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‘Retirement will be the end of me’

By S Rutra | FMT

KUALA LUMPUR: Karpal Singh will be celebrating his 70th birthday tomorrow, and the DAP veteran is not even thinking about retiring from politics. In fact, the renowned lawyer and Bukit Gelugor MP believes that such a notion will literally herald the end for him.

“The day such a thought arises in my mind, that’s it, I might just collapse and that will be the end of me,” he told FMT.

Karpal, who was born on June 28, will be attending a big birthday bash tomorrow in his home state of Penang.

Although a road accident five years ago has left him confined to a wheelchair, the incident, according to Karpal, failed to dent his spirit and mental fortitude.

The silver-manned “Lion of Jelutong” still roars with the same ferocity, striking fear in the hearts of his opponents, who cannot help but nurse a grudging respect for the “Singh is King”.

Karpal had borrowed the phrase “Singh is King” from a Bollywood blockbuster movie when he received live bullets in the mail following his criticism of the Perak Sultan after Barisan Nasional staged a political coup in the state.

However, DAP’s first non-Chinese chairman refused to be rattled, and warned his enemies not to play with fire.

Karpal, who joined DAP in 1970 and contested in an election four years later, vowed to continue serving the people as long as his health permitted him to do so.

“Even if I am held up in Kuala Lumpur on weekdays due to my work, I prefer to return to my hometown during weekends to visit my constituency and meet the people,” he said.

Meanwhile, Karpal also lamented that politicians these days lacked sincerity and commitment, therefore failing to meet the expectations of the people.

“As for me, I will continue to speak up whenever policies or actions of the ruling government or my Pakatan Rakyat compatriots go against the wishes of the people,” he said.

Four out of his five children are lawyers, while his youngest son Karpal Singh Jr, is completing a degree in Actuarial Science in London.

Two other sons Gobind and Jagdeep followed in their father’s footsteps along the political trail to become the Puchong MP and Datuk Keramat state assemblyman respectively.

‘Dad told us he’ll die in the saddle’

Speaking to FMT, Jagdeep said his father always told them that he will “die in the saddle”.

“It’s in his blood, he is so passionate… he is a workaholic and sometimes we wish he had chosen some other profession. But when we see how he carries himself as a MP and lawyer, we accept it and support him,” he added.

When asked if his father has a temper, Jagdeep said: “The entire office can hear his voice when he loses his cool. He is a perfectionist and will not tolerate silly mistakes.”

Karpal’s comrade in arms and equally deserving of a “Lion” title himself, Lim Kit Siang, said his party chairman’s commitment to justice for all Malaysians cannot be questioned.

“He is a legend in Malaysian politics who is fully devoted towards his career (as a lawyer) and politics for the last 40 years. It’s a remarkable achievement,” he said.

Lim added that his only wish is for his friend to recover from his injuries and walk alsongside with him once again.

26 Replies to “‘Retirement will be the end of me’”

  2. There was Gupta Singh…”The Tiger”…a real Freedom Fighter of yester years…
    Now we are so fortunate to have Karpal Singh..The Lion and what a brave Freedom Fighter he is.
    Millions of Malaysians love this man and are inspired by his everlasting love to free the country.
    May he always be good and well to fight on and see our dream comes true.
    He will be loved forever by so many Malaysians.
    Long live Karpal Singh!

  6. A very Happy Birthday YP Kapal Singh.WE all loves you . Thank you -Thank you .for Bravery and Justices FREEDOM FIGHTER.MAY GOD BLESS YOU and YB LKS.its our DREAM to see u walk again hand in hand with YB LKS towards PUTRA JAYA. GOD BLESS YOU BOTH.

  11. karpal and LKS are 2 very corrupted people. They are so corrupted in fighting for the rakyat that they are sworn nemesis of umno and the hoodlums.

    Karpal, happy 70. Please don’t ‘retire’ until mamak kicks the bucket first.

  12. Happy birthday to the great Karpal Singh,the rakyat will be subject to even more injustice without this man.And also best wishes to LKS his life long comrade who has fought along with him untiredly for decades.May you two march with other PR leaders to Putrajaya soon.

  13. Karpal and LKS stands in the same shoulders with titans in Asia such as Tunku, Tan Cheng Lok, Tun Sambanathan Lee Kuan Yew, Benigno Aquino, Sun Yat Sen, Deng Xiao Peng unlike the people we all known for the last 40 years.

