Editing Karpal Singh

{{short description|Former Malaysian politician and lawyer}}
{{distinguish|Kirpal Singh}}
{{about|the Malaysian politician and lawyer|the seaside promenade in Penang|Karpal Singh Drive}}
{{Indian name|Karpal Singh|Ram Singh|note=on}}
{{EngvarB|date=October 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2019}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific_prefix    = [[Malay styles and titles#Honorary styles|Yang Berbahagia]] [[Malay styles and titles#State titles|Dato' Seri Utama]]
| honorific_suffix    = {{post-nominals|country=MYS|size=100%|DUPN}}
| name                = Karpal Singh
| native_name         = {{nobold|ਕਰਪਾਲ ਸਿੰਘ}}
| native_name_lang    = pa
| image               = Karpal Singh in Kuching, 2011.jpg
| caption             = Karpal in 2011.
| office              = 3rd National Chairman of the <br/> [[Democratic Action Party]]
| term_start          = 4 September 2004
| term_end            = 29 March 2014
| 1blankname = Secretary-General 
| 1namedata = [[Lim Guan Eng]] 
| predecessor         = [[Lim Kit Siang]]
| successor           = [[Tan Kok Wai]]
| parliament2         = Malaysian
| constituency_MP2    = [[Bukit Gelugor]]
| term_start2         = 21 March 2004
| term_end2           = 17 April 2014
| majority2           = 
| predecessor2        = ''Position established'' 
| successor2          = [[Ramkarpal Singh]]
| parliament3         = Malaysian
| constituency_MP3    = [[Jelutong]]
| term_start3         = 31 July 1978
| term_end3           = 29 November 1999
| predecessor3        = Rasiah Rajasingam
| successor3          = Lee Kah Choon
| birth_name          = Karpal Singh s/o Ram Singh Deo
| birth_date          = 28 June 1940
| birth_place         = [[George Town, Penang]], [[Straits Settlements]] <br /> <small>(now [[Malaysia]])</small>
| residence           = [[Bukit Damansara|Damansara Heights]], [[Kuala Lumpur]]
| death_date          = {{Death date and age|2014|4|17|1940|6|28|df=y}}
| death_place         = [[Gua Tempurung]], [[Perak]], Malaysia
| spouse              = {{marriage|Gurmit Kaur|1970}}
| children            = 5 (including [[Jagdeep Singh Deo|Jagdeep]], [[Gobind Singh Deo|Gobind]] and [[Ramkarpal Singh|Ramkarpal]])
| parents             = Ram Singh Deo (father) <br /> Kartar Kaur (mother)
| occupation          = Politician
| profession          = Lawyer
| relations           = 
| party               = [[Democratic Action Party (Malaysia)|Democratic Action Party]] (DAP) <br/> {{small|(1970–2014)}}
| otherparty          = [[Gagasan Rakyat]] (GR) <br/> {{small|(1990–1996)}} <br/> [[Barisan Alternatif]] (BA) <br/> {{small|(1999–2004)}} <br/> [[Pakatan Rakyat]] (PR) <br/> {{small|(2008–2014)}}
| education           = [[St. Xavier's Institution]]
| alma_mater          = [[National University of Singapore]] ([[Bachelor of laws|LLB]])
| nickname               = Tiger of Jelutong
| website             = 
| footnotes           =
}}

'''Karpal Singh s/o Ram Singh Deo''' ({{langx|pa|ਕਰਪਾਲ ਸਿੰਘ|Karpāl Siṅgh}}; 28 June 1940 – 17 April 2014) was an [[Indian Malaysian]] politician and lawyer. He was [[Dewan Rakyat|Member of Parliament]] (MP) for the constituency of [[Bukit Gelugor]] in the state of [[Penang]] from [[2004 Malaysian general election|2004]] to 2014. During that time, he was also the National Chairman of the [[Democratic Action Party (Malaysia)|Democratic Action Party]] (DAP).<ref>Zurairi AR (18 April 2014). [http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/10-things-about-karpal-singh-the-tiger-of-jelutong 10 things about: Karpal Singh, The Tiger of Jelutong] ''[[The Malay Mail]]''. Retrieved on 21 April 2014.</ref>

Born in Penang to [[Sikh]] [[Punjabi people|Punjabi]] [[Malaysian Indian|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 Act (Malaysia)|internal-security law]]. His reputation as a lawyer and opposition politician gave him the nickname "the Tiger of Jelutong".

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 Malaysian general election|1974]]. He was elected to [[Dewan Rakyat|parliament]] in [[1978 Malaysian general election|1978]] as representative for [[Jelutong|Jelutong, Penang]], and held the seat for more than 20 years until he lost it in [[1999 Malaysian general election|1999]]. Karpal returned to Parliament in the next general election, and led the DAP to its strongest-ever performance in the [[2008 Malaysian general election|2008 general election]]. 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. He died on 17 April 2014 after another motor-vehicle accident.

==Early life and education==
Born in [[George Town, Penang|Georgetown]], [[Penang]], Karpal was the son of a [[security guard|watchman]] and [[herder|herdsman]], Ram Singh Deo.<ref name="roaring">{{cite news |title=This Tiger's still roaring |url=http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2010/7/25/lifefocus/6713036&sec=lifefocus |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100726004855/http://www.thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=%2F2010%2F7%2F25%2Flifefocus%2F6713036&sec=lifefocus |url-status=dead |archive-date=26 July 2010 |last1=Vengadesan |first1=Martin |newspaper=[[The Star (Malaysia)|The Star]] |date=23 July 2010 |access-date=30 July 2011  }}</ref><ref name="birthday tribute">{{cite news|title=A Birthday Tribute to DAP National Chairman Karpal Singh |date=July 2010 |pages=7–10 |publisher=[[Democratic Action Party (Malaysia)|Democratic Action Party]] |work=The Rocket |issn=1823-8424}}</ref> His mother was Kartar Kaur.

Karpal studied at [[St. Xavier's Institution]]<ref name="birthday tribute"/><ref name="sueking"/> and received his [[Bachelor of Laws]] degree from the [[National University of Singapore]],<ref name="roaring"/> where he was the president of the student union.<ref name="birthday tribute"/> He was barred from his hostel for protesting against the university's decision to mandate certificates of political suitability for incoming students.<ref name="birthday tribute"/> Karpal said he took seven years to graduate, admitting that he was "playful" and "didn't attend lectures".<ref name="roaring"/> 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!"<ref name="roaring"/>

==Legal career==
He was called to the Penang bar in 1969 and joined a firm in [[Alor Star]], [[Kedah]].<ref name="birthday tribute"/><ref name="sueking">{{cite journal |last1=Vatikiotis |first1=Michael |year=1993 |title=A Malaysian who dared sue a king |journal=[[Far Eastern Economic Review]] |volume=156 |issue=20 |pages=78 |url=http://www.faqs.org/abstracts/Business-international/Prince-of-patronage-shares-row-spotlights-controversial-Indian-leader.html |access-date=9 June 2011 }}</ref> Karpal founded his legal firm the following year,<ref name="pillar">{{cite news |url=http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2006/9/10/lifefocus/20060909190214&sec=lifefocus |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081009100118/http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=%2F2006%2F9%2F10%2Flifefocus%2F20060909190214&sec=lifefocus |url-status=dead |archive-date=9 October 2008 |title=His pillar of strength |date=10 September 2006 |newspaper=[[The Star (Malaysia)|The Star]] |access-date=30 July 2011  }}</ref> and was known for his expertise in the field of [[litigation]].<ref name="bio">{{cite web |url=http://dapmalaysia.org/newenglish/leaders_biodata_karpal.htm |title=Karpal Singh |publisher=[[Democratic Action Party (Malaysia)|Democratic Action Party]] |access-date=28 July 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111230150557/http://dapmalaysia.org/newenglish/leaders_biodata_karpal.htm |archive-date=30 December 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> He was a pioneer in [[drug trafficking]] and [[habeas corpus]] cases, and opposed the [[death penalty]].<ref>{{Cite journal|url = http://www.malaysianbar.org.my/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_download&gid=4608&Itemid=332|title = A tribute to Karpal Singh (1940–2014); Malaysian Bar|last = Sharmila|first = Joane|date = April–June 2014|journal = Praxis|access-date = 10 August 2014}}</ref> Karpal was praised for "defending the little man",<ref name="sueking"/> and was called "a friend to the oppressed and marginalised."<ref name="durable">{{cite news |title=Durable and obdurate |url=http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2010/7/25/lifefocus/6712597&sec=lifefocus |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110622045712/http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=%2F2010%2F7%2F25%2Flifefocus%2F6712597&sec=lifefocus |url-status=dead |archive-date=22 June 2011 |newspaper=[[The Star (Malaysia)|The Star]] |date=25 July 2010 |access-date=30 July 2011  }}</ref> [[Universiti Teknologi MARA]] law professor [[Shad Saleem Faruqi]] praised Karpal's legal team for their innovative interpretations, which helped defendants with difficult cases.<ref name="durable"/>

