Martin Khor: An intellectual giant and a legend Gurdial Singh Nijar

Martin Khor passed away in the early hours of April 1, after a 5-year formidable struggle with cancer.

Martin, you will be remembered for your commitment to things that matter most in life. From the preservation of the local environment to the global attenuation of the hazards of climate change. Hence your crucial leadership of the Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) – which waged struggles to preserve the treasures and bounty of Penang – fighting against plans to “develop” Penang Hill, against hill slope construction, the reclamation of lands from the sea and mega projects.

From ensuring not only the national sovereign interest but more significantly the collective integrity of developing countries; marked by the greatest admirable feat: inspiring the creation of developing country blocs to face developed countries in international negotiations, starting from the 1992 Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit until the more recent 2010 Climate Change Agreement; with loads of other treaty negotiations in-between; primarily through the internationally renowned Third World Network (TWN) which he founded in 1984 together with his mentor the late S. M Mohamed Idris and other international luminaries; Martin cut a familiar figure with diplomats at the World Trade Organisation (WTO). I remember in the early 1990s he would drag me to the WTO building, overlooking the picturesque Lake Geneva, where we would sit patiently outside the negotiation room and rush to diplomats as they emerged, To hand them sheaves of Martin’s well-prepared policy arguments on each issue of fundamental concern to developing countries – such as the need to limit the deleterious effects of IP for medicines and the like; thus did his reputation grow as an indefatigable aide to developing countries, earning him welcome access to the inner caucuses of third world governments, culminating in his appointment in 2009 as the chief of the South Centre, his term ended in 2015.

He was a constant at our ministries and agencies, reaching to the very top to push for national policy positions. I recall being invited together with Martin by the previous Pakatan Harapan government (May 2018 – March 2020) to address members of the Cabinet and the Attorney-General on issues relating to the ratification of the CPTPP, a trans Pacific trade agreement, where he lucidly recounted the downside of the dispute settlement mechanism which could impoverish developing countries in suits brought against the government if they carried out reforms in the national interest, which corporations claimed affected their economic interests.

Self- effacing, he pushed others to the forefront while providing the intellectual research and boost. Industrious, working overnight wherever he was to ensure key materials were in the hands of decision-makers in time; an Intellectual giant: with so many books, articles and a Star column to his name; caring and always lending a helping hand or ear to those around him.

Martin is truly, a legend in his lifetime and well after. Martin, rest in peace.

(Gurdial Singh Nijar, a prominent public interest lawyer, is an early associate of Martin in Malaysia.)