  14. If Karpal is living in Great Britain, he would have been knighted for his unquestionable layalty to the nation. Yes, Karpal you deserve more than a knighthood. But to this man of principles, titles do not mean a thing to him. His only concern to justice to the meek and powerless.
    My sincere prayer to the Good Lord is to grant you many, many more HAPPY RETURNS OF THE DAY!!!
    GOD BLESS YOU ALWAYS!!!

  15. Sometimes, it is unnecessary to blow one’s own trumpet. PR leaders to Putrajaya soon? Too ambitious I guess. The dreams of many PR leaders exceed their likely achievements.

  16. Once again we heard ass talk from a lapdog of UmnoBn,from the so called ‘cintamyfoot’.Are you God to say that ‘PR leaders’ march to Putrajaya remains just a dream’ ?

  17. Your Excellency Karpal, you achieved yourself into the highest respect from people of all walks of life. Your contribution in fighting justice elevated the spirit of belief will engrave in Malaysia history forever.

  21. Cintanegara s trying to divert good vibrations….intentions and good wishes to Kapal with his unrelated comment in this post.
    The fact that the thought of PR leaders heading to Putrajaya is in his mind…..is exactly like Najib trying to make deal with voters to stay in power.
    This means cintanegara is afraid of the future outcome..just like Najib and many UMNO B ministers….right now.
    …..and they should be….as long as multi billions CORRUPTIONS master minds are not bring in for trials…and that will never happen.
    I suggest cintanegara prepare himself..saying…”Old newspaper.Satu tingkat…RM5″….or ‘Tilam tilam…tuka lama…dapat baru”….and let those poor righteous Malaysians be rescued and have a better life under new PR govt.

  22. Monsterball obviously not a very computer literate, posting the same points twice. He simply cut and paste from his Word file and that’s why we can see jumbled paragraphs and the sentences are not in the right order. He probably hand wrote his essays in those days before the computer was invented.

  23. Same post with one sentence added or deleted to give blog owner a choice to delete one….you nickumpoo.
    I admit I am not computer literate but all my messages are fresh and new…right out from my thoughts.
    Not like you…keep same and paste.
    Go and find one of my thousands of messages exactly the same..and show me.
    So you are using me to divert attention?
    Mine is an essay wrote before you made your comment?

  25. ///In fact, the renowned lawyer and Bukit Gelugor MP believes that such a notion will literally herald the end for him. “The day such a thought arises in my mind, that’s it, I might just collapse and that will be the end of me”///

    Which is so true especially for those who have been sound in mind and remarkable in their life’s achievements.

    They know that it is enthusiasms and challenges that keep the mind and spirit keen on the edge as bulwark against decrepidations of the aging process that attack the physical side. Which is also why no really grows old merely by passing of years but by deserting their ideals especially those the very same that one held in one’s youth.
    What age and experience does is add input and broaden knowledge which could be used to handle and (still) advance these youthful ideals and ambitions.

    Which in turn may be good or bad depending on what these youthful ideals and ambitions are in the first place!

    If they are and have always been, besides being your own man, to fight for justice and the underdog, then the keeping up to these youthful enthusiasms – to remain in the field and engaged in the play – will still garner ones the affection and accolade of others, inspired by their indomitable spirit undimmed by age…. This, the case of Karpal and Kit Siang.

    However what if one’s youthful enthusiasms, undimmed and in fact horned by age and advanced with as great a passion in the evening and autumn of one’s life happens to be Machiavellian – to sneer and outwit as many as possible (for ego), to selfishly fight for one’s personal and immediate family’s interest only and to accumulate (whilst in office) and retain (when out) power and in that process continue exploiting others weaknesses and sow discord by divide and rule methods and appeal to others’ primordial sentiments on race or religion?

    When one grows old, one is uninfluenced in one’s course, unlike youth by peer pressure or opinions. The reason is because most peers would have passed on – and at one’s ripe age, who cares what others say and think?

    With this kind of attitude there is a good or bad effect (depending as I said on the nature of one’s earlier enthusiasms and ideals) in that whilst the first category of politicians like Karpal and Kit will earn goodwill and gratitude of the many around especially the underdogs, the second – and here the politicians may even be ripe octogenarians – will garner no good will, indeed only amity and hostility and disrespect of many around.

    Then again such people – whose one possible reason for living that long is the disinclination of the Maker to meet them earlier -do not really care whether when they pass on, whether those whose lives they affected badly would bring flowers to their graves in fond remembrance and respect or pee on them!

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