===Death penalty===
Karpal was described as a leading opponent of the [[Capital punishment in Malaysia|death penalty in Malaysia]],<ref name="about">{{cite web |title=About Karpal Singh |url=http://www.lrwc.org/campaign/malaysia1.php |publisher=Lawyers' Rights Watch Canada |access-date=28 July 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111114174606/http://www.lrwc.org/campaign/malaysia1.php |archive-date=14 November 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and successfully defended at least ten foreigners on serious drug charges (which have a mandatory death sentence).<ref name="sueking"/> However, in July 2010 he called for convicted [[Child sexual abuse|child rapists]] to receive the death sentence.<ref>{{cite news |title=Karpal cadang perogol kanak-kanak dihukum mati |url=http://malaysiakini.com/news/138852 |publisher=[[Malaysiakini]] |language=ms |date=31 July 2010 |access-date=9 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101007100604/http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/138852 |archive-date=7 October 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Among Karpal's highest-profile cases were his defence of Australian drug trafficker Kevin Barlow, who was [[Barlow and Chambers execution|executed]] in Malaysia in 1986.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/1986/jul/07/fromthearchive |title=Brian Chambers and Kevin Barlow executed in Malaysia |last1=Hiett |first1=Peter |date=7 July 1986 |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=30 July 2011}}</ref> Barlow and fellow Australian Brian Chambers were convicted of trafficking heroin by the [[High Courts of Malaysia|High Court in Penang]] in July 1985,<ref>{{cite news |title=No effort spared' in bid to save heroin convicts |last=Dover |first=Bruce |date=28 July 1985 |newspaper=[[The Sunday Mail (Brisbane)|The Sunday Mail]]}}</ref> and Karpal continued fighting to clear Barlow's name after his execution.<ref name="hangman">{{cite news |title=The man who fought the hangman |last=Petersen |first=Don |date=6 November 1986 |newspaper=[[The Courier-Mail]]}}</ref> Karpal also defended New Zealanders Lorraine Cohen and her son, Aaron, against heroin-trafficking charges in 1987.<ref>{{cite news |title=Lorraine's long, lonely wait on Malaysia's death row |last=Baker |first=M. |date=8 September 1988 |newspaper=[[Herald Sun]]}}</ref> They were convicted, with Lorraine sentenced to death and Aaron to life in prison. Lorraine's death sentence was [[Commutation (law)|commuted]] to life imprisonment in 1989, and both were pardoned and freed in 1996.<ref>{{cite news |title=Penang pardons NZ drug traffickers |agency=[[Agence France Presse]] |newspaper=[[The Australian]] |date=27 May 1996}}</ref> 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 1960|Internal Security Act]], reportedly suggesting that to let the boy hang would be "politically explosive."<ref name="sueking"/>

In 2006, Karpal represented two sisters who were charged with allegedly masterminding the murder of their Australian stepfather [[murder of Hans Herzog|Hans Herzog]], who was killed by two male teenagers in a parang attack at his Kuala Lumpur home in 2003. The sisters were alleged to have hired the two boys to attack Herzog due to their resentment over the supposed abusive treatment they received from Herzog.<ref>{{cite news |title=Sisters, friends planned murder, court told |work=The New Straits Times |date=19 August 2004 }}</ref> The sisters were later acquitted without their defence being called, and Karpal would later represent one of the two hired hitmen in his appeal in 2009, which ended with the boy, who was 17 at the time of the crime, to be convicted for murder and detained indefinitely at the [[Sultan of Selangor|Selangor Sultan]]'s pleasure.<ref>{{cite news |title=Man to hang for Herzog's murder |work=The New Straits Times |date=8 April 2009 }}</ref> The boy's older friend Low Kian Boon (aged 18 at the time of the murder) was sentenced to death, before the sentence was reduced to 35 years' imprisonment and 12 strokes of the cane in 2024.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2024/03/28/court-commutes-sentence-of-youth-who-murdered-aussie-businessman/|title=Court commutes sentence of youth who murdered Aussie businessman|date=28 March 2024 |website=Free Malaysia Today}}</ref>

Karpal also took on cases outside of Malaysia's jurisdiction during his legal career. In January 1995, Karpal travelled to [[Singapore]] and represented Malaysian gunman [[Ng Theng Shuang]] in his appeal against the [[Capital punishment in Singapore|death sentence]] issued to Ng under the [[Arms Offences Act]] for discharging his firearm during a goldsmith robbery heist at Singapore's [[South Bridge Road]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=27 January 1995|url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/lhzb19950127-1.2.26.1|title=被告律师建议摒弃"侯大头"案例没被接受 持枪抢劫天成金庄被告上诉失败维持死刑原判 |language=zh|newspaper=Lianhe Zaobao}}</ref> Ng's appeal was dismissed despite Karpal's arguments in the appeal, and he was hanged on 14 July 1995 in [[Changi Prison]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=16 July 1995|url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19950716-1.2.32.12 |title=Gunman in goldsmith shop shoot-out hanged |newspaper=The Straits Times}}</ref>

===Anwar Ibrahim===
Karpal represented former Deputy Prime Minister [[Anwar Ibrahim]] during Anwar's 1998 [[Anwar Ibrahim sodomy trials|sodomy trial]].<ref name="far east">{{cite book |title=The Far East and Australasia, 2003 |publisher=[[Routledge]] |year=2003 |isbn=978-1-85743-133-9 |edition=34 |pages=770}}</ref> 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."<ref name="about"/> The accusation led to Karpal's detention under the [[Sedition Act 1948|Sedition Act]] in January 2000.<ref name="tribute"/>

He was the lead defence counsel in Anwar's second sodomy trial, after new allegations in 2008.<ref>{{cite news |title=Anwar applies for new trial and judge |author=Irdiani Mohd Salleh |date=3 June 2011 |at=Local p. 14}}</ref> After a two-year trial, Anwar was acquitted on 10 January 2012;<ref>{{cite news |title=Malaysia's Anwar acquitted |url=http://www.theage.com.au/world/malaysias-anwar-acquitted-20120109-1pryd.html |work=[[The Age]] |date=10 January 2012 |first=Tom |last=Allard |access-date=20 January 2012}}</ref> however, the acquittal was overturned two years later.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-26479642|title=Malaysia jails Anwar Ibrahim for five years for sodomy|date=7 March 2014|work=BBC News|access-date=12 February 2018}}</ref>

==Political career==

===Entry into politics===
Karpal joined the [[Democratic Action Party (Malaysia)|Democratic Action Party]] (DAP) in 1970, citing its multiracial [[Party platform|platform]] after the [[13 May Incident|1969 race riots]].<ref name="roaring"/><ref name="At 70">{{cite news |title=At 70, Karpal says won't close shop |url=http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/at-70-karpal-says-wont-close-shop/ |author=Shazwan Mustafa Kamal |date=28 June 2010 |publisher=[[The Malaysian Insider]] |access-date=30 July 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100703082804/http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/at-70-karpal-says-wont-close-shop/ |archive-date=3 July 2010  }}</ref> Although he planned to contest the [[1974 Malaysian general election|1974 general election]] in [[Penang]], he withdrew after his father's death. However, Karpal was persuaded by DAP national organising secretary [[Fan Yew Teng]] to stand for the [[Alor Setar]] parliamentary seat and the Alor Setar Bandar [[Dewan Undangan Negeri Kedah|state seat]].<ref name="roaring"/> He won only the state seat, the first DAP candidate to win a seat in [[Kedah]].<ref name="karpal">{{cite web |title=Karpal Singh |url=http://www.karpalsingh.net/ |access-date=28 July 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120103134614/http://www.karpalsingh.net/ |archive-date=3 January 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In the [[1978 Malaysian general election|1978 general elections]], Karpal won the [[Jelutong]] parliamentary seat and the [[Bukit Gelugor]] [[Dewan Undangan Negeri Pulau Pinang|state seat]]. He held the Bukit Gelugor state seat until 1990, losing subsequent elections for the [[Sungai Pinang]] and [[Padang Kota]] seats.

