[PHOTOS] Karpal Singh Cremated As Thousands Bid Farewell

GEORGE TOWN: The 800m-long IJM Promenade in Lebuh Sungai Pinang has been renamed Persiaran Karpal Singh or the Karpal Singh Drive.

Karpal’s son, Ramkarpal Singh Deo who recently was elected Bukit Gelugor MP, taking over from his father, tweeted, “Just finished launch of Persiaran Karpal Singh or Karpal Singh Boulevard in Penang. Beautiful place! Do visit!”

therakyatpost.com

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng launched the ceremony on Thursday. Almost 100 balloons were released as a symbolic gesture. Lebuh Sungai Pinang 4 has also been renamed Persiaran Karpal Singh 1 while Lebuh Sungai Pinang 5 renamed Persiaran Karpal Singh 2.

“By renaming the roads, the late Karpal Singh’s contribution will always be remembered,” said Lim.

Some 20 family members, including Karpal's wife, Gurmit Kaur, and sons, Gobind Singh and Jagdeep Singh, gathered on board a rented yacht, which sailed from Tanjung Pinang near Tanjung Tokong about 11am. Jalan Green Hall is a significant venue as the late DAP stalwart's legal firm, Karpal Singh and Company, is located near the end of the road, which is by the sea.

nst.com.my

The yacht stopped about 20m from the shore as Karpal's family members on board the vessel prepared for the ritual before scattering his ashes. Many onlookers were surprised to see the yacht approaching the site near Jalan Green Hall and later witnessed the ritual, which lasted about five minutes.

None of Karpal's family members could be contacted on the ritual. However, a relative of the "Tiger of Jelutong" confirmed that Karpal's family had gone to scatter his ashes in the sea near his office. Thousands of people had thronged the Batu Gantong crematorium to bid farewell to one of Penang's most beloved and prominent sons on Sunday.

nst.com.my

Karpal's body enters the furnace. Despite pleas from the family, the crowd refuses to leave. But as the ceremony comes to a close, the crowd eventually disperses. Gobind finally tells everyone thanks all supporters for attending the ceremony.

Gurmit is being held by her daughter Sangeet and several female relatives. She appears very distraught as someone fans her from the back. Karpal's bones will be collected ‎and scattered at sea.

People who managed to get into the crematorium compound are performing the final rites. Jagdeep Singh sternly requests photographers to stop taking photos because Karpal's wife wants privacy at this final moment. Many refuse to leave the facility, although some people have left to in anticipation of a traffic jam.

Tempers flare as the crowd of people refuse to make room for Karpal's family as they prepare to move the coffin into the furnace. Karpal's youngest son Man Karpal was seen grabbing a mobile phone belonging to a woman and smashed it against a wall in frustration.

The procession passes by the DAP headquarters and is now on its way to the crematorium. Traffic is heavy along the route. Traffic jams are reported in the vicinity of the route. The Penang state government's volunteer squad is helping to manage the heavy traffic along the route.

themalaysianinsider.com

Karpal's cortege leaves the dewan accompanied by the St Xavier's Institution band playing 'When The Saints Come Marching In'. Karpal's remains will leave soon for Batu Gantung for cremation, but not before he journeys around significant spots of his life: the Penang State Legislative assembly, St Xavier's Institution, his legal office in Jalan Green Hall and the Penang High Court on Jalan Faarquhar.

As the cortege makes its way around the four significant stops, crowds line the roads with some clapping and chanting "Karpal Singh! Karpal Singh!". There is a massive traffic jam. Famous blogger Anil Netto estimates the overall crowd at 20,000. At present it is going around the Penang High Court and the superbikes convoy leads in front.

The crowd swells to approximately 10,000 and many are still waiting to go in. PSM secretary general S Arutchevan has managed to enter with his entourage of 20 members. Aliran president Francis Loh and former president P Ramakrishnan are also inside the Dewan, waiting to pay their respects.

Guan Eng's political secretary and Air Itam assemblyperson Wong Hoi Wai says Penang Governor Abdul Rahman Abbas is on his way. "The crowd will be allowed in until he arrives," Wong says when asked if the time for the public to pay their respects would be extended.

A woman has fainted outside and is being attended to by an ambulance. Another was brought into the Dewan as she was going to fall. She is seated near a cooler and is attended to by several DAP members. People are saying that the crowd, in the thousands now, are more than when a state funeral was held for former CM Lim Chong Eu, in 2012.

Anwar Ibrahim arrives. He hugs Guan Eng and shakes hands with Karpal's sons Jagdeep Singh Deo and Gobind Singh Deo who are standing in front of the coffin.

astroawani.com

Several members of the courthouse and lawyers are seen among the crowd. As the public look solemnly over the glass top of Karpal's coffin, some have tears in their eyes. A senior with her walking stick almost breaks down in tears as she is escorted out.

As they walk around Karpal's coffin, they are seen putting their hands together in prayer, while some offer flowers. Outside the Dewan, the crowd jostle with one another to come closer to the entrance. MPs and assemblypersons from Pakatan and Karpal's family members have taken their seats on both sides of the cortege.

About 100 superbikers leading the hearse of Karpal Singh arrived at the Dewan Sri Pinang on Sunday. The voluntary patrol unit (PPS) members set up by the Penang Government can be seen clearing the crowd for the hearse to pass. Several people could be seen waving giant DAP flags at the entrance.

Among the crowd is lawyer M Visvanathan who arrived in Penang at about 5am to pay his last respects. He says the government should declare this a national day of mourning because such is the impact of Karpal Singh's legacy.

"The younger generation needs to fill the giant footsteps left behind by Karpal. We are all merely wearing small shoes unlike him. He walked the talk and lived by his principles, he was deep rooted in fair and right (against) wrong. That made him stand out among the rest.

astroawani.com

At around 7:30am, Dewan Sri Pinang was already teeming with people, waiting for his cortege to arrive at 9am. The cortege left Karpal's home at 8.15am after final prayers there. A big white truck with the banner 'Sdr Karpal Singh Dalam Kenangan 1940 - 2014' was seen parked on the side of the Penang Civil and Magistrate Court, on the right of Dewan Sri Pinang.