S. Rajaratnam

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For the Ceylonese lawyer, see S. Rajaratnam (Ceylonese lawyer). For the Sri Lankan lawyer and Attorney General, see Sanjay Rajaratnam.
In this
Tamil name, there is no surname or family name. The name Sinnathamby is a patronymic, and the person should be referred to by the given name
, Rajaratnam.

S. Rajaratnam
Singapore Parliament
for Kampong Glam
In office
30 May 1959 – 17 August 1988
Preceded byConstituency established
Succeeded byLoh Meng See (PAP)
Personal details
Born
Sinnathamby Rajaratnam

(1915-02-25)25 February 1915
Jaffna, British Ceylon
Died22 February 2006(2006-02-22) (aged 90)
Singapore
Cause of deathHeart failure
NationalitySingaporean
Political partyPeople's Action Party
Spouse
Piroska Feher
​
​
(m. 1943; died 1989)​
Alma materKing's College London
Occupation
  • Politician
  • journalist
Bust of S. Rajaratnam at the ASEAN Garden with the excerpt from his statement at the inauguration of ASEAN.

Sinnathamby Rajaratnam

Minister for Foreign Affairs between 1965 and 1980, and 2nd Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore between 1980 and 1985.[2][3][4]

Rajaratnam is widely recognised as one of the founding fathers of modern Singapore. He was also one of the founders of the People's Action Party (PAP), which has governed the country continuously since independence.[4]

Rajaratnam was one of the pioneering leaders who led the

independence of Singapore
from Malaysia in 1965.

Rajaratnam was one of the five "founding fathers" of the

Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN) in 1967.

The S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at the Nanyang Technological University and the S. Rajaratnam block of Raffles Institution are named after him.

Early life and education

The second child of Sabapathy Pillai Sinnathamby and his wife N. Annamah, both of

Democratic Action Party
(DAP).

Rajaratnam attended

St. Paul's Institution, Victoria Institution in Kuala Lumpur, and Raffles Institution in Singapore before going on to King's College London in 1937 to pursue a law degree. However, he was unable to receive funding from his family to continue his studies due to World War II
; instead, he turned to journalism to earn a living.

Writing career

In London, Rajaratnam also wrote a series of short stories which The Spectator's J.B. Trend reviewed positively. Rajaratnam also gained the attention of George Orwell, who then worked in the Indian Section of the BBC's Eastern Service based in London and recruited Rajaratnam to contribute scripts for the network. Rajaratnam's short stories and radio plays were later published by Epigram Books in The Short Stories & Radio Plays of S. Rajaratnam (2011).[5]

Journalistic career

Rajaratnam returned to Singapore in 1948 when he joined the Malayan Tribune and stopped writing short stories. In 1950, he joined Singapore Tiger Standard that was founded by Aw Boon Haw.[6]: 119  In 1954, he joined The Straits Times as a journalist. He was bold in writing about the way Singapore was governed by the British.[7] This incurred the displeasure of the colonial government. His column, "I write as I please", attracted so much attention that he was called for questioning by Gerald Templer, who tried to cow him by showing him a gun in his desk drawer.[8]

Political career

In 1954, Rajaratnam co-founded the

multiracial Singapore and envisioned her to be a "global city". He was also actively involved in organising major political campaigns against far-left
political groups in Singapore.

Rajaratnam had served in the

Singapore National Pledge
in 1966.

UN Headquarters on 1967-10-21: Seen here, from left: Inche Rahim Ishak (Abdul Rahim Ishak), Minister of State for Education of Singapore; Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew; Secretary-General U Thant; S. Rajaratnam, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Singapore; and Ambassador Wong Lin Ken, Permanent Representative of Singapore to the United Nations.[9]

Rajaratnam was Singapore's first Foreign Minister, following its abrupt independence in 1965. During his tenure as Minister for Foreign Affairs, Rajaratnam helped Singapore gain entry into the

Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 1967. In this diplomatic arena together with the United Nations, he helped to draw international attention to the Vietnamese invasion of Cambodia in 1978.[10] Rajaratnam opposed the inclusion of Sri Lanka for ASEAN membership in 1967 based on the country's domestic situation which was unstable and not good for a new organisation.[11]

S. Rajaratnam meets Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai on March 16, 1975, during Singapore’s inaugural official delegation to China.

