysia''; abbrev: PAS), is an Islamist political party in Malaysia. Ideologically focused on Islamic fundamentalism and Malay dominanc ...
) were arrested in January 2000 under the Sedition Act, and he was charged with making seditious remarks in court during Anwar's first corruption trial. This, the only known charge of sedition in any
Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the 15th century. Originally a phrase (the common-wealth ...
country brought against a lawyer for remarks made in court in defence of a client, was dropped in 2002. He was again charged under the Sedition Act in March 2009 with threatening to sue the
Sultan of Perak The Sultan of Perak (, Jawi script, Jawi: ) is the Constitutional monarchy, constitutional monarch and head of state of the Malaysia, Malaysian state of Perak. It is one of the oldest hereditary seats among the Malay states. The current Sultan o ...
, Sultan Azlan Shah, in the wake of the
2009 Perak constitutional crisis The 2009 Perak constitutional crisis was a political dispute in Malaysia over the legitimacy of the Perak state government formed in February 2009. It began when three Pakatan Rakyat state legislators defected, causing a collapse of the state gov ...
. Karpal had contended that the sultan had exceeded his constitutional powers in appointing Zambry Abdul Kadir
Menteri Besar head of government, Heads of government in Malaysia's many states of Malaysia, states take on various titles. Seven out of nine in the Peninsular Malaysia, Peninsular who each have Monarchies of Malaysia, historical monarchs are known as the Men ...
. The charges were dismissed in June 2010 after the High Court determined that the prosecution had failed to prove a ''
prima facie ''Prima facie'' (; ) is a Latin expression meaning "at first sight", or "based on first impression". The literal translation would be "at first face" or "at first appearance", from the feminine forms of ' ("first") and ' ("face"), both in the a ...
'' case. However, the
Court of Appeal An appellate court, commonly called a court of appeal(s), appeal court, court of second instance or second instance court, is any court of law that is empowered to Hearing (law), hear a Legal case, case upon appeal from a trial court or other ...
reversed the acquittal in January 2012 and ordered Karpal to enter a defence. In March 2019, 10 years after the incident the Federal Court acquitted Karpal posthumously.


Personal life


Family

Karpal married Gurmit Kaur, eight years his junior, in July 1970. Gurmit's family, from
Narathiwat Narathiwat (, ) is a town ( thesaban mueang) in southern Thailand and capital of Narathiwat Province. The town is in the Mueang Narathiwat District and was established in 1936. As of 2008, the population was 40,521. It lies 1,141 km south ...
,
Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
, moved to Penang when she was seven. They had five children and eleven grandchildren. Karpal's eldest son,
Jagdeep Syed Ishtiaq Ahmed Jaffrey (19 March 1939 – 8 July 2020), better known by his stage name Jagdeep, was an Indian actor and comedian who appeared in more than 400 films. He played Soorma Bhopali in ''Sholay'' (1975), Machchar in '' Purana Mandi ...
, is the Penang State Assemblyman for Datok Keramat; his second son, Gobind, was the Minister of Communications and Multimedia and is the Member of Parliament for
Puchong Puchong is a major town and a parliamentary constituency in the Petaling District, in the state of Selangor, Malaysia. Bordering Kuala Lumpur, it is part of the Greater Kuala Lumpur area. It is bordered by Petaling Jaya in the north, Subang J ...
,
Selangor Selangor ( ; ), also known by the Arabic language, Arabic honorific Darul Ehsan, or "Abode of Sincerity", is one of the 13 states of Malaysia. It is on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and is bordered by Perak to the north, Pahang to the e ...
. His third son, Ramkarpal succeeded him as the MP for Bukit Gelugor after his death. His daughter, Sangeet Kaur works in his law firm and his youngest son, Man Karpal studied
actuarial science Actuarial science is the discipline that applies mathematics, mathematical and statistics, statistical methods to Risk assessment, assess risk in insurance, pension, finance, investment and other industries and professions. Actuary, Actuaries a ...
. Gurmit described Karpal's detention from 1987 to 1989 as a "very big experience", which took a toll on her life because she had to "be strong" for their young children. The initial stage of his disability also deeply upset her. Karpal and Gurmit lived in
Damansara Heights Damansara Heights () is an upscale suburb in western side of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, located five kilometres away from the city centre. The suburb falls under the Segambut district and its parliamentary constituency. It is a sought-after resident ...
,
Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur (KL), officially the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, is the capital city and a Federal Territories of Malaysia, federal territory of Malaysia. It is the largest city in the country, covering an area of with a census population ...
, from 1994 until his death.


