KLANG, April 6 — The late Datuk Karam Singh Walia was remembered as a loving yet firm father who instilled in his children the importance of knowledge, 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, 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. 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 per cent and above; it could not be less. That was how he educated us," he said at the family residence in Klang today.
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, who is Media Prime Berhad's news and current affairs group managing editor, said that this should serve as a benchmark and example for those interested in or already part of Malaysia'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.
Following his passing at home in the early hours this morning, Karam Singh’s remains were taken to the Simpang Lima Hindu Crematorium at 4pm, following a final wake by family members which ended at 3pm.
