[2] A practising lawyer, he was elected Seberang Selatan MP in 1959 representing the Labour Party of Malaya which was part of the Socialist Front (SF).
[6] Along with fellow leaders V. David and Tan Chee Khoon, as well as intellectual Syed Hussein Alatas and former MCA president Dr Lim Chong Eu, Veerapen was part of a group who formed Gerakan in 1968.
Gerakan was successful in the 1969 general election, where it campaigned on a platform of social justice and the reduction or elimination of Bumiputra privileges outlined by Article 153 of the Constitution.
This provoked a revolt within the party with Veerappen leaving alongside Syed Hussein, Chee Khoon and V David to form Pekemas.
[8] In the 1974 elections, Pekemas suffered a crushing defeat with only party leader Tan Chee Khoon winning a parliamentary seat.