In 1989, Karpal accused Deputy Speaker D. P. Vijandran of appearing in pornographic videos.<ref>{{cite news |title=Porn row |newspaper=[[The Independent]] |date=22 December 1989 |page=8}}</ref> Although the allegations were dismissed due to lack of evidence, Vijandran resigned the following year.<ref name="lewd">{{cite news |title=Tape shows former Deputy Speaker in lewd acts: DAP |newspaper=[[The Straits Times]] |author=Kalimullah Hassan |date=21 July 1992}}</ref> In 1992, Karpal produced the alleged videotape in parliament and gave it to Deputy Speaker [[Ong Tee Keat]].<ref name="lewd"/> Vijandran was convicted in May 1994 of fabricating evidence in an affidavit seeking a court order to stop his nephew from allegedly distributing pornographic videotapes in which he appeared,<ref>{{cite news |title=Former MIC leader in sex-tape case weds in India |newspaper=[[The Straits Times]] |date=10 June 1995}}</ref> but the conviction was overturned in 1998.<ref>{{cite news |title=Vijandran acquitted on perjury charge after appeal |newspaper=[[New Straits Times]] |date=25 August 1998 |page=6}}</ref> In 2000, Karpal was ordered to pay Vijandran [[Malaysian ringgit|RM]]500,000 (reduced to RM100,000 on appeal) in damages for defamation after he accused Vijandran of [[cheque fraud]].<ref>{{cite news |title=RM900,000 in damages for Vijandran |newspaper=[[New Straits Times]] |page=4}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Vijandran-Karpal Singh suit: Damages reduced to RM100,000 |newspaper=[[New Straits Times]] |date=4 August 2000 |author=Ruslaini Abbas}}</ref>

==={{anchor|Wilderness}}Setback===
In the 1999 election, Karpal lost the Jelutong parliamentary seat he had held for 21 years, and DAP leader [[Lim Kit Siang]] was also defeated.<ref name="far east"/> The DAP had joined [[Barisan Alternatif]], an opposition alliance with [[Parti Keadilan Rakyat|Parti Keadilan]] and the [[Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party]] (PAS) (a move strongly supported by Karpal and Lim).<ref>{{cite news |title=Kit Siang: I will not cling to post |newspaper=[[New Straits Times]] |date=9 December 1999 |at=National p. 10}}</ref> Despite the ruling [[Barisan Nasional]] (BN) coalition's significant losses in the election, Keadilan and PAS absorbed the gains as DAP support eroded due to suspicion of PAS and its hard-line Islamic stance.<ref name="Karpal on the DAP">{{cite news |title=Karpal on the DAP |url=http://www.thenutgraph.com/karpal-on-the-dap/ |last1=Loh |first1=Deborah |date=1 February 2010 |publisher=The Nut Graph |access-date=30 July 2011}}</ref> Although the DAP gained seats, the party performed well below expectations and Lim called the results a "catastrophic defeat".<ref>{{cite news |title=Out: Kit Siang as DAP chief |last=Pereira |first=Brendan |newspaper=[[The Straits Times]] |date=3 December 1999}}</ref> Despite the setback, Karpal remained as party deputy chairman and Lim became chairman after the resignation of long-serving chairman [[Chen Man Hin]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Kit Siang quits as sec-gen of DAP, elected chairman |author1=Patvinder Singh |author2=Abdul Razak Ahmad |date=3 December 1999 |newspaper=[[New Straits Times]] |page=1}}</ref> Karpal strongly opposed a PAS plan to introduce [[hudud]] (Islamic codes of behavior) into the [[Terengganu]] state legal system in 1999, threatening to take the state government to court.<ref>{{cite news |title=DAP to take Pas to court if hudud is implemented |newspaper=[[New Straits Times]] |date=3 December 1999 |last=Chong |first=Chee Seong |at=National p. 10}}</ref>

==={{anchor|Return to parliament}}Return to Parliament===
In the [[2004 Malaysian general election|2004 general election]], Karpal returned to parliament with a 1,261-vote majority in the new [[Bukit Gelugor]] seat.<ref>{{cite web |title=Election results 2004: Penang |url=http://thestar.com.my/election/results2004/05/05p.html |work=[[The Star (Malaysia)|The Star]] |access-date=9 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120109063938/http://thestar.com.my/election/results2004/05/05p.html |archive-date=9 January 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The DAP regained its position as the largest opposition party in Parliament,<ref>{{cite web |title=Election 2004 Results |url=http://thestar.com.my/election/results2004/results.html |work=[[The Star (Malaysia)|The Star]] |access-date=26 August 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120108011020/http://thestar.com.my/election/results2004/results.html |archive-date=8 January 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and Karpal became the party's national chairman on 4 September 2004.<ref>{{cite news |title=Confirmed: Guan Eng is DAP leader |url=http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/29742 |date=4 September 2004 |publisher=[[Malaysiakini]] |access-date=9 June 2011}}</ref>

On 7 September, he was sanctioned for "misleading Parliament" after claiming that MPs had to raise their right hand while they took the oath of office on 17 May. A report by the Parliamentary Rights and Privileges Committee gave Karpal three days to apologise or face a six-month suspension.<ref name="bio"/><ref>{{cite hansard |jurisdiction=Malaysia |url=http://www.parlimen.gov.my/files/hindex/pdf/DR-07092004.pdf |title=Penyata Rasmi Parlimen|house=[[Dewan Rakyat]] |date=7 September 2004 |column=102 |speaker=Lim Si Cheng |position=Deputy Speaker}}</ref> He refused to apologise and served the suspension.<ref name="mpinexile">{{cite news |title='MP-in-exile' Karpal will not apologise |url=http://www3.malaysiakini.com/news/29820 |publisher=[[Malaysiakini]] |date=7 September 2004 |access-date=9 June 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721114924/http://www3.malaysiakini.com/news/29820 |archive-date=21 July 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Karpal Singh willing to serve out suspension |newspaper=[[New Straits Times]] |date=10 September 2004 |at=Nation}}</ref>

==={{anchor|"Political tsunami"}}Victories and controversy===
[[File:SSetev.jpg|thumb|right|250px|alt=A seated Karpal with four other people|Karpal Singh (seated on the left) holding a press conference in the parliament building with Shaariibuu Setev, the father of [[Murder of Shaariibuugiin Altantuyaa|Altantuya Shaariibuu]]]] 
Karpal retained his seat in the [[2008 Malaysian general election|2008 election]] with a nearly-20-fold-vote increased majority (21,015 votes).<ref>{{cite web |title=Election results 2008: Penang |url=http://thestar.com.my/election/results/05/05p.html |work=[[The Star (Malaysia)|The Star]] |access-date=9 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120327050113/http://thestar.com.my/election/results/05/05p.html |archive-date=27 March 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The election saw historic gains for the opposition, who denied the ruling coalition [[Barisan Nasional]] (BN) a two-thirds majority in Parliament for the first time.<ref>{{cite news |title=Malaysia PM rejects calls to quit |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7285864.stm |work=[[BBC News]] |date=9 March 2008 |access-date=9 June 2011}}</ref>

