The simple, quiet and ever smiling Michael Cornelius, who used to push the late Karpal Singh around in his wheelchair, loved his boss as he would his own father.
People who knew Michael, who died in the car crash with his boss on Apr 17, near Gopeng, Perak, said “he is with Karpal to take care of him".
At 9.30am today, a special prayer event will be held for Michael,
who is a staunch Catholic, at the Ipoh General Hospital’s Forensic Department.
His remains will be flown back to his family in Tamil Nadu, India,.
Michael was Karpal’s live-in nurse but more like a son to the veteran lawyer and former DAP national chairman, who would have turned 74 on June 28.
“More than a son, he was Karpal’s hands and legs," said Harvinder Singh, a Penang Municipal Councillor, who is close to Karpal’s family.
"He took care of Karpal’s every need, fed him, bathed him, turned him over on his bed, carried his bags, mobile phone and work documents,” he added.
“He held up documents, the iPad Mini or newspapers for Karpal to read. He answered the phone and held it near Karpal’s ear so that he could speak,” he said.
“If there is no one else like Karpal, there is also no one else like Michael,” he said when met at Karpal’s funeral wake at his family home along Jalan Utama yesterday.
Harvinder, who was often seen with the Bukit Gelugor MP when he held media events in Penang, said Karpal loved the man very much, and totally relied on him.
Michael, an Indian national, was hired ten years ago after Karpal met with the first serious car accident in 2005, resulting in him being wheel-chair bound.
Harvinder said Karpal’s family hired an Indian national as locals tend to be impatient and Karpal’s physical condition was challenging.
“Michael was very patient with Karpal, he made the effort to understand his boss’ needs”.
“We could see how much he loved Karpal whenever he cut short his holiday in India, where he has a wife and two children, to return to his work,” he added.
“He was a fast learner, too. Only Michael would know Karpal’s last thoughts.
“If we needed anything from Karpal, we approached him first and would soon get a response,” Harvinder recalled, with tears in his eyes.
Almost every Friday, Michael would telephone Malaysiakini to ensure its journalist based in Penang would attend Karpal's press conference at the Air Itam market the following day.
Karpal has his routine press conferences at a shop lot which sells economy rice almost every Saturday, on his return to Penang.
“Mr Karpal wants to personally make sure you come for his meeting,” Michael often said although press invites would have been sent to all media organisations.
Most journalists remember Michael fondly as a simple, quiet, unassuming person, his neatly pressed shirt tucked into his pants, his hair neatly cut and combed, flashing smiles at everyone he met.
His was the voice that first greeted journalists wanting to ask Karpal for a quote or two when there are burning issues which needed to be addressed.
The same thing happened whenever Karpal wanted to speak to journalists them about their reports.
“I am going to miss Karpal and I am going to miss Michael. I have never seen Karpal without Michael,” said one journalist.
Wilson Moorthy, a long time volunteer for DAP’s election campaigns, said Karpal trusted Michael with his valuables, including money.
Wilson saw through four polls - two in Jelutong and two Bukit Gelugor - with Karpal though he claims he is not a DAP member.
"During elections, Karpal always took us for lunches or dinners. At the end of the meal, Michael would fork out the money for the meals,” said Wilson, a volunteer for Karpal for almost 20 years.
“We would always tell Michael not to pay for us, as we could pay for ourselves but he would tell us: This is not my money, it belongs to boss,” Wilson recalled.
"Karpal is a wonderful person who is ever ready to help others. Whenever I run out of phone credit, he told me to use his phone. He was unforgettable in that way”.
Source : http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/260474
People who knew Michael, who died in the car crash with his boss on Apr 17, near Gopeng, Perak, said “he is with Karpal to take care of him".
At 9.30am today, a special prayer event will be held for Michael,
who is a staunch Catholic, at the Ipoh General Hospital’s Forensic Department.His remains will be flown back to his family in Tamil Nadu, India,.
Michael was Karpal’s live-in nurse but more like a son to the veteran lawyer and former DAP national chairman, who would have turned 74 on June 28.
“More than a son, he was Karpal’s hands and legs," said Harvinder Singh, a Penang Municipal Councillor, who is close to Karpal’s family.
"He took care of Karpal’s every need, fed him, bathed him, turned him over on his bed, carried his bags, mobile phone and work documents,” he added.
“He held up documents, the iPad Mini or newspapers for Karpal to read. He answered the phone and held it near Karpal’s ear so that he could speak,” he said.
“If there is no one else like Karpal, there is also no one else like Michael,” he said when met at Karpal’s funeral wake at his family home along Jalan Utama yesterday.
Harvinder, who was often seen with the Bukit Gelugor MP when he held media events in Penang, said Karpal loved the man very much, and totally relied on him.
Michael, an Indian national, was hired ten years ago after Karpal met with the first serious car accident in 2005, resulting in him being wheel-chair bound.
Harvinder said Karpal’s family hired an Indian national as locals tend to be impatient and Karpal’s physical condition was challenging.
“Michael was very patient with Karpal, he made the effort to understand his boss’ needs”.
“We could see how much he loved Karpal whenever he cut short his holiday in India, where he has a wife and two children, to return to his work,” he added.
“He was a fast learner, too. Only Michael would know Karpal’s last thoughts.
“If we needed anything from Karpal, we approached him first and would soon get a response,” Harvinder recalled, with tears in his eyes.
Almost every Friday, Michael would telephone Malaysiakini to ensure its journalist based in Penang would attend Karpal's press conference at the Air Itam market the following day.
Karpal has his routine press conferences at a shop lot which sells economy rice almost every Saturday, on his return to Penang.
“Mr Karpal wants to personally make sure you come for his meeting,” Michael often said although press invites would have been sent to all media organisations.
Most journalists remember Michael fondly as a simple, quiet, unassuming person, his neatly pressed shirt tucked into his pants, his hair neatly cut and combed, flashing smiles at everyone he met.
His was the voice that first greeted journalists wanting to ask Karpal for a quote or two when there are burning issues which needed to be addressed.
The same thing happened whenever Karpal wanted to speak to journalists them about their reports.
“I am going to miss Karpal and I am going to miss Michael. I have never seen Karpal without Michael,” said one journalist.
Wilson Moorthy, a long time volunteer for DAP’s election campaigns, said Karpal trusted Michael with his valuables, including money.
Wilson saw through four polls - two in Jelutong and two Bukit Gelugor - with Karpal though he claims he is not a DAP member.
"During elections, Karpal always took us for lunches or dinners. At the end of the meal, Michael would fork out the money for the meals,” said Wilson, a volunteer for Karpal for almost 20 years.
“We would always tell Michael not to pay for us, as we could pay for ourselves but he would tell us: This is not my money, it belongs to boss,” Wilson recalled.
"Karpal is a wonderful person who is ever ready to help others. Whenever I run out of phone credit, he told me to use his phone. He was unforgettable in that way”.
Source : http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/260474
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