KUALA LUMPUR, April 26 — The best tribute that Malaysians can give to the late Karpal Singh is to save Malaysia from the threats of extremism, DAP’s Lim Kit Siang said today.
In a speech to mark his well-respected colleague’s death, Lim said the veteran lawmaker and lawyer would have fought to defend the rule of law and constitutionalism if he was still alive.
“If Karpal is alive with us, he would be in the very forefront straining every ounce of his sinews and energies to “Save Malaysia” to defend constitutionalism, the rule of law and moderation as Malaysia’s way of life and to be an example to the world,” the DAP parliamentary leader said in his speech at the wreath-laying ceremony in memory of Karpal on the first anniversary of his passing.
“The most meaningful form of tribute to Karpal Singh, whom we are remembering and honouring on the first anniversary of his tragic passing, is for all Malaysian patriots regardless of race, religion or political affiliation to unite and dedicate themselves to the cause of “Save Malaysia” to defend constitutionalism, the rule of law and moderation as Malaysia’s way of life and model to the world,” the Gelang Patah MP added.
On April 17 last year, Karpal — who was DAP chairman then — was killed in an early-morning car accident at the age of 73.
Earlier in his speech, Lim noted that Malaysia was at a crucial point in history as the young nation fights to remain intact, citing unprecedented numbers of concerned Malaysians speaking out against the threats of extremism.
All these are “more than ample signs that moderation in Malaysia had never been under graver threat in over half a century and that Malaysia is facing the first crisis of survival intact as a nation in our history”, Lim said.
Lim listed open letters, including one by a group of 25 prominent Malays — which has since expanded to 44 — last December to call for a rational dialogue on Islam’s position in a constitutional democracy.
Another group of 40 prominent Malaysians — again including former high-ranking civil servants — had last week urged for moderation, reminding Putrajaya that history shows the country was founded as a secular nation with Islam as the religion of the federation.
The group of 40 stressed that Malaysia’s non-religious national legal order is based on constitutional supremacy and rule of law, and is not a theocratic state where religious law is supreme.
Lim also noted that a group of 47 Sabahans had early this month penned an open letter to urge Putrajaya to end extremism and express their worries about alleged Islamisation and attempts to convert their state’s natives, among other things.
A group of 58 students from the class of 1975 from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s alma mater, St. John’s Institution in Kuala Lumpur, had also wrote an open letter to ask Najib to take a strong position against racism, religious bigotry and extremism, Lim said.
