3,000 turn up at emotional memorial service for Karpal
The Malaysian Insider – 37 minutes agoRELATED CONTENT
- 3,000 turn up at emotional memorial service for Karpal
It was a night of mixed emotions at a memorial for the late Karpal Singh which was attended by more than 3,000 people at the Kuala Lumpur-Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall yesterday.
There were tears, laughter, defiance, grief and above all, respect from those who begin arriving as early as 6pm to pay their respects to the late veteran lawyer and politician affectionately known as the "Tiger of Jelutong".
Young and old, Malaysians from all walks of life came to honour the memory of Karpal who died in a road accident last Thursday along with his trusted aide, Michael Cornelius.
Outside the hall, Rela personnel ensured that traffic was smooth, directing vehicles to various parking areas.
At the main entrance of the premises a large screen had been erected, on which scenes from Karpal's state funeral on Sunday were depicted.
Another screen was set up inside the main hall where the memorial service was held.
Volunteers handed out flowers, posters and stickers of Karpal to people as they entered the hall. There were also donation boxes placed at the entrance.
A large portrait of Karpal was set on the stage and people were seen placing flowers and bowing before the image.
By 7.20pm, the hall was packed to its capacity with some 3,000 people. Many sat on the floor after all available seats were filled. Others stood at the entrance when there was no more room in the hall.
A thunderous applause rocked the hall when the emcees, who spoke in Mandarin, English and Hindi, announced the arrival of Karpal's son, Gobind Singh Deo. Some shouted "DAP! Karpal!" as others clapped.
The memorial service kicked off with a speech from Cheras MP Tan Kok Wai, who criticised Barisan Nasional for not attending.
