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Darma Raja Seenivasagam (Tamil: தார்ம ராஜா சீனிவசகம்) (1925, Ipoh - 15 March 1969, Ipoh) was a prominent leader of the People's Progressive Party (Malaysia) (PPP) which before 1959 was known as Perak Progressive Party . He was of Ceylonese Tamil ancestry; his father was a Ceylonese lawyer from Jaffna.
He founded the PPP along with his brother, Dato' S. P. Seenivasagam in 1953 after breaking away from the Labour Party of Malaya. They were both prominent lawyers in Malaya prior to forming the party.
He became widely known for defending a young Chinese girl named Lee Meng who was arrested for alleged militant communist activities during the Emergency.
Lee was captured by the British Malayan police force in Ipoh in July 1952 and tried for having a hand grenade in her possession.
She was sentenced to death for her responsibility in issuing orders for several murders.
Although DR did not win this case, his reputation as a lawyer was bolstered by the case.
His party PPP had its stronghold in Perak and it received a lot of support, especially from the ethnic Chinese voters.
In the 1954 elections, first in which PPP was participating, he was elected to the Town Council of Ipoh and Menglembu under the ‘Alliance’ ticket (UMNO, Malayan Chinese Association, Malayan Indian Congress). He lost in the 1955 Federal Elections but won a seat in the by-elections in 1956.
Seenivasagam was elected in a by-election in 1957 to the Ipoh parliamentary seat vacated by Tun Leong Yew Koh who went on to become Malacca's first Governor.
In the parliamentary elections of 1959, the PPP won four seats in Perak, while in 1964 it won two.
While in the opposition, Seenivasagam lead the PPP to form the short-lived Malaysian Solidarity Council (MSC) in 1965 comprising multi-racial parties like the People's Action Party and the United Democratic Party.
At the MSC's first and only general meeting, several leaders from these parties gave speeches supporting a Malaysian Malaysia. Seenivasagam in his speech accused the Alliance of using Article 153 of the Constitution of Malaysia to "bully non-Malays".
In 1965, DR famously made an allegation of corruption against then education minister Abdul Rahman Talib in Parliament, and repeated it in front of a huge crowd, including Rahman, at the Chinese Assembly Hall.
Rahman sued DR for defamation but lost the case and ended up resigning as a minister.
DR Seenivasagam passed away in March, 1969 aged just 44.
His party repeated its success in the May, 1969 elections by winning four parliamentary seats and nearly gained control of the Perak state government.
However in 1973, his brother brought the party into the Barisan Nasional coalition and this led to a collapse in support as its voters turned to the Democratic Action Party.
D. R. Seenivasagam Park, formerly known as Coronation Park, is named after the politician. It is located in the centre of Ipoh (New Town) and is known for its scenic environment and recreational facilities.
It comprises recreational fields, an artificial lake filled with fish, a nursery for potted plants and a children's traffic playground. There is also a landscaped Japanese garden featuring a Japanese carp pond.
References
- "SP: The much misunderstood politician". 29 December 2010.
- "NewspaperSG". eresources.nlb.gov.sg. Archived from the original on 15 September 2024. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
- admin, Aliran (14 October 2010). "DR Seenivasagam - the man who fought for justice". Aliran. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
- Lee, pp. 616–617.
- https://www.malaysianbar.org.my/article/news/legal-and-general-news/general-news/the-shocking-and-the-scandalous
- Netto, Terence (21 February 2019). "The power of outlasting". Malaysiakini. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
- Vengadesan, Martin (23 September 2021). "Syed Husin remembers #1: Merdeka-era leaders lost to the nation". Malaysiakini. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
- "DR Seenivasagam Recreational Park and Kinta Riverfront Walk, Ipoh". Malaysia Traveller. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
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- 20th-century Malaysian lawyers
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