My colleague Steven Sim, the Bukit Mertajam MP and I skipped Parliament sitting to attend the funeral of Irene Fernandez at Divine Mercy Church at Shah Alam yesterday afternoon. She was placed in a white casket. She looked peaceful. Irene is known as the fighter for human rights and migrant rights in Malaysia. Her courage and her care for the marginalized and the oppressed has touched the hearts of many. I remember while I was still a university student in the late 80s, the womens groups were fighting for Domestic Violence bill to be passed by the Parliament. A woman NGO activist told me that Irene once saw a man beating his wife in the plantation estate, she went up to him and gave him a big slap! Wao!! This incident tells a lot of the courage and guts of Irene. I must say the funeral mass is the most impressive for a lay person in church. It was presided by the Bishop Sebastian Francis from Penang Diocese, accompanied by two Archbishops Emeritus Murphy Pakiam and Soter Fernandez from Kuala Lumpur Diocese, and more than 10 Catholic priests. The presence of the bishops and priests and a well attended funeral mass tells us the standing of Irene in the hearts of the religious and her fellow friends and partners. Goodbye Irene. Your life has touched many of us in this country. You have lived a good life and has become the model of many. I believe you are resting peacefully in the hands of our Lord now. RIP Irene.
Posted on: Fri, 04 Apr 2014 00:46:22 +0000
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