GEORGE TOWN, April 19 — The “Tiger of Jelutong” who shook his adversaries in Parliament and court had been a “brilliant” child who had no qualms about showing his claws and fangs even to family.
Perhaps that was what made him such a formidable lawyer, Baksis Singh, elder brother to the late Karpal Singh, said today.
“He was brilliant and innovative as he would make his own toys and kites but he also had a rebellious streak,” the 80-year-old said.
They came from a large family of 10 siblings with Karpal as the fourth child.
Baksis said Karpal used to question everything and do not take orders easily due to his rebellious streak.
“Maybe it is this rebellious nature that had made him into such a good lawyer and politician because he dared to speak up and stand strong on his principles,” he said.
The former radiographer at the Penang Hospital said he was saddened by Karpal's sudden untimely death but he accepted it as a way of life.
“Of the 10 of us - seven boys and three girls - one died when just a baby, and five of my younger siblings including Karpal have passed away over the years leaving me and a brother and two sisters,” he said.
Having worked in hospital where many deaths had occurred, Baksis said he was inured towards one’s mortality.
He last saw his younger brother just three days before the shocking news of Karpal's fatal accident near Gua Tempurung in the early hours of April 16.
“I saw him at the Penang Gurdwara Temple here and I was joking with him about his sedition conviction,” he said.
He said Karpal had been as fiery as ever that Sunday, saying he will fight the sedition conviction no matter what.
“He told me ‘Don't worry, I will take them to the highest court to fight it’,” Baksis said.
He said the whole family including their father, the late Ram Singh, had high expectations of Karpal.
“He was the brightest in the family and our father had very great expectations in him,” he said.
Karpal was killed in a car accident in the early hours of 1.10am on Thursday on his way up north from Kuala Lumpur.
His long-time assistant and trusted nurse, Michael Cornelius Selvam Vellu, 39, was also killed in the incident.
Today is the last day of Karpal's wake at his house along Jalan Utama.
He will be accorded a funeral with state honours where the state flag is flown at half-mast until his cremation.
Tomorrow, the cortège will leave the house at 8am to make its way to Dewan Sri Pinang for a public ceremony.
The ceremony at Dewan Sri Pinang on Lebuh Light is from 9am to 11am to allow the public to pay their last respects to the Tiger of Jelutong.
Then the cortège will go on a short procession around several landmarks that marked the milestones of Karpal’s life, including the Penang High Court, his legal firm, the Penang state legislative assembly and his alma mater St Xavier's Institution.
After the procession, the cortège will head to the Batu Gantung crematorium for the final funeral rites.
