# P. Patto

Patto s/o Perumal (Tamil: பட்டோ பெருமாள், romanized: Paṭṭō perumāḷ; 19 December 1946 – 12 July 1995) also known as P. Patto was a Malaysian politician and political detainee. A member of the Democratic Action Party, he served as a member of parliament in three separate spells.
He was detained without trial as part of the Operation Lalang arrests, which was carried out by the Mahathir Mohamad government in 1987. He died in 1995, shortly after being elected Bagan MP. His daughter Kasthuriraani Patto is also a politician who was Batu Kawan MP from 2013 to 2022.

## Early life

Patto was born in Bagan Serai, Perak on 19 December 1946. He was raised by his grandfather as his father passed away when he was just ten. A trained teacher, he was able to converse in Malay, English, Tamil and a number of Chinese dialects.

## Political career

He joined the DAP in 1971 and eventually quit teaching to take up the role of political secretary to DAP leader Lim Kit Siang in 1973. The next year he challenged MIC heavyweight Samy Vellu in Sungai Siput, losing by a surprisingly small margin of 644 votes. However, he won the Gopeng seat in the Perak state assembly.
Patto also became DAP deputy secretary general and editor of the party newspaper The Rocket.
In 1978, he and Lim Kit Siang were arrested under the ISA after they exposed the scandal of the purchase of four Swedish-made SPICA-M fast strike crafts by the Royal Malaysian Navy. The same year he was elected Menglembu MP, securing 29,573 votes to defeat Barisan Nasional candidate Lee Can Fai by 12,770 votes. He also retained the Gopeng seat.
Patto was left without a seat after the 1982 elections where he lost in Petaling, but returned in 1986 with a double victory in the Ipoh parliamentary election and the Sungai Pari state assembly seat. In the race for Ipoh he bagged 21,401 votes winning by a majority of 5654 over Wong Chin Chye of Barisan Nasional while Chan Kok Keong of the Socialist Democratic Party came a distant third.
In 1987, he was detained at the Kamunting Detention Camp under the Malaysian Internal Security Act during Operation Lalang. The operation saw the arrest of at least 106 people—political activists, opposition politicians, intellectuals, students, artists, scientists and others—who were detained without trial. Other DAP leaders who were also arrested were Lim Kit Siang, Karpal Singh, Lim Guan Eng, Tan Seng Giaw, V. David, Lau Dak Kee and Hu Sepang. He was released in 1989.
In the 1990 election, Patto went up against MIC President Samy Vellu in the Sungai Siput parliamentary seat again. Samy got 14,427 votes while Patto got 12,664 votes
In 1995, he returned to parliament by winning the Bagan seat with a very narrow majority of just 118 votes. He captured 26,524 votes while his opponent Yeoh Khoon Chooi polled 26,406 votes.

## Death

Within three months of the election, he died at the age of 48 at Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital on 12 July 1995, due to a heart attack. He left behind his wife Mary and two daughters Kasthuriraani and Shaalini Anne.
His book Nenjukku Neethi (Justice from My Heart) was published in 2008 in conjunction with the 13th anniversary of his death.
In October 2008, Menteri Besar of Perak Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin backed a plan to rename Jalan Selibin in Ipoh to Jalan P. Patto, but after objections from various parties, the plan was cancelled.
It was then proposed to give his name to a major road in Butterworth, Seberang Perai. Jalan P. Patto was completed and officially opened by the then Chief Minister of Penang Lim Guan Eng, on 31 July 2011.

## Election results

Parliament of Malaysia :
| Year | Constituency | Candidate | Votes | Pct | Opponent(s) | Votes | Pct | Ballots cast | Majority | Turnout |
| 1974 | P048 Sungei Siput | Patto Perumal (DAP) | 8,401 | 45.59% | Samy Vellu (MIC) | 9,045 | 49.09% | 18,529 | 644 | 77.87% |
| 1974 | P048 Sungei Siput | Patto Perumal (DAP) | 8,401 | 45.59% | Thang Pang Fay (PEKEMAS) | 877 | 4.76% | 18,529 | 644 | 77.87% |
| 1974 | P048 Sungei Siput | Patto Perumal (DAP) | 8,401 | 45.59% | RC Manavarayan (IND) | 103 | 0.56% | 18,529 | 644 | 77.87% |
| 1978 | P055 Menglembu | Patto Perumal (DAP) | 29,573 | 63.77% | Lee Chan Fai (MCA) | 16,803 | 36.23% | 47,912 | 12,770 | 77.98% |
| 1982 | P081 Petaling | Patto Perumal (DAP) | 37,436 | 46.71% | Yeoh Poh San (MCA) | 42,710 | 53.29% | 81,946 | 5,274 | 71.44% |
| 1986 | P059 Ipoh | Patto Perumal (DAP) | 21,401 | 56.25% | Wong Chin Chye (MCA) | 15,747 | 41.39% | 38,742 | 5,654 | 66.28% |
| 1986 | P059 Ipoh | Patto Perumal (DAP) | 21,401 | 56.25% | Chan Kok Keong (SDP) | 900 | 2.37% | 38,742 | 5,654 | 66.28% |
| 1990 | P056 Sungai Siput | Patto Perumal (DAP) | 12,664 | 46.75% | Samy Vellu (MIC) | 14,427 | 53.25% | 28,028 | 1,763 | 69.21% |
| 1995 | P043 Bagan | Patto Perumal (DAP) | 26,524 | 50.11% | Yeoh Khoon Chooi (MCA) | 26,406 | 49.89% | 54,378 | 118 | 76.89% |
Perak State Legislative Assembly :
| Year | Constituency | Candidate | Votes | Pct | Opponent(s) | Votes | Pct | Ballots cast | Majority | Turnout |
| 1974 | N20 Gopeng | Patto Perumal (DAP) | 7,499 | 44.53% | S. R. Chandran (PPP) | 6,681 | 39.67% | 17,689 | 818 | 79.26% |
| 1974 | N20 Gopeng | Patto Perumal (DAP) | 7,499 | 44.53% | Choy Chooi Yooi (IND) | 1,428 | 8.48% | 17,689 | 818 | 79.26% |
| 1974 | N20 Gopeng | Patto Perumal (DAP) | 7,499 | 44.53% | Ibrahim Mohamed Yusof (IND) | 650 | 3.86% | 17,689 | 818 | 79.26% |
| 1974 | N20 Gopeng | Patto Perumal (DAP) | 7,499 | 44.53% | Shaharuddin Dahalan (PEKEMAS) | 582 | 3.46% | 17,689 | 818 | 79.26% |
| 1978 | N20 Gopeng | Patto Perumal (DAP) | | | | | | | | |
| 1986 | N22 Sungai Pari | Patto Perumal (DAP) | 10,700 | 55.62% | Lee Chan Sai | 8,139 | 42.31% | 19,575 | 2,561 | 67.26% |
| 1986 | N22 Sungai Pari | Patto Perumal (DAP) | 10,700 | 55.62% | Au You Heng (SDP) | 398 | 2.07% | 19,575 | 2,561 | 67.26% |
Penang State Legislative Assembly :
| Year | Constituency | Candidate | Candidate | Votes | Pct | Opponent(s) | Opponent(s) | Votes | Pct | Ballots cast | Majority | Turnout |
| 1995 | N09 Perai | | Patto Perumal (DAP) | 7,357 | 45.85% | | Rajapathy Kuppusamy (MIC) | 9,047 | 55.15% | 16,849 | 1,690 | 72.86% |