The late Karpal Singh will be smiling down today to know that his peers and comrades remember him fondly and painfully miss his forceful voice in their defence of human rights and battle against oppressive laws.

Karpal, who died in a tragic road accident in Kampar, Perak, last year, was mostly known for his fiery political speeches and principles.

On top of that, his conduct in court left an impression on the judges whose chambers he entered during his legal career.

Former Appeals Court Judge Mahadev Shankar expressed gratitude for the various encounters they had in court, which afforded him some personal insight into the man.

Mahadev said Karpal had the gift of “locating the centre of gravity”.

"No matter how enormous the problem was, that no matter how big the centre was, Karpal will place his finger there and push," he said.

Although the DAP national chairperson was often known for his sparring skills, he was not all war and battles, observed the retired judge.

“All you hear about Karpal is fighting, fighting, and fighting. But when he appeared before me, many times, every time we knew he was coming, there was a sense of anticipation,” Mahadev said at the inaugural Karpal Singh Forum held at the Dewan Sri Pinang today.

“When he started to speak, there was a sense of occasion, and a sense of genuine exhilaration on the bench that there is a man like this appearing before us,” Mahadev ( left ) said.

“Was he fighting there or was he striving there to get justice? He was not long-winded; he was straight to the point,” the retired judge added.

Mahadev said the brushes with Karpal in court was not a battle but a struggle to find out the truth.

But, after a judgement is passed, everyone would come out patting each other’s back, recalled Mahadev.

“We would come out shaking hands and having a sense of achievement that we have done something wonderful for humanity,” he quipped.

'A spark igniting the cause for freedom and justice'

Attended by about 600 persons, the forum titled ‘The Sedition Act and Human Rights in Malaysia’ was organised by the Penang Bar Committee and supported by the Penang government and Penang Institute.

Karpal himself was a victim of the Sedition Act in 2009, and in 2013, was slapped with a RM4,000 fine for allegedly insulting the Perak royalty.

Since Feb 10, following the conviction and five-year jail sentence of PKR defacto leader Anwar Ibrahim for sodomy, 156 individuals including opposition leaders, social activists, students, lawyers, and journalists have been arrested under the Act.

Last week, Parliament passed amendments to the Sedition Act, which, among others, increase the maximum jail term for certain offences under the act from three years to 20 years.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng launched the forum, while Queen’s Counsel Mark Trowell gave the keynote address, and Penang Bar Committee chairperson Shyama Nair gave the welcoming remarks.

The two-hour forum was moderated by former Bar Council president Christopher Leong, and panelists included Mahadev, current Bar Council president Steven Thiru, and popular human rights defender Ambiga Sreenevasan.

Trowell said Karpal died in a saddle doing what he loved best, riding in the car in the early hours, on his way to Penang for a court hearing the next morning on Apr 17 last year.

Karpal died doing what he considered most important in life, added Trowell, as he is an “integral and irreplaceable” part of history.

“His achievement and legacy are there for all to see. His life was a history of incredible twists and turns, but a life unswayed or deflected by criticisms or threats or misfortune,” Trowell added, recalling that Karpal was tragically injured in his first car accident in 2005.

“In life and death, he is still a spark that ignites the cause for freedom and justice, not only in Malaysia but in all places where it needs to flourish and survive,” added Trowell.

Missing 'thunderous voice' in Parliament

Karpal’s family members - his wife Gurmit Singh, daughter Sangeet Kaur, his son Jagdeep Singh Deo, and grandchildren - were in the audience.

During her speech, Ambiga, who was former Bersih co-chairperson, said she “really, really missed” Karpal, especially during such a trying time that the nation is going through.

“I can almost imagine his thunderous voice in Parliament when this horrendous piece of legislation (the Sedition Act) was put through,” she said.

“I could almost hear him speak and we would listen; we would admire him.

"We respect him for everything he has done for us as a society and for upholding the rule of law,” she added.

Thiru ended his speech by reading the Editor’s note of  the Commonwealth Criminal Law Journal which was published in August last year.

“In it’s special edition in tribute to Karpal, the editor said that Karpal was noted for his unimpeachable professional and personal integrity, the tenacity which he used the law in pursuit of justice; the Malaysian Bar associates itself with this remark,” he added, to loud cheers from the crowd.