The three major opposition parties formed a coalition 
(the [[Pakatan Rakyat]]),<ref>{{cite news |title=PKR, PAS, DAP to form Pakatan Rakyat |url=http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/4/1/nation/20080401134152&sec=nation |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080506115800/http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=%2F2008%2F4%2F1%2Fnation%2F20080401134152&sec=nation |url-status=dead |archive-date=6 May 2008 |work=[[The Star (Malaysia)|The Star]] |date=1 April 2008 |access-date=9 June 2011  }}</ref> and Karpal was listed as the DAP representative on the coalition's [[Shadow Cabinet|Shadow Ministry]] of Home Affairs Committee in July 2009.<ref>{{cite news |title=Pakatan forms shadow parliamentary committees |url=http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/7/2/nation/20090702193646&sec=nation |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090705081305/http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=%2F2009%2F7%2F2%2Fnation%2F20090702193646&sec=nation |url-status=dead |archive-date=5 July 2009 |work=[[The Star (Malaysia)|The Star]] |date=2 July 2009 |access-date=9 June 2011  }}</ref>

In April 2010, he was suspended from parliament for ten days after he called the speaker a "dictator".<ref>{{cite news|title=Karpal booted out for calling speaker a dictator |url=http://findarticles.com/p/news-articles/new-straits-times/mi_8016/is_20100408/karpal-booted-calling-speaker-dictator/ai_n53071043/ |work=[[New Straits Times]] |date=8 April 2010 |publisher=FindArticles.com |author=V. Vasudevan |access-date=9 June 2011 }}{{dead link|date=May 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> In December of that year, he and opposition members of parliament [[Anwar Ibrahim]], [[Azmin Ali]] and [[Sivarasa Rasiah]] were suspended for six months. Anwar was suspended for stirring up [[APCO Worldwide#Malaysia|controversy]] over government links to [[APCO Worldwide]], while the rest were punished for publicising a report by the Rights and Privileges Committee finding Anwar guilty before the report was presented to Parliament.<ref name="contempt">{{cite news |title=Anwar, three Pakatan MPs, suspended for six months |url=http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/12/16/nation/20101216103951&sec=nation |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101217033117/http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=%2F2010%2F12%2F16%2Fnation%2F20101216103951&sec=nation |url-status=dead |archive-date=17 December 2010 |work=[[The Star (Malaysia)|The Star]] |date=16 December 2010 |access-date=9 June 2011  }}</ref>

In December 2011, Karpal and Penang second deputy chief minister [[P. Ramasamy]] feuded over Ramasamy's reported accusation that dissidents in the DAP were plotting against him for not giving them projects and favours. Karpal called Ramasamy a "warlord" and asked for him to resign as deputy chief minister.<ref name="warlord">{{cite news |title=Karpal wants Ramasamy to quit over plot allegations |url=http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/karpal-wants-ramasamy-to-quit-over-plot-allegations |publisher=[[The Malaysian Insider]] |date=24 December 2011 |first=Hong Chieh |last=Yow |access-date=21 January 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120108073216/http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/karpal-wants-ramasamy-to-quit-over-plot-allegations |archive-date=8 January 2012  }}</ref> Ramasamy asked the party to remove its "godfathers", an apparent reference to Karpal.<ref name="warlord"/> The feud was resolved internally, and Ramasamy later denied ever making the accusation.<ref>{{cite news |title=Ramasamy blames The Star for latest row with Karpal |url=http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/ramasamy-blames-the-star-for-latest-row-with-karpal |publisher=[[The Malaysian Insider]] |date=26 December 2011 |author=Lisa J. Ariffin |access-date=21 January 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120107155637/http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/ramasamy-blames-the-star-for-latest-row-with-karpal |archive-date=7 January 2012  }}</ref> At the DAP national conference in January 2012, Karpal joined Ramasamy and asked the party's "warlords and godfathers [to] stand together against Barisan Nasional."<ref>{{cite news |title=Karpal, Ramasamy end feud |url=http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/1/8/nation/20120108120522&sec=nation |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120721095951/http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/1/8/nation/20120108120522&sec=nation |url-status=dead |archive-date=21 July 2012 |work=[[The Star (Malaysia)|The Star]] |date=8 January 2012 |first=Regina |last=Lee |access-date=21 January 2012 }}</ref>

==Political views==
Karpal Singh cited [[David Saul Marshall]], [[Mahatma Gandhi]] and [[John F. Kennedy]] as influences. The [[13 May Incident]] convinced him that Malaysia needed to take a multiracial course, and he joined the DAP in 1970. Karpal praised the country's first prime minister, [[Tunku Abdul Rahman]] for promoting racial unity.<ref name="roaring"/> He criticised the legal immunity granted to the hereditary Malay rulers in the original [[Constitution of Malaysia|constitution]], which was [[1993 amendments to the Constitution of Malaysia|removed]] by the [[Mahathir Mohamad]] government in 1993.<ref name="sueking"/><ref>{{cite news |title=All in the name of fair distribution of power |url=http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Monday/Columns/2422273/Article/index_html |work=[[New Straits Times]] |date=8 December 2008 |access-date=9 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081208214756/http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Monday/Columns/2422273/Article/index_html |archive-date=8 December 2008}}</ref>

Karpal Singh opposed the idea of Malaysia as an [[Islamic state]], arguing that the constitution provided for a secular nation with Islam as the official religion, and clashed with Mahathir and fellow opposition party [[Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party|PAS]] over the issue.<ref>{{cite news |title=No Islamic state for DAP, says Karpal |url=http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/no-islamic-state-for-dap-says-karpal/ |author=Shazwan Mustafa Kamal |date=10 June 2010 |publisher=[[The Malaysian Insider]] |access-date=30 July 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110103073319/http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/no-islamic-state-for-dap-says-karpal/ |archive-date=3 January 2011  }}</ref> Karpal said "an Islamic state over my dead body" about the debate during a political speech,<ref name="roaring"/> but later said that he had apologised for the remark.<ref>{{cite news |title=Karpal raps two NST journalists |url=http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/2011/06/15/karpal-raps-two-nst-journalists/ |publisher=Free Malaysia Today |date=15 June 2011 |author=G. Vinod |access-date=15 June 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110618012803/http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/2011/06/15/karpal-raps-two-nst-journalists/ |archive-date=18 June 2011  }}</ref>

==Controversies and issues==
Karpal was a controversial figure, and he and fellow DAP politician Lim Kit Siang have been referred to as racial provocateurs.<ref>{{cite book |last=Musa |first=M. Bakri |title=Towards A Competitive Malaysia |year=2007 |publisher=Strategic Information and Research Development Centre |location=Petaling Jaya |isbn=978-983-3782-20-8|pages=79 }}</ref> He was nicknamed "the Tiger of Jelutong" by admirers after serving five terms as Jelutong MP.<ref name="walk">{{cite news |title=I will walk again |url=http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2006/9/10/lifefocus/15373198&sec=lifefocus |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081009100113/http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=%2F2006%2F9%2F10%2Flifefocus%2F15373198&sec=lifefocus |url-status=dead |archive-date=9 October 2008 |date=26 September 2006 |work=[[The Star (Malaysia)|The Star]] |access-date=30 July 2011  }}</ref> Karpal attributed the nickname to a confrontation with former [[Malaysian Indian Congress]] President [[Samy Vellu]] when he said to Samy, "he could be the lion, and I could be the tiger, because there are no lions in Malaysia!"<ref name="roaring"/>

===Slurs===
He clashed with government parliamentarians and assemblymen during debates. On two occasions in the Penang State Assembly, the speaker called police to have Karpal removed from the chamber.<ref name="hangman"/> Karpal ordered the police officers out both times, saying that they had no right to be there before walking out on his own.<ref name="hangman"/>

He criticised the [[Yang di-Pertuan Agong]] in the [[Dewan Rakyat]] for allegedly assaulting two men who were brought to the palace by police, which sparked demands for an apology from members of Parliament; Karpal refused.<ref name="hangman"/> Karpal filed a lawsuit against the king, [[Iskandar of Johor]], in 1986 on behalf of one of the men. He lost, and the sultan reportedly named one of his dogs after him.<ref name="sueking"/>

