KLANG: The late Datuk Karam Singh Walia was remembered as a loving yet firm father who instilled the importance of knowledge in his children, particularly the mastery of languages.
His second son, Commander Melvinderjit Singh Walia, 42, recalled that whenever he or his siblings used inaccurate words or phrases at home, their father would immediately reprimand them and demand that the error be corrected on the spot.
Sharing his experience at the start of his national defence training at the Royal Military College (RMC), Melvinderjit recalled that his father, though busy as a broadcast journalist, always called to check on him at the hostel.
"What I remember most is how delighted he was when he found out I had successfully entered the National Defence University of Malaysia (UPNM).
"That had always been his wish. Among my fondest memories is that, because of him, I had to recite many pantun during my training days.
"In terms of his firmness regarding schoolwork, marks for language subjects, be it English or Malay, had to be 90% or above; it could not be less. That was how he educated us," he said when met at the late journalist's residence here on Monday (April 6).
The deceased's younger brother, Jasbant Singh, said that although Karam Singh never received a formal linguistic education, he carved his own niche by using language with refinement, incorporating pantun and proverbs into his reporting.
Jasbant, the Group Managing Editor of News and Current Affairs at Media Prime Berhad, added that this should serve as a benchmark and example for those interested in or already part of the country's journalism industry.
"Our family has lost someone we dearly love. All this while, Karam Singh was the pillar of his family, and, for me, as his younger brother, he provided much guidance in journalism.
"Truly, he was a Malaysian journalism icon... his passing is felt not only by his family but by the entire journalism fraternity in Malaysia," he said.
Karam Singh’s remains will be taken to the Simpang Lima Hindu Crematorium here at 4pm on Monday, following a final wake by family members ending at 3pm.
Born in 1959 in Teluk Intan, Perak, to the family of a former police officer, Karam Singh, 67, began his career as a broadcast journalist at TV3 in 1995 and retired in 2014 due to health issues.
Recognised as one of the country's most influential environmental journalists, he won the Anugerah Seri Angkasa twice. He also won the Malaysian Press Institute (MPI) Award for Best Environmental Television Journalist for four consecutive years from 2004 to 2007.
He also received the Tabung Kasih@HAWANA aid for media practitioners in June 2024. — Bernama