Accident and disability

On 28 January 2005, Karpal was involved in an accident which left him in a wheelchair. A car struck a taxi in which he was seated from behind, severely bruising his
thoracic vertebrae In vertebrates, thoracic vertebrae compose the middle segment of the vertebral column, between the cervical vertebrae and the lumbar vertebrae. In humans, there are twelve thoracic vertebra (anatomy), vertebrae of intermediate size between the ce ...
. The accident left Karpal with sensory impairment and reduced motor strength, and he was unable to walk or raise his right arm more than a few centimeters. His seat in the parliamentary chamber was moved to the back row to accommodate his wheelchair.


Death and funeral

In the early hours of 17 April 2014, Karpal died in a car crash on the North–South Expressway E1 near Gua Tempurung, Perak. His personal assistant, Michael Cornelius, was also killed in the accident. Ramkarpal (Karpal's son and one of the minivan's five occupants) and an Indonesian maid believed to have been employed by Karpal were injured. The driver of the minivan was injured as well. Karpal's
Toyota Alphard The is a minivan produced by the Japanese automaker Toyota since 2002. It is available as a seven or eight-seater with petrol and hybrid engine options. Hybrid variants have been available since 2003, which incorporates Toyota's Hybrid Syne ...
collided with the right side of a slow-moving, five-tonne
Mitsubishi Canter The is a line of light-duty commercial vehicles manufactured by Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation, part of Daimler Truck, subsidiary of Mercedes-Benz Group. The Canter is manufactured since 1963, now in its eighth generation. The Canter ...
lorry carrying cement, steel, and tiles. Although the lorry driver (identified as Abu Mansor Mohd) tested positive for cannabis, it was uncertain if he was under influence at the time of the accident. According to Bukit Aman traffic-police chief SAC Mohd Fuad Abdul Latiff, road conditions and the weather were good at the time of the accident. Karpal's funeral was held on 20 April 2014 with full state honors in Penang, attended by his family, Prime Minister
Najib Razak Mohammad Najib bin Abdul Razak (, ; born 23 July 1953) is a Malaysian politician who served as the sixth Prime Minister of Malaysia from 2009 to 2018. In 2020, he was convicted of corruption in the 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal, on ...
and other mourners. His body reached the Batu Gantong Crematorium, George Town, Penang at 1:35 pm and was cremated after thousands of mourners chanted his name. His son, Gobind, memorialised him on 5 May during the last of a series of tributes.


Memorials, awards and accolades

On 19 April 2014, two days after his death, the IJM Promenade in Lebuh Sungai Pinang was renamed Karpal Singh Drive (Persiaran Karpal Singh). ''The Full Biography: Karpal Singh, Tiger of Jelutong'' by Tim Donoghue, published in 2014 by Marshal Cavendish International, is an updated edition of Donoghue's ''Karpal Singh: Tiger of Jelutong'' which published prior to his death. Karpal received the Glory of India Award of Excellence in 2011, and was one of the top 10 NRI Newsmakers of 2008.


Election results


Honours


Honours of Malaysia

* : ** Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Defender of State (DUPN) – Dato' Seri Utama (2020; posthumously)


See also

* List of Malaysian politicians of Indian descent


References


External links

*
Karpal Singh
– Official Democratic Action Party profile , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Singh, Karpal 1940 births 2014 deaths Malaysian people of Punjabi descent Malaysian Sikhs 20th-century Malaysian lawyers Malaysian politicians of Indian descent Democratic Action Party (Malaysia) politicians Members of the Kedah State Legislative Assembly Members of the Penang State Legislative Assembly Malaysian politicians with disabilities Malaysian prisoners and detainees Amnesty International prisoners of conscience held by Malaysia Anti–death penalty activists National University of Singapore alumni Road incident deaths in Malaysia Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Defender of State of Penang Malaysian wheelchair users Lawyers with disabilities Malaysian MPs 1978–1982 Malaysian MPs 1982–1986 Malaysian MPs 1986–1990 Malaysian MPs 1990–1995 Malaysian MPs 1995–1999 Malaysian MPs 2004–2008 Malaysian MPs 2008–2013 Malaysian MPs 2013–2018