Karpal served two six-month suspensions from Parliament: in September 2004 for "misleading" Parliament,<ref name="mpinexile"/> and in December 2010 for contempt.<ref name="contempt"/> During a May 2008 session, he called fellow parliamentarian [[Bung Moktar Radin]] the "[[Bigfoot]] from [[Kinabatangan]]".<ref name="zoo">{{cite news |title=Dewan turns into a 'zoo' over seating position, name-calling |url=http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/5/1/nation/21116600&sec=nation |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121018150043/http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=%2F2008%2F5%2F1%2Fnation%2F21116600&sec=nation |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 October 2012 |work=[[The Star (Malaysia)|The Star]] |date=1 May 2008 |access-date=9 June 2011  }}</ref> Moments later, Karpal was mocked by [[Ibrahim Ali (Malaysia)|Ibrahim Ali]] and [[Bung Moktar Radin]] for his inability to stand while speaking as a result of his disability (provoking a furore among opposition members).<ref name="zoo"/> The following month, he received a death threat in the form of a bullet delivered to his law firm.<ref name="threat">{{cite news |url=http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Wednesday/Frontpage/20080521194237/1 |title=Dewan Dispatches: The Tiger bites the bullet |author=Azmi Anshar |date=21 May 2008 |work=[[New Straits Times]] |access-date=9 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080608053005/http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Wednesday/Frontpage/20080521194237/1 |archive-date=8 June 2008}}</ref> In October, Karpal was suspended from Parliament for two days for calling speaker [[Pandikar Amin Mulia]] "not serious" and "playful".<ref>{{cite news |title=Karpal slapped with two-day suspension |url=http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/91794 |publisher=[[Malaysiakini]] |date=23 October 2008 |author=Rahmah Ghazali |access-date=9 June 2011}}</ref>

===Detentions===
He and a number of other opposition politicians were detained without trial under the [[Internal Security Act 1960|Internal Security Act]] during [[Operation Lalang]] in October 1987 for inciting "racial tension" in Malaysia.<ref name="tribute">{{cite hansard |jurisdiction=New South Wales |url=http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/hansart.nsf/V3Key/LA20020618035 |house=[[New South Wales Legislative Assembly]] |date=18 June 2002 |speaker=[[Paul Gibson (politician)|Paul Gibson]] |column=3263 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080304130748/http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/hansart.nsf/V3Key/LA20020618035 |archivedate=4 March 2008 }} {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080304130748/http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/hansart.nsf/V3Key/LA20020618035 |date=4 March 2008 }}</ref> Karpal was released for several hours in March 1988 in response to a [[habeas corpus]] application before being rearrested and imprisoned until January 1989.<ref name="sueking"/><ref>{{cite news |title=Malaysia suspends top judge who criticized Prime Minister |newspaper=[[The Globe and Mail]] |date=7 June 1988}}</ref> [[Amnesty International]] called him a [[prisoner of conscience]].<ref name="tribute"/>

===Sedition trials===
Karpal, four other opposition politicians and the editor of the ''Harakah Daily'' (the newspaper published by the opposition [[Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party]]) were arrested in January 2000 under the [[Sedition Act 1948|Sedition Act]],<ref name="far east"/> and he was charged with making seditious remarks in court during Anwar's first corruption trial.<ref>{{cite news |title=Opposition leaders, editor arrested |agency=[[Bernama]] |date=14 January 2000 |publisher=BBC Summary of World Broadcasts |at=FE/D3737/S1}}</ref> This, the only known charge of sedition in any [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] country brought against a lawyer for remarks made in court in defence of a client,<ref name="about"/> was dropped in 2002.<ref name="about"/><ref name="charged">{{cite news |title=Karpal to be charged for sedition against Perak Sultan |url=http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/3/16/nation/20090316200620&sec=nation |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090320065155/http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=%2F2009%2F3%2F16%2Fnation%2F20090316200620&sec=nation |url-status=dead |archive-date=20 March 2009 |last1=Charles |first1=Lourdes |last2=Lee |first2=Yuk Peng |work=[[The Star (Malaysia)|The Star]] |date=16 March 2009 |access-date=30 July 2011  }}</ref>

He was again charged under the Sedition Act in March 2009 with threatening to sue the [[Sultan of Perak]], [[Sultan Azlan Shah]], in the wake of the [[2009 Perak constitutional crisis]]. Karpal had contended that the sultan had exceeded his constitutional powers in appointing [[Zambry Abdul Kadir]] [[Chief Ministers in Malaysia|Menteri Besar]].<ref name="charged"/><ref>{{cite news |title=Malaysian MP on sedition charges |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7947461.stm |work=[[BBC News]] |date=17 March 2009 |access-date=9 June 2011}}</ref> The charges were dismissed in June 2010 after the [[High Courts of Malaysia|High Court]] determined that the prosecution had failed to prove a ''[[prima facie]]'' case.<ref>{{cite news |title=Karpal Singh acquitted of sedition against Sultan of Perak |url=http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/6/11/nation/20100611153445&sec=nation |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100614101919/http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=%2F2010%2F6%2F11%2Fnation%2F20100611153445&sec=nation |url-status=dead |archive-date=14 June 2010 |author1=Nurbaiti Hamdan |last2=Goh |first2=Lisa |work=[[The Star (Malaysia)|The Star]] |date=11 June 2010 |access-date=30 July 2011  }}</ref> However, the [[Court of Appeal of Malaysia|Court of Appeal]] reversed the acquittal in January 2012 and ordered Karpal to enter a defence.<ref>{{cite news |title=Appeal Court reverses Karpal's sedition acquittal, orders defence |url=http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/appeal-court-reverses-karpals-sedition-acquittal-orders-defence/ |publisher=[[The Malaysian Insider]] |date=20 January 2012 |first=Clara |last=Chooi |access-date=20 January 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120122224048/http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/appeal-court-reverses-karpals-sedition-acquittal-orders-defence |archive-date=22 January 2012  }}</ref> In March 2019, 10 years after the incident the Federal Court acquitted Karpal posthumously.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2019/03/29/federal-court-posthumously-acquits-karpal-singh-of-sedition/1737749|title=Federal Court posthumously acquits Karpal Singh of sedition (VIDEO) {{!}} Malay Mail|last1=Lim|first1=Ida|last2=Moses|first2=Lazareen Thaveethu|website=www.malaymail.com|date=29 March 2019 |language=en|access-date=29 March 2019}}</ref>

==Personal life==

===Family===
[[File:KARPAL SINGH - OIL PAINTING.jpg|thumb|alt=Oil painting of a smiling Karpal|Oil portrait of Karpal]]
Karpal married Gurmit Kaur, eight years his junior, in July 1970. Gurmit's family, from [[Narathiwat]], [[Thailand]], moved to Penang when she was seven.<ref name="roaring"/><ref name="pillar"/> They had five children and eleven grandchildren.<ref name="pillar"/> Karpal's eldest son, [[Jagdeep Singh Deo|Jagdeep]], is the [[Dewan Undangan Negeri Pulau Pinang|Penang State Assemblyman]] for [[Datok Keramat (state constituency)|Datok Keramat]]; his second son, [[Gobind Singh Deo|Gobind]], was the [[Minister of Communications and Multimedia (Malaysia)|Minister of Communications and Multimedia]] and is the [[Dewan Rakyat|Member of Parliament]] for [[Puchong (federal constituency)|Puchong]], [[Selangor]]. His third son, [[Ramkarpal Singh|Ramkarpal]] succeeded him as the MP for [[Bukit Gelugor (federal constituency)|Bukit Gelugor]] after his death. His daughter, Sangeet Kaur works in his law firm and his youngest son, Man Karpal studied [[actuarial science]].<ref name="roaring"/>

