The memorial event for Haris, organised by Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia (SABM) at the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH), saw the attendance of many activists, including Nasir, who said Malaysia needed more people like Haris “to fight for an equal and just society no matter the consequences”.
“We need to develop more ‘Haris Ibrahims’ to take care of the country,” he said.
Haris, who was the founder of the “Asalkan Bukan Umno” (“Anything But Umno”, or ABU) movement, was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer in April last year. He died on Aug 5, at the age of 64.
Activist Arthur Toh paid tribute to his dear friend by recounting his journey with Haris in creating the ABU movement, describing the lawyer as a determined and principled man who always kept his word.
“He was someone who didn’t care about the money, only the cause,” he said.
Haris had reportedly sold his properties and put his entire life savings into funding activism. When people asked him why, he told them: “If someone has to do something for the country and people, let it be me.”
Lawyer Sreekanth Pillai said Haris was a remarkable lawyer and an extraordinary activist, who put the fight for justice above all else.
“He was a person who wouldn’t think twice when it came to justice and human rights. He didn’t care what the consequences were,” he said.
In 2019, the Court of Appeal acquitted Haris of a sedition charge after he called for a change of government during a public forum in Kuala Lumpur on May 13, 2013, about one week after the 13th general election (GE13).
Amnesty International condemned Haris’s eight-month jail term by the Kuala Lumpur sessions court in 2016, which was later stayed pending an appeal.
Also present at the tribute was lawyer-activist Siti Kasim. She likened her relationship with Haris to siblings often caught in arguments. However, she said, at the end of the day, both of them knew their hearts were in the right place in fighting for a better Malaysia.
“There are very few human beings like Haris. He was a person who you could take as he was. There was no pretending. I admired him very much,” Siti said.