Karpal Singh

Karpal Singh (Punjabi: ਕਰ੍ਪਲ੍ ਸਿੰਘ; born 28 June 1940) (Tamil: கர்பால் சிங் is a Malaysian lawyer and politician, who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for the neighbourhood of Bukit Gelugor in the state of Penang since 2004. He is the current National Chairman of the Democratic Action Party (DAP), a position he assumed in 2004.

Born in Penang to a Punjabi immigrant father, Karpal read law at the University of Singapore. He is one of Malaysia's most prominent lawyers, and has taken up numerous high-profile cases, including drug trafficking charges against foreign nationals, and sodomy accusations against former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim. Karpal is a staunch opponent of the death penalty, especially in relation to drug trafficking offences.

In both courtrooms and parliament, he is known as a controversial figure. He has been suspended from parliament numerous times, charged for sedition, and has been detained under Malaysia's internal security laws. His reputation as a lawyer and opposition politician has earned him the nickname "the Tiger of Jelutong".

Karpal's political career began in 1970 when he joined the DAP. He won a seat in the Kedah State Legislative Assembly in 1974. He was first elected to parliament in 1978 as the representative for Jelutong, Penang, and held the seat for more than 20 years until losing it in 1999. He returned to parliament in the next general election, and led the DAP to its strongest ever performance in the 2008 general election.

A motor vehicle accident in 2005 has since left Karpal using a wheelchair and with neuromotor problems in his right arm. Despite this, he has continued his legal and political careers.