Gurmit described Karpal's detention from 1987 to 1989 as a "very big experience", which took a toll on her life because she had to "be strong" for their young children.<ref name="durable"/> The initial stage of his disability also deeply upset her.<ref name="pillar"/> Karpal and Gurmit lived in [[Damansara Heights]], [[Kuala Lumpur]], from 1994 until his death.<ref name="pillar"/>

===Accident and disability===
On 28 January 2005, Karpal was involved in an accident which left him in a wheelchair.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.klik.com.my/item/story/609670/karpal-pulih|title=KARPAL PULIH|publisher=[[Harian Metro|Metro Ahad]]|date=30 January 2005|accessdate=28 June 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.klik.com.my/item/story/424511/karpal-singh-cedera-kemalangan-jalan-raya|title=Karpal Singh cedera kemalangan jalan raya|publisher=[[Berita Harian|Berita Minggu]]|date=30 January 2005|accessdate=28 June 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.klik.com.my/item/story/2192049/karpal-hadir-berkerusi-roda|title=Karpal hadir berkerusi roda|author=Ridzuan Yop|publisher=[[Berita Harian]]|date=28 June 2005|accessdate=28 June 2020}}</ref> A car struck a taxi in which he was seated from behind, severely bruising his [[thoracic vertebrae]]. The accident left Karpal with sensory impairment and reduced motor strength, and he was unable to walk or raise his right arm more than a few centimeters.<ref name="pillar"/><ref name="walk"/><ref name="threat"/> His seat in the parliamentary chamber was moved to the back row to accommodate his wheelchair.<ref name="walk"/>

==Death and funeral==
[[File:Karpalacident.jpg|thumb|alt=Smashed white minivan|Karpal's minivan after the accident]]
In the early hours of 17 April 2014, Karpal died in a car crash on the [[North–South Expressway Northern Route|North–South Expressway E1]] near Gua Tempurung, Perak. His personal assistant, Michael Cornelius, was also killed in the accident. Ramkarpal (Karpal's son and one of the minivan's five occupants) and an Indonesian maid believed to have been employed by Karpal were injured.<ref>{{cite news|title=Karpal killed in car crash|url=http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2014/04/17/karpal-killed-in-car-crash/|access-date=17 April 2014|newspaper=Free Malaysia Today|date=17 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140417155355/http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2014/04/17/karpal-killed-in-car-crash/|archive-date=17 April 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> The driver of the minivan was injured as well. Karpal's [[Toyota Alphard]] collided with the right side of a slow-moving, five-tonne [[Mitsubishi Fuso Canter|Mitsubishi Canter]] lorry carrying cement, steel, and tiles. Although the lorry driver (identified as Abu Mansor Mohd) tested positive for cannabis, it was uncertain if he was under influence at the time of the accident.<ref name="Karpal killed in car crash">{{cite news|title=Karpal killed in car crash|url=http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2014/04/17/lorry-driver-had-traces-of-cannabis/|access-date=17 April 2014|newspaper=Free Malaysia Today|date=17 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140419013657/http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2014/04/17/lorry-driver-had-traces-of-cannabis/|archive-date=19 April 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> According to Bukit Aman traffic-police chief [[Senior assistant commissioner|SAC]] Mohd Fuad Abdul Latiff, road conditions and the weather were good at the time of the accident.<ref name="Karpal killed in car crash"/>

Karpal's funeral was held on 20 April 2014 with full state honors in Penang, attended by his family, Prime Minister [[Najib Razak]] and other mourners.<ref>{{cite web|title=Full state honour at Indo-Malaysian leader Karpal Singh's funeral|url=http://news.biharprabha.com/2014/04/full-state-honour-at-indo-malaysian-leader-karpal-singhs-funeral/|work=IANS|publisher=news.biharprabha.com|access-date=19 April 2014}}</ref>
His body reached the Batu Gantong Crematorium, George Town, Penang at 1:35&nbsp;pm and was cremated after thousands of mourners chanted his name.<ref>{{cite news|title=Karpal Singh cremated after emotional farewell|url=http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2014/04/20/Karpal-Singh-cremated-after-emotional-farewell/|last=Chow|first=Tan Sin|date=20 April 2014|work=[[The Star (Malaysia)]]|access-date=13 February 2018}}</ref> His son, Gobind, memorialised him on 5 May during the last of a series of tributes.<ref>{{cite news|title=A Malaysia where all Malaysians are equal, that's the perfect tribute to Karpal, says Gobind|url=http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/a-malaysia-where-all-malaysians-are-equal-thats-the-perfect-tribute-to-karp|url-status=dead|last=Sue-Chern|first=Looi|work=[[The Malaysian Insider]]|date=6 May 2014|access-date=13 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140509080240/http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/a-malaysia-where-all-malaysians-are-equal-thats-the-perfect-tribute-to-karp|archive-date=9 May 2014}}</ref>

