10 STUDENTS AWARDED KARPAL SINGH LAW SCHOLARSHIP

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 14 (Bernama) -- Another 10 law students have been awarded the Karpal Singh Law Scholarship, introduced to continue the late leader’s legacy in upholding justice, human rights and the supremacy of the Federal Constitution.

DAP national chairman Gobind Singh Deo said the party initially allocated RM100,000 for 10 recipients, but the amount was doubled to RM200,000, or RM20,000 per recipient, following encouraging contributions from donors who wished to support the initiative.

“This marks the second year the Karpal Singh Law Scholarship is being awarded after it was first introduced last year,” he said in a statement today.

The 10 recipients, comprising Malaysians from diverse backgrounds and various parts of the country, are pursuing law studies at local public institutions of higher learning and foreign universities. The awards were presented at a ceremony held in the capital yesterday.

Meanwhile, DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke Siew Fook said the 10 recipients were selected from among 200 applicants and expressed hope that they would carry the spirit of the late Datuk Seri Utama Karpal Singh as a defender of law and the Constitution.

He also shared that the party decided to award the scholarship to a student leader known for openly criticising the existing education system, even though the move attracted controversy.

“Although the criticism involved the Federal Government, of which DAP is part, in the spirit of freedom of expression and the pursuit of truth championed by the late Karpal Singh, the party decided to maintain its decision to grant the scholarship based on merit,” he said.

Yesterday’s event also featured the inaugural Karpal Singh Law Lecture, delivered by Professor Emeritus Datuk Dr Shad Saleem Faruqi, titled “Reforming the Judicial Appointments Commission to Empower and Ensure the Independence of the Judiciary.”

The scholarship, launched last year in honour of Karpal Singh to commemorate the 10th anniversary of his passing, aims to celebrate his contributions and inspire young Malaysians pursuing law studies.

Karpal was killed in a road accident on the North-South Expressway near Gua Tempurung, Gopeng, Perak, in March 2014 at the age of 74.

He had served as Jelutong MP from 1978 to 1990 and Bukit Gelugor MP from 2004 until 2014. He was also the third DAP national chairman, holding the position from 2004 until his death.

-- BERNAMA