Karpal Singh, The Tiger of Jelutong (Tim Donoghue, 2013)
The story of Karpal Singh is the story of any typical Malaysian born and bred in this land called home. Even though the ruling coalition would like to deny the contributions of all of its citizen and try to rewrite the history of the country as they please, this is reality, the reality of a country which raised from the ashes toiling through good times and bad ones. Any country in this world cannot live alone and cannot progress without the help of the little people. After some time, these people will not stay as little people. They too would aspire to come up in life and be somebody. With education, the offspring of the little people would not be taking things lying down but instead demand their rights. After all, they contributed to the only country that they call home. It is ludicrous to forever keep them as second class citizen and be swept under the carpet, seen but not heard.
Karpal's early recollection of childhood must be accompanied by the whirring sounds of American warplanes. The attack orchestrated by a man on wheelchair (FDR) in the mid 40s on Penang at the twilight months of WW2 had tremendous impact on a man who would eventually be on a wheelchair himself! The seemingly unstoppable tiger who had endured pain, torture, incarceration would not stop roaring even though wheel chair bound - down but not out!
The book narrates the childhood of a lawyer from humble beginnings and how this fiery looking for a good argument man builds up his law practice and political career. Many newspaper headline grabbing cases that had eluded most Malaysian people's memory is discussed in detail here.
Many death row inmates owe their lives to Karpal for escaping the gallows through his hard work. Many politicians rather not confront him anywhere especially in political arena. As the fighter swims through his eight decade of life, there is work aplenty to be done for the people which he has paved his offsprings to continue...
The story of Karpal Singh is the story of any typical Malaysian born and bred in this land called home. Even though the ruling coalition would like to deny the contributions of all of its citizen and try to rewrite the history of the country as they please, this is reality, the reality of a country which raised from the ashes toiling through good times and bad ones. Any country in this world cannot live alone and cannot progress without the help of the little people. After some time, these people will not stay as little people. They too would aspire to come up in life and be somebody. With education, the offspring of the little people would not be taking things lying down but instead demand their rights. After all, they contributed to the only country that they call home. It is ludicrous to forever keep them as second class citizen and be swept under the carpet, seen but not heard.
Karpal's early recollection of childhood must be accompanied by the whirring sounds of American warplanes. The attack orchestrated by a man on wheelchair (FDR) in the mid 40s on Penang at the twilight months of WW2 had tremendous impact on a man who would eventually be on a wheelchair himself! The seemingly unstoppable tiger who had endured pain, torture, incarceration would not stop roaring even though wheel chair bound - down but not out!
The book narrates the childhood of a lawyer from humble beginnings and how this fiery looking for a good argument man builds up his law practice and political career. Many newspaper headline grabbing cases that had eluded most Malaysian people's memory is discussed in detail here.
Many death row inmates owe their lives to Karpal for escaping the gallows through his hard work. Many politicians rather not confront him anywhere especially in political arena. As the fighter swims through his eight decade of life, there is work aplenty to be done for the people which he has paved his offsprings to continue...
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