A legacy of doing what's right: Irene Fernandez (1946-2014)

On Monday morning, March 31, 2014, Irene passed away after succumbing to heart failure. She was 67.

For those in the news business, she was a household name. Irene would often be the go-to source for all things related to workers, women, migrants or human rights. She was not only a vocal voice -- determined and consistent in her views -- but she knew her work well.

“The views, when it comes from her, would usually be the type you knew the authorities would have to act upon. What she says is factual and she knows what she is talking about,” said one senior reporter with a news portal.

Irene's willingness to give interviews to the media was not limited to gaining publicity, she took pains to articulate herself clearly and explain the issues as well as she could, even to those who might never publish them.

“She took the time to explain to us the issues, never forcing us to publish and write what she wanted us to,” said a senior TV editor, recalling the last time he covered Irene, almost 10 years ago.

"She would always pick up your call, or call you back," he added.

Even in the past few years, as the health of Tenaganita's executive director's deteriorated, she did not slow down.

“Till her end, as she was being pushed around in a wheelchair due to her weak heath, she was pushing for what she believed in - the rights of all humans to be given their dignity, no matter what race, religion or nationality.

“For Irene Fernandez, everyone was just a human being, created as equals,” wrote senior journalist Zakiah Koya, who covered Irene since the 90s.

My own, most recent, memory of her was when a story I wrote about the failures in the government’s 6P programme became a main subject of a gathering Tenaganita organised outside the Bangladesh High Commission. This was at the end of 2012.

Though she looked frail in her wheelchair, she had insisted on turning up personally, in her typical sari, during the protest of some 100 foreign workers. However, when she spoke, her voice was strong and commanding. The crowd there, including the less friendly staff and officers, listened respectfully.

At the end of the event, she told me ‘not to worry when you are doing the right thing’. Though I cannot remember her exact words for me now, but they were warm, and reassuring.

That gesture could, perhaps, encapsulate her firm beliefs in upholding, and exposing, the truth as she did in the famous case of 1995, when she took up a news report that theSun refused to print then, and revealed the appalling living conditions of migrant workers at Semenyih detention camp herself.

For that, she was charged by the government under the Printing Presses and Publications Act for ‘maliciously publishing false news’ and given a prison sentence after being found guilty in 2003. Only after enduring a 13-year trial, she was acquitted by a High Court in 2008.

For Malaysiakini co-founder Steven Gan, one of the reporters in theSun who passed her that story then, Irene has always been consistent in her work: a person to be regarded as a "Malaysian hero"

“She has been extremely driven and absolutely determined in trying to achieve what she believes in, and that was really helping the poor and powerless,” said Gan, who has known her professionally for 20 some years.

“The authorities’ reaction to her was quite bad. I initially felt bad for getting her in trouble. But I don’t think either of us regretted what we have done. She would have never accepted my apology. She knew what would happen and she did the right thing.”

Gan said she admired Irene for taking up issues, such as migrant and refugee rights, that have never been “popular” among NGOs.

“It is not something that has gained much interest or support from a lot of Malaysians but she felt for the issue strong enough and has stuck to it for the past 15 to 20 years,” he said.

Her spirit also helped spur journalists, and Gan said Irene taught everyone to “basically to believe in what you are doing, knowing it was the right thing to do, persevere despite the harassment, that’s what I learned.”

For a number of younger journalists, meeting an experienced activists like Irene was "eye opening", and many were inspired to write more because of her.

Sandra Sokial, from The Rakyat Post, said that Irene was a simple person but with very strong character, who, after holding a workshop "did her magic" on her years ago.

"I started doing in depth stories on human trafficking, and will not stop to pun an end to the issue," said Sandra.

BFM 89.9 assistant producer Aziff Azuddin said that though those around him had criticised her, due to anti-immigrant sentiments, he later found Irene to be a voice that was "sincere, strong and with passion for her cause” and taught him to see past nationalities.

"In person, Irene was less impressive that her reputation suggested but it was in our conversation that I saw her genuine compassion for drifted immigration workers, her passion to right the injustice and more importantly, to recognise that they too are human."

"She was soft-spoken but there was resilience in her voice, a will that cannot be broken. But at the same time filled with kindness, with her carefully chosen words and her smile that forms ever so often," he said.

Irene was also said to be “stern” in her ways, and was one those who was known to have stuck to her beliefs and principles, no matter how troublesome and frustrating.

"She was always passionate about her work, to the point that she never slowed down despite her health.

"She followed her principles so much so that some things that could be settled with alternative means, easily, she would refuse. Her staff always told me she was always adamant in doing it the right way,” said one senior editor who have covered Tenaganita and worker issues for years.

Despite her sometimes tough exterior, Irene was also known as a person filled with joy, a sweet smile and a hearty laugh.

The Nut Graph editor Jacqueline Ann Surin, who knew Irene since she was a child, said “Aunty Irene” was an “incredible woman” filled with “warmth”.

“I was very young. She use to come to my parents’ house in Penang, to bounce me on her lap. I remember she use to talk about consumer rights, and that’s how my siblings were so conscious about consumer rights.

“She was one of the warmest individuals I ever knew. She always had a big smile for me. She had this incredible laugh… for somebody who did the kind of work she did. She was outraged, for certain, but she still had this laugh filled with joy… goodness,” she said.

Irene, said Jacqueline, dedicated her life "unrelenting in fighting for the rights of others her work in the life of others, especially for the marginalized community, even at great costs to herself.

In public, Irene was a towering figure, respected by other activists, in and outside country, earning numerous awards for her work. She was known as beacon of light for human rights, for the less fortunate.

At home, she was the wife to Joseph Paul, and a mother to their three children Tania Joe, Camvera Jose and Katrina Jorene. Despite her dedication to her various causes, she never failed in her duties to her family: as a daughter, sister, wife and mother.

For the helpless people that she has helped, she will always be known as their savior.