GEORGE TOWN – Penang lost another community activist when civil rights lawyer T. Rajamoorthy died yesterday, a day after the state’s first female mayor Datuk Patahiyah Ismail passed away.
Rajamoorthy often wrote about issues affecting developing nations, especially Malaysia, and was a regular feature on the Third World Network, a socialist-driven non-governmental organisation.
The 80-year-old was the older brother of former Batu Uban assemblyman Dr T. Jayabalan, a doctor who followed Rajamoorthy’s footsteps in championing civil society causes.
Jayabalan said Rajamoorthy had been unwell for a while and relied on a feeding tube.
“He was discharged from the hospital but passed away at home.”
Jayabalan hopes his brother’s legacy of fighting for the downtrodden will continue with the younger generation here.
Meanwhile, Aliran president Anil Netto posted a tribute, saying that Malaysia has lost one of its leading thinkers on global issues.
“A socialist by orientation since his school days, Rajamoorthy was a Parti Sosialis Rakyat Malaysia member in the 1970s and editor of Mimbar Sosialis.
“At Third World Network, Rajamoorthy, by then a specialist in international law, worked as editor of Third World Resurgence, a quarterly magazine that highlights issues of concern to the Global South.
“A prolific writer and editor throughout his career, he helped to shape the global discourse on trade policy, human rights and climate change.”
As a lawyer, Rajamoorthy visited and advised those who had been detained under the Internal Security Act post-Ops Lalang in 1987.
Anil added that Rajamoorthy’s gentlemanly exterior belied a steadfastness in championing social justice and fighting for the rights of the poor.
“His legacy will undoubtedly inspire journalists and activists around the world to carry on the struggle for a more just world.” – The Vibes, March 25, 2023
