COMMENT | I was aware that this week was the 10th anniversary of the tragic passing of one of the most magnetic Malaysians I have ever met.

For personal reasons, I now find it harder to write obituaries and tributes but as Karpal Singh’s 10th anniversary arrived, I suddenly felt compelled to share the brief time I spent with the man.

I only met him thrice, once in Parliament and twice in his law office off Jalan Pudu after he had been seriously injured in a 2005 car accident that left him with nerve damage and wheelchair-bound.

Despite the challenges, he was robust about his life-long struggle for justice and equality in Malaysia and remarkably entertaining.