=={{anchor|Memorials|Karpal Singh Drive|Biography|Awards and accolades}}Memorials, awards and accolades==
On 19 April 2014, two days after his death, the IJM Promenade in Lebuh Sungai Pinang was renamed [[Karpal Singh Drive]] (Persiaran Karpal Singh).<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2014/04/20/penang-promenade-to-be-named-karpal-singh-drive/|title=Penang promenade to be named Karpal Singh Drive|date=20 April 2014|work=The Star|access-date=13 February 2018}}</ref> ''The Full Biography: Karpal Singh, Tiger of Jelutong'' by Tim Donoghue, published in 2014 by Marshal Cavendish International, is an updated edition of Donoghue's ''Karpal Singh: Tiger of Jelutong'' which published prior to his death.<ref>{{Cite book|title = Karpal Singh: Tiger of Jelutong|last = Donoghue|first = Tim|publisher = Marshall Cavendish International Asia Pte Ltd|year = 2013|isbn = 9789814516709|location = Singapore|pages = 361}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.timeout.com/penang/things-to-do/karpal-singh-tiger-of-jelutong-book-launch|title=Karpal Singh, Tiger Of Jelutong Book Launch|publisher=Time Out|date=22 June 2015|accessdate=30 June 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2013/08/11/karpal-singh-book-soon/|title=Karpal's soon-to-be released book was 26 years in the making|work=[[The Star (Malaysia)|The Star Online]]|date=11 August 2013|accessdate=30 June 2017}}</ref> Karpal received the Glory of India Award of Excellence in 2011, and was one of the top 10 NRI Newsmakers of 2008.<ref>{{Cite journal|date=3 August 2016|title=Karpal Singh Ram Singh v Public Prosecutor|url=http://www.kehakiman.gov.my/directory/judgment/file/KarpalSingh-W-05(S)66-03-2014.pdf|journal=Criminal Appeal No: W-05-78-03/2014|access-date=8 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160919002403/http://www.kehakiman.gov.my/directory/judgment/file/KarpalSingh-W-05(S)66-03-2014.pdf|archive-date=19 September 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/slideshow/3903535.cms|title=The Top 10 NRI Newsmakers of 2008|date=28 December 2008|access-date=8 August 2016|via=The Economic Times|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180215031945/https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/slideshow/3903535.cms|archive-date=15 February 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Election results==
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:0.5em ; font-size:95%"
|+ '''[[Dewan Rakyat|Parliament of Malaysia]]'''<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=KEPUTUSAN PILIHAN RAYA UMUM KE-12 |url=http://semak.spr.gov.my/spr/laporan/5_KedudukanAkhir.php |access-date=2022-05-06 |website=semak.spr.gov.my}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=KEPUTUSAN PILIHAN RAYA UMUM - PARLIMEN |url=http://resultpru13.spr.gov.my/module/keputusan/paparan/5_KeputusanDR.php?kod=05100 |access-date=2022-05-06 |website=resultpru13.spr.gov.my |archive-date=6 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220506194844/http://resultpru13.spr.gov.my/module/keputusan/paparan/5_KeputusanDR.php?kod=05100 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
!|Year
!|Constituency
! colspan=2|Candidate
!|Votes
!|Pct
!colspan=2|Opponent(s)
!|Votes
!|Pct
!|Ballots cast
!|Majority
!|Turnout
|-
|[[1974 Malaysian general election|1974]]
|'''P007 [[Alor Setar (federal constituency)|Alor Setar]]'''
|{{Party shading/Democratic Action Party}} |
|{{nowrap|Karpal Singh Ram Singh}} ([[Democratic Action Party (Malaysia)|DAP]])
|align="right" |9,450
|41.32%
|{{Party shading/Barisan Nasional}} |
|'''[[Oo Gin Sun]]''' ([[Malaysian Chinese Association|'''MCA''']])
|align="right" |'''13,420'''
|'''58.68%'''
|23,939
|3,970
|61.24%
|-
|rowspan=2|[[1978 Malaysian general election|1978]]
|rowspan=3|'''P043 [[Jelutong (federal constituency)|Jelutong]]'''
|rowspan=2 {{Party shading/Democratic Action Party}} |
|rowspan=2| {{nowrap|'''Karpal Singh Ram Singh'''}} ([[Democratic Action Party (Malaysia)|'''DAP''']])
|rowspan=2 align="right" |'''23,606'''
|rowspan=2|'''51.33%'''
|{{Party shading/Barisan Nasional}} |
|Lee Him ([[Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia|Gerakan]])
|align="right" |19,985
|43.45%
|rowspan=2|47,308
|rowspan=2|3,621
|rowspan=2|
|-
|bgcolor={{Party color|Social Democratic Party (Malaysia)}} |
|[[Yeap Ghim Guan]] ([[Social Democratic Party (Malaysia)|SDP]])
|align="right" |2,401
|align="right" |5.22%
|-
|[[1982 Malaysian general election|1982]]
|{{Party shading/Democratic Action Party}} |
|{{nowrap|'''Karpal Singh Ram Singh'''}} ([[Democratic Action Party (Malaysia)|'''DAP''']])
|align="right" |'''29,099'''
|'''55.21%'''
|{{Party shading/Barisan Nasional}} |
|Ooi Ean Kwong ([[Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia|Gerakan]])
|align="right" |23,603
|44.79%
|53,870
|5,496
|75.77%
|-
|[[1986 Malaysian general election|1986]]
|rowspan=2|'''P046 [[Jelutong (federal constituency)|Jelutong]]'''
|{{Party shading/Democratic Action Party}} |
|{{nowrap|'''Karpal Singh Ram Singh'''}} ([[Democratic Action Party (Malaysia)|'''DAP''']])
|align="right" |'''25,932'''
|'''62.09%'''
|{{Party shading/Barisan Nasional}} |
|[[Lim Boo Chang]] ([[Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia|Gerakan]])
|align="right" |15,833
|37.91%
|42,723
|10,099
|71.34%
|-
|[[1990 Malaysian general election|1990]]
|{{Party shading/Democratic Action Party}} |
|{{nowrap|'''Karpal Singh Ram Singh'''}} ([[Democratic Action Party (Malaysia)|'''DAP''']])
|align="right" |'''27,426'''
|'''60.05%'''
|{{Party shading/Barisan Nasional}} |
|Ooi Ean Kwong ([[Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia|Gerakan]])
|align="right" |18,248
|39.95%
|46,515
|9,178
|74.87%
|-
|rowspan=2|[[1995 Malaysian general election|1995]]
|rowspan=3|'''P049 [[Jelutong (federal constituency)|Jelutong]]'''
|rowspan=2 {{Party shading/Democratic Action Party}} |
|rowspan=2|{{nowrap|'''Karpal Singh Ram Singh'''}} ([[Democratic Action Party (Malaysia)|'''DAP''']])
|rowspan=2 align="right" |'''21,896'''
|rowspan=2|'''49.84%'''
|{{Party shading/Barisan Nasional}} |
|Rhina Bhar @ Rani Raj Pal ([[Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia|Gerakan]])
|align="right" |21,613
|49.19%
|rowspan=2|44,922
|rowspan=2|283
|rowspan=2|75.05%
|-
|{{Party shading/United Sabah Party}} |
|Lim Cheak Kow ([[Parti Bersatu Sabah|PBS]])
|align="right" |425
|0.97%
|-
|[[1999 Malaysian general election|1999]]
|{{Party shading/Democratic Action Party}} |
|{{nowrap|Karpal Singh Ram Singh}} ([[Democratic Action Party (Malaysia)|DAP]])
|align="right" |20,716
|49.08%
|{{Party shading/Barisan Nasional}} |
|'''Lee Kah Choon''' ([[Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia|'''Gerakan''']])
|align="right" |'''21,491'''
|'''50.92%'''
|43,239
|775
|72.82%
|-
|[[2004 Malaysian general election|2004]]
|rowspan=3|'''P051 [[Bukit Gelugor (federal constituency)|Bukit Gelugor]]'''
|{{Party shading/Democratic Action Party}} |
|{{nowrap|'''Karpal Singh Ram Singh'''}} ([[Democratic Action Party (Malaysia)|'''DAP''']])
|align="right" |'''22,529'''
|'''51.44%'''
|{{Party shading/Barisan Nasional}} |
|[[Lim Boo Chang]] ([[Malaysian Chinese Association|MCA]])
|align="right" |21,268
|48.56%
|44,618
|1,261
|74.21%
|-
|[[2008 Malaysian general election|2008]]
|{{Party shading/Democratic Action Party}} |
|{{nowrap|'''Karpal Singh Ram Singh'''}} ([[Democratic Action Party (Malaysia)|'''DAP''']])
|align="right" |'''35,140'''
|'''71.33%'''
|{{Party shading/Barisan Nasional}} |
|Koay Kar Huah ([[Malaysian Chinese Association|MCA]])
|align="right" |14,125
|28.67%
|50,553
|21,015
|77.05%
|-
|[[2013 Malaysian general election|2013]]
|{{Party shading/Democratic Action Party}} |
|{{nowrap|'''Karpal Singh Ram Singh'''}} ([[Democratic Action Party (Malaysia)|'''DAP''']])
|align="right" |'''56,303'''
|'''80.55%'''
|{{Party shading/Barisan Nasional}} |
|Teh Beng Yeam ([[Malaysian Chinese Association|MCA]])
|align="right" |13,597
|19.45%
|70,683
|42,706
|86.31%
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:0.5em ; font-size:95%"
|+'''[[Kedah State Legislative Assembly]]'''<ref>{{Citation |title=TindakMalaysia/HISTORICAL-ELECTION-RESULTS |date=2024-12-21 |url=https://github.com/TindakMalaysia/HISTORICAL-ELECTION-RESULTS/tree/main |access-date=2024-12-26 |publisher=TindakMalaysia}}</ref>
!|Year
!|Constituency
! colspan=2|Candidate
!|Votes
!|Pct
! colspan=2|Opponent(s)
!|Votes
!|Pct
!|Ballots cast
!|Majority
!|Turnout
|-
|[[List of Malaysian State Assembly Representatives (1974–1978)#Kedah|1974]]
|'''N10 Bandar Alor Setar'''
|{{party shading/DAP}} |
|{{nowrap|'''Karpal Singh Ram Singh'''}} ([[Democratic Action Party (Malaysia)|'''DAP''']])
| align=right|'''7,680'''
|'''55.70%'''
|{{party shading/Barisan Nasional}} |
|Geh Teng Keng ([[Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia|Gerakan]])
| align=right|6,108
|44.30%
|14,487
|1,572
|65.15%
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:0.5em ; font-size:95%"
|+'''[[Penang State Legislative Assembly]]'''<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MrMTAAAAIBAJ&dq=1978+Bukit+Serampang&pg=PA3&article_id=6786,4865973|title=1982 general election results|publisher=[[New Straits Times]]|date=24 April 1982|pages=16}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LtRHAAAAIBAJ&dq=N.28+Bukit+Gelugor&pg=PA17&article_id=6926,1430598|title=1986 general election results|publisher=[[New Straits Times]]|date=5 August 1986}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=DAP announces SDR. Karpal Singh as its candidate in the Prai by-election « Pursuit of a Malaysian Dream |date=7 July 1991 |url=https://bibliotheca.limkitsiang.com/1991/07/07/dap-announces-sdr-karpal-singh-as-its-candidate-in-the-prai-by-election/}}</ref>
!|Year
!|Constituency
! colspan=2|Candidate
!|Votes
!|Pct
! colspan=2|Opponent(s)
!|Votes
!|Pct
!|Ballots cast
!|Majority
!|Turnout
|-
|[[List of Malaysian State Assembly Representatives (1978–1982)#Penang|1978]]
| rowspan=4|'''N27 [[Bukit Gelugor (state constituency)|Bukit Gelugor]]'''
|{{Party shading/Democratic Action Party}} |
|{{nowrap|'''Karpal Singh Ram Singh'''}} ([[Democratic Action Party (Malaysia)|'''DAP''']])
| align=right|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| rowspan=3|[[List of Malaysian State Assembly Representatives (1982–1986)#Penang|1982]]
| rowspan=3 {{Party shading/Democratic Action Party}} |
| rowspan=3|'''Karpal Singh Ram Singh''' ([[Democratic Action Party (Malaysia)|'''DAP''']])
| rowspan=3 align=right|'''10,059'''
| rowspan=3|'''50.79%'''
|{{party shading/Barisan Nasional}} |
|Lim Kah Pin
| align=right|9,179
|46.35%
| rowspan=3|
| rowspan=3|880
| rowspan=3|
|-
|bgcolor={{party color|Social Democratic Party (Malaysia)}} |
|Ong Kean Thong ([[Social Democratic Party (Malaysia)|SDP]])
| align=right|426
| align=right|2.15%
|-
|{{party shading/Independent}} |
|Tan Teik Lim ([[Independent politician|IND]])
| align=right|141
| align=right|0.71%
|-
| rowspan=2|[[List of Malaysian State Assembly Representatives (1986–1990)#Penang|1986]]
| rowspan=2|'''N28 [[Bukit Gelugor (state constituency)|Bukit Gelugor]]'''
| rowspan=2 {{Party shading/Democratic Action Party}} |
| rowspan=2|'''Karpal Singh Ram Singh''' ([[Democratic Action Party (Malaysia)|'''DAP''']])
| rowspan=2 align=right|'''6,801'''
| rowspan=2|'''60.28%'''
|{{Party shading/Barisan Nasional}} |
|Ho Sen Feek
| align=right|4,273
|37.87%
| rowspan=2|11,449
| rowspan=2|2,528
| rowspan=2|69.02%
|-
|bgcolor={{party color|Social Democratic Party (Malaysia)}} |
|Lim Kah Pin ([[Social Democratic Party (Malaysia)|SDP]])
| align=right|209
| align=right|1.85%
|-
| rowspan=2|[[1991 Prai by-election|1991]]
| rowspan=2|N09 [[Perai (state constituency)|Prai]]
| rowspan=2 {{Party shading/Democratic Action Party}} |
| rowspan=2|Karpal Singh Ram Singh ([[Democratic Action Party (Malaysia)|DAP]])
| rowspan=2|
| rowspan=2|
| {{Party shading/Barisan Nasional}} |
|{{nowrap|'''V. Muthusamy'''}} ([[Malaysian Indian Congress|'''MIC''']])
|
|
| rowspan=2|
| rowspan=2|
| rowspan=2|
|-
|{{party shading/Independent}} |
|T. Muniandy ([[Independent politician|IND]])
|
|
|-
|1995
|N22 [[Padang Kota (state constituency)|Padang Kota]]
|{{Party shading/Democratic Action Party}} |
|Karpal Singh Ram Singh ([[Democratic Action Party (Malaysia)|DAP]])
| align=right|5,737
|42.12%
|{{party shading/Barisan Nasional}} |
|{{nowrap|'''[[Teng Chang Yeow]]'''}} ([[Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia|'''Gerakan''']])
| align=right|'''7,939'''
|'''58.29%'''
|
|2,560
|72.38%
|-
|[[1999 Malaysian general election|1999]]
|N25 [[Datok Keramat (state constituency)|Datok Keramat]]
|{{Party shading/Democratic Action Party}} |
|Karpal Singh Ram Singh ([[Democratic Action Party (Malaysia)|DAP]])
| align="right"|5,451	
|37.78%
|{{Party shading/Barisan Nasional}} |
|{{nowrap|'''[[Lim Boo Chang]]'''}} ([[Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia|'''Gerakan''']])
| align="right"|'''8,599'''
|'''59.60%'''
|14,427	 
|3,148
|72.04%
|}

