T Rajamoorthy, deep thinker on global issues, passes away

Malaysia has lost one of its leading thinkers on global issues. T Rajamoorthy from Third World Network, based in Penang, has passed away after a period of illness. He was 79.

A socialist by orientation since his school days, Rajamoorthy was a Parti Sosialis Rakyat Malaysia member in the 1970s and editor of Mimbar Sosialis.

At Third World Network, Rajamoorthy, by then a specialist in international law, worked as editor of Third World Resurgence, a quarterly magazine that highlights issues of concern to the Global South. A prolific writer and editor throughout his career, he helped to shape the global discourse on trade policy, human rights and climate change.

As a lawyer, Rajamoorthy visited and advised some of the ISA detainees imprisoned without trial under Operation Lalang in 1987. Likewise, Aliran and others could always turn to him for a legal opinion, and he readily obliged even when his health was declining. Generous with his time, he was a compassionate human being.

But his soft-spokenness and gentlemanly exterior belied a deeper steadfastness in championing social justice and fighting for the rights of the poor and downtrodden. His glowing legacy will undoubtedly inspire other journalists and activists around the world to carry on the struggle for a more just world.

Aliran and the rest of the civil society movement mourns the loss of this gentle, caring activist of the South. Rest well, dear Rajamoorthy.

The views expressed in Aliran's media statements and the NGO statements we have endorsed reflect Aliran's official stand. Views and opinions expressed in other pieces published here do not necessarily reflect Aliran's official position.

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