"She felt so intensely for ordinary Malaysians."

Her tireless pursuit in championing human rights had earned her the respect and admiration of many. While Toni Kasim may no longer walk amongst us, her legacy lives on.

zaitun toni kassim Last night, some 50 people gathered at the Annexe Theater in Kuala Lumpur to pay tribute to her contributions for the betterment of society.

The event was held to mark the first anniversary of her death on June 4 last year. Toni, whose real name is Zaitun Kasim, had succumbed to a long battle with cancer at the age of 41.

During her brief life, she had touched many hearts and changed many lives with her work in rights groups Suaram, Amnesty International and Sisters in Islam.

To immortalise her efforts, yesterday's event also witnessed the launch of a book in her honour.

Aptly titled, Toni Kasim: Many Shades of Good - A Tribute , the 132-page book contains a compilation of 41 articles from various authors.

toni kassim book launch gathering 250609 kua kia soong Editor of the book and long-time friend, Dr Kua Kia Soong, remembered Toni as a person who championed the repressed and victims of prejudice.

"She felt so intensely for ordinary Malaysians," he told Malaysiakini.

"Her activism took her to urban settlers, workers, farmers, marginalised groups such as lesbians, gays and transsexuals," he added.

Kua said her work had even taken Toni abroad, such as training religious scholars in the Middle-East about women's rights.

Role model and mentor

toni kassim book launch gathering 250609 crowd Human rights lawyer N Surendran, who first met Toni during a NGO fact-finding mission on the effects of the Bakun Dam on indigenous people, described her as a role model and determined fighter.

"She showed that everyone can make a change in this country. She was persistent in every topic that she took up and changed the country little by little," he said.

Independent film-maker Mien Lor described Toni as a mentor to many, adding that she had conducted numerous workshops, especially on gender issues.

"I always remember her phrase - 'I'll be damned if I let one person or one thing stop me from doing the things that I love. If I let that happen, I would not have achieved anything'."

toni kassim book launch gathering 250609 book In the book, Seputeh MP and Selangor senior exco Teresa Kok hailed Toni for her political achievements in 1999.

That year, as party of the civil society Women’s Candidacy Initiative (WCI), Toni based her campaign on gender issues and human rights.

"She contested on a DAP ticket for the Selayang parliamentary seat against (then MCA vice-president ) Chan Kong Choy.

"She managed to win 43 percent of the votes, reducing the incumbent's margin from 38,627 (in 1995) to 8,835," she wrote.