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Karpal’s family shocked over public’s response, thank the people

The water was calm when Karpal Singh's ashes were scattered into the sea in Tanjung Tokong. His eldest son Jagdeep Singh said he had never seen the sea so calm.

"It was extremely calm yesterday when his ashes was scattered from Straits Quay towards off Jalan Greenhall, where my father's law firm is located.

"It was as if the sea knew it was carrying his ashes," he said at a press conference at his Komtar office today.

Also present were his mother, Gurmit Kaur, and youngest sibling, Mankarpal Singh.

The family today thanked the people, the working committee headed by state DAP chairman Chow Kon Yeow, and the state government for the huge send-off on Sunday.

Jagdeep described the committee's work in organising the public ceremony and managing the crowd as a "sterling performance" from the moment his father made his journey back to Penang on Thursday from Perak until Sunday.

Jagdeep, who spoke softly while visibly struggling to control his grief, said they were shocked by the response from the public at Dewan Sri Pinang where the people paid their final respects.

Jagdeep also expressed the family's gratitude to Kampar and Ipoh Hospitals that attended to his father after the accident last Thursday, and the doctors Karpal had seen over the last nine years when he was confined to a wheelchair.

Jagdeep said the final prayers for his father at the Warda Gurdwara on Jalan Gurdwara would take place from Thursday to Sunday.

His mother Gurmit also expressed her thanks.

Karpal was killed early last Thursday in an accident on the North-South Expressway near Kampar while on the way home to Penang for a murder trial.

His aide, Michael Cornelius from Tamil Naidu, India, was also killed while Karpal's son Ramkarpal and their driver escaped with minor injuries.

Karpal, 73, was previously DAP national chairman from 2004 until late last month. He joined the party in December 1970 and won his first election in 1974 in Kedah.

He is survived by his wife, five children and 11 grandchildren. – April 22, 2014.