Sivarasa Rasiah

Education

So instead I went into genetics in Universiti Malaya and graduated with first class honours.

Career

Though today he may be one of the top lawyers in Kuala Lumpur, Siva"s first degree was actually in genetics. Reminiscing on his early days in an interview with the New Straits Times, Siva said, "I was trying to get into medicine after high school in Victoria Institution but didn"t make the grade. Form Five was great but I guess in Form Six, there were many distractions.

Six months into my Master"s I realised that this was not my cup of tea and was already looking at other options.”

He then applied for a Rhodes scholarship to pursue law at Oxford University.

After completing his law degree and the Bar in Britain, Siva took a year off and went to Germany where he spent most of his time in libraries there reading. He worked for a bit after that in London before returning to Malaysia on his 30th birthday.

lieutenant was while he was in the United Kingdom that he got interested in human rights and "became involved with union workers and stuff like that there". His first involvement with an non-governmental organization was in 1997 when he got involved with a women"s group called Citizens Against Rape.

Siva got arrested twice during the 1998 Reformasi period but shrugs it off as part and parcel of the job.

He later joined Parti Keadilan Rakyat.

Achievements

• He is co-founder of Suara Rakyat Malaysia or Suaram (a human rights non-governmental organization) and former vice-president of the opposition Parti Keadilan Rakyat (People"s Justice Party).

Membership

In the 2008 general election, Sivarasa was elected as the Member of Parliament for Subang, defeating his opponent by a 6,000 vote majority. In the 2008 general election, Sivarasa was elected as the Member of Parliament for Subang, defeating his opponent by a 6,000-vote majority.