Karpal Singh

Dato' Seri Utama Karpal Singh s/o Ram Singh Deo (ਕਰਪਾਲ ਸਿੰਘ; 28 June 1940 – 17 April 2014) was an Indian Malaysian politician and lawyer.

He was called to the Penang bar in 1969 and joined a firm in Alor Star, Kedah.

Karpal founded his legal firm the following year, and was known for his expertise in the field of litigation.

He was a pioneer in drug trafficking and habeas corpus cases, and opposed the death penalty.

Karpal was praised for "defending the little man", and was called "a friend to the oppressed and marginalised."

Universiti Teknologi MARA law professor Shad Saleem Faruqi praised Karpal's legal team for their innovative interpretations, which helped defendants with difficult cases.

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).

Karpal's political career began in 1970 (when he joined the DAP), and he won a seat in the Kedah State Legislative Assembly in 1974.

Karpal joined the Democratic Action Party (DAP) in 1970, citing its multiracial platform after the 1969 race riots.

Although he planned to contest the 1974 general election in Penang, he withdrew after his father's death.

In 1977, Karpal managed to persuade the Yang di-Pertuan Agong 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."

He was elected to Parliament in 1978 as representative for Jelutong, Penang, and held the seat for more than 20 years until he lost it in 1999.

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.

Among Karpal's highest-profile cases were his defence of Australian drug trafficker Kevin Barlow, who was executed in Malaysia in 1986.

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.

Karpal represented former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim during Anwar's 1998 sodomy trial.

In September 1999, he produced a pathological report confirming high levels of arsenic 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 Member of Parliament (MP) for the constituency of Bukit Gelugor in the state of Penang from 2004 to 2014.

During that time, he was also the National Chairman of the Democratic Action Party (DAP).

Born in Penang to Sikh Punjabi Indian immigrant parents, Karpal studied law at the National University of Singapore.

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 and detained under Malaysia's internal-security law.

His reputation as a lawyer and opposition politician gave him the nickname "the Tiger of Jelutong".

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.

Karpal returned to Parliament in the next general election, and led the DAP to its strongest-ever performance in the 2008 general election.

He was the lead defence counsel in Anwar's second sodomy trial, after new allegations in 2008.

However, in July 2010 he called for convicted child rapists to receive the death sentence.

After a two-year trial, Anwar was acquitted on 10 January 2012; however, the acquittal was overturned two years later.

He died on 17 April 2014 after another motor-vehicle accident.

Born in Georgetown, Penang, Karpal was the son of watchman and herdsman Ram Singh Deo.

His mother was Kartar Kaur.

Karpal studied at St. Xavier's Institution and received his Bachelor of Laws from the National University of Singapore, where he was president of the student union.

He was barred from his hostel for protesting 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!"