==Honours==
===Honours of Malaysia===
* {{Flag|Penang}} :
** [[File:MY-PEN Order of the Defender of State - Knight Grand Commander - DUPN (present).png|50px]] Knight Grand Commander of the [[List of post-nominal letters (Penang)|Order of the Defender of State]] (DUPN) – '''Dato' Seri Utama''' (2020; posthumously)<ref>{{cite web|date=15 December 2020|access-date=15 December 2020|work=[[The Star (Malaysia)|The Star Online]]|url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2020/12/15/karpal-singh-heads-penang-awards-list|title=The late Karpal Singh heads Penang awards list}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=15 December 2020|access-date=15 December 2020|publisher=[[The Malay Mail]]|url=https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2020/12/15/penang-gives-karpal-singh-posthumous-award-bearing-datuk-seri-title/1932112|title=Penang gives Karpal Singh posthumous award bearing Datuk Seri title}}</ref>

==See also==
{{portal|Malaysia}}
* [[List of Malaysian politicians of Indian descent]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

== External links ==
{{Wikiquote}}
{{commons category|Karpal Singh}}
* {{Official website|http://www.karpalsingh.net/}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20111230150557/http://dapmalaysia.org/newenglish/leaders_biodata_karpal.htm Karpal Singh] – Official Democratic Action Party profile

{{S-start}}
{{S-par|my}}
{{S-bef|before=Rasiah Rajasingam}}
{{S-ttl|title=[[Dewan Rakyat|Member of Parliament]] for [[Jelutong]]|years=[[1978 Malaysian general election|1978]]–[[1999 Malaysian general election|1999]]}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Lee Kah Choon]]}}
|-
{{S-bef|before=[[Election Commission of Malaysia|Constituency created]]}}
{{S-ttl|title=[[Dewan Rakyat|Member of Parliament]] for [[Bukit Gelugor]]|years=[[2004 Malaysian general election|2004]]–2014}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Ramkarpal Singh]]}}
|-
{{S-ppo}}
{{S-bef|before=[[Lim Kit Siang]]}}
{{S-ttl|title=National Chairman of the [[Democratic Action Party (Malaysia)|Democratic Action Party]]|years=2004–2014}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Tan Kok Wai]]}}
{{S-end}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Singh, Karpal}}
[[Category:1940 births]]
[[Category:2014 deaths]]
[[Category:Malaysian people of Punjabi descent]]
[[Category:Malaysian Sikhs]]
[[Category:20th-century Malaysian lawyers]]
[[Category:Malaysian politicians of Indian descent]]
[[Category:Democratic Action Party (Malaysia) politicians]]
[[Category:Members of the Kedah State Legislative Assembly]]
[[Category:Members of the Penang State Legislative Assembly]]
[[Category:Malaysian politicians with disabilities]]
[[Category:Malaysian prisoners and detainees]]
[[Category:Amnesty International prisoners of conscience held by Malaysia]]
[[Category:Anti–death penalty activists]]
[[Category:National University of Singapore alumni]]
[[Category:Road incident deaths in Malaysia]]
[[Category:Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Defender of State of Penang]]
[[Category:Malaysian wheelchair users]]
[[Category:Lawyers with disabilities]]
[[Category:Malaysian MPs 1978–1982]]
[[Category:Malaysian MPs 1982–1986]]
[[Category:Malaysian MPs 1986–1990]]
[[Category:Malaysian MPs 1990–1995]]
[[Category:Malaysian MPs 1995–1999]]
[[Category:Malaysian MPs 2004–2008]]
[[Category:Malaysian MPs 2008–2013]]
[[Category:Malaysian MPs 2013–2018]]