The tiger will not roar again

WHEN all else failed, rightly or wrongly, for those at the wrong end of the law, Karpal Singh's name would crop up sooner or later.
There was a sense of justice in him that transcended colour, creed or political affiliation which was grounded in the belief that everyone deserved a defence.
As for his legal victories, which are legend, it was not that the 73-year-old, who died in a car crash near Ipoh early today, was a magician who could pull wins at will out of a hat.
It was just that he had that innate skill that most lawyers seek all their life, and some find, to understand the intricacies of a difficult case, his vast experience affording that little extra that could help in furthering his client's case.
Karpal Singh, the acknowledged legal institution the likes of whom Malaysia may never see again, also enjoyed similar success in his political career that spanned 44 years, earning him the monicker, "the Tiger of Jelutong" (he represented the parliamentary constituency for more than 20 years).
He did not suffer fools, politically or otherwise, gladly as his statements in Parliament and outside often proved beyond doubt, his acerbic tongue and withering looks putting paid to their attempts to further their cause.
His oft-quoted "Those who want to create an Islamic state can only do so over my dead body " (on Pas' move in this direction) is one of the many unforgettable lines that Malaysians will remember for a long time.
The University of Singapore law graduate was a slow starter who thrived in the seventies and early eighties on near-impossible cases that veterans in the bar may not have liked to touch.
But he took them on, loving the challenge of these cases and the relief that they could provide to families.
I first came to know the MP for Bukit Gelugor in 1980 when he made frequent trips to Alor Star from Penang to fight the legal odds that were inevitably stacked against him.
The "lawyers' lawyer" as some referred to him in private, did not keep his experience to himself, often meeting younger lawyers wanting the benefit of his years in seemingly un-winnable cases, especially those on appeal.
Karpal built a larger-than-life image as the lawyer and politician always rooting for the underdog, sometimes being asked to represent those on the other side of the political divide.
A veteran lawyer told me today of a time when Karpal was in hospital in Penang, with no visitors allowed except for family members, but had agreed to see him.
The lawyer had a thorny case that was coming up on appeal, with no idea of where to take his argument.
Karpal smiled from his bed when the lawyer, who had driven up from Kuala Lumpur, entered his room and engaged him for the next hour with legal points that had escaped his younger comrade in arms.
The lawyer won the case on appeal, thanks to Karpal's evisceration of the prosecution's case leading from what seemed to be a minor point that the former had overlooked.
The last time I met him was in August last year at the launch of his book, "Tiger of Jelutong", where he tirelessly signed books for his "fans", never mind the fact that he was wheelchair bound or that he had many hours more before calling it a day.
And he knew adversity, which had visited him twice in his lifetime, seeing him incarcerated at the Kamunting Detention Centre in 1987 and 1988.
But he never openly held a grudge against those who put him there, the eternal optimist in him seeing them as opportunities to learn about the human psyche.
This made him the consummate husband, father, political ally and friend who could be counted on when needed.
He was the husband who treasured his wife Gurmit Kaur, the father who trained his sons Gobind, who is Puchong MP, Penang state exco member Jagdeep and Ramkarpal and daughter Sangeet Kaur to seek justice for all which they chose to do under the DAP banner.
It's indeed a sad day for many Malaysians who will never hear the tiger roar again.