PENANG has lost one of its revered motorcycle-riding lawyers and interfaith dialogue champion Sukhindarpal Singh, who died two weeks after he underwent a heart procedure at the Penang Hospital.
Known as a lawyer who rides his big bike to work to beat the notorious Penang traffic congestion, the 69-year-old is said to be the most recognisable Sikh in Penang after the late DAP chairman Karpal Singh, whose party is marking his 10th year death anniversary next week.
Unlike Karpal though, Sukhindarpal is renowned for his pro bono legal work as well as the face of Penang’s interfaith dialogue scene.
He had served as the chairman of the Penang chapter of the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism.
But fellow lawyers would miss his presence in the hallways of the courts here, as he would often attend various court proceedings as both an observer and a lawyer who would offer to help those who cannot afford their own counsel.
Sukhindarpal was also present at the inquest into the mysterious death of Aussie grandmother Annapuranee Jenkins, often lending support to the grief-stricken family.
The Sikh community, in a social media post, said that they will always remember him as a strict, but warm person who was passionate in sharing the teachings of the Gurus, uplifting the Sikh youth and inspiring them to embrace their heritage.
Civil society advocate Datuk Anwar Fazal wrote a message that his close friend was truly full of compassion and conscience.
“His role in interfaith work was outstanding. He organised for several years a statewide interfaith conference where he invited me to give the keynote celebrating Penang’s cosmopolitanism.”
He was president of the Penang branch of the Malaysian interfaith network that aims at bringing all the major faiths of Malaysia together and did great work as a director of the Penang Harmonica Centre. – May 11, 2024.
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