During his tenure as Minister for Labour, Rajaratnam implemented tough labour laws to attempt to restore stability in the Singapore's economy and attracted multinational corporations to invest in Singapore.[12]

Throughout his political career, Rajaratnam had played a key role in the pragmatic and technocratic PAP government that radically improved Singapore's economic situation, alongside huge developments in

pensions, public housing
and maintaining an extremely low unemployment rate. This is well underlined by his following statement:

"We believe in a democratic society by governments freely and periodically elected by the people... We believe, in the virtue of hard work and that those who work harder in society should be given greater rewards... We believe that the world does not owe us a living and that we have to earn our keep."[13]

Nonetheless, Rajaratnam did not believe in the need for a strong opposition in Parliament, which he considered "non-communist subversion"; he was unapologetic about the dominant party system in Singapore saying:

"Given a one-party government, the capacity of such a government to act far more independently than if it were harassed by an opposition and by proxies, is obvious. In the game of competitive interference pawns which can behave like bishops and castles and knights can in certain circumstances be extremely inconvenient and very irritating."[14]

Rajaratnam was a strong believer in

Singapore National Pledge in 1966 just two years after the 1964 racial riots, he wrote the words "One united people, regardless of race, language or religion." In the 1980s and 1990s, when the government began implementing several policies to promote the use of "mother tongue" languages and ethnic-based self-help groups such as Chinese Development Assistance Council
(CDAC) and Yayasan Mendaki, Rajaratnam expressed his opposition to these policies which, in his view, ran counter to the vision of establishing a common Singapore identity where "when race, religion, language does not matter". He advocated for greater racial integration which he felt was still lacking in the country.

Rajaratnam also disagreed with Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew on the policy of giving incentives to women who are college graduates to have more children, as he felt that the policy was unfair. Despite their differences in opinion on certain issues, Rajaratnam was loyal to Lee and remained as a member of the "core team" of Lee's government which included Goh Keng Swee, Hon Sui Sen and Lim Kim San, and they dominated Singapore's political scene from 1959 to the mid-1980s.

Personal life

Rajaratnam first met his wife, Piroska Feher, a Hungarian teacher, while studying in London and married in 1943. Feher's grandmother was a member of the wealthy

First World War. Piroska, disgruntled by the rise of Nazism, moved to the United Kingdom where she worked as an au pair and teacher and eventually met Rajaratnam. Former Member of the European Parliament Gyula Hegyi is her nephew.[15]

The couple moved to Malaya at the conclusion of the

Second World War but Rajaratnam's parents disapproved of their new daughter-in-law, even telling her that they would not accept "half-caste" descendants.[16] They did not have any children and remained married until her death in 1989 from pulmonary pneumonia at the age of 76.[17]

After Rajaratnam retired from politics in 1988 as part of the leadership transition, he served at the

Institute of Southeast Asian Studies
as Distinguished Senior Fellow from between 1989 and 1997.

In 1994, Rajaratnam was diagnosed with dementia and was unable to move or talk by 2001. He was assisted by six maids, including his long-time maid of 21 years, Cecelia Tandoc.

Death and legacy

Rajaratnam died on 22 February 2006 of heart failure at his residence at Chancery Lane in Bukit Timah.[18][19] As a mark of respect, Mediacorp Channel 5 and Channel 8 observed a minute of silence that night. State flags at all Government buildings were flown at half-mast from 23 to 25 February 2006.

Rajaratnam's body rested at his home in 30 Chancery Lane from 22 to 23 February. Some of his former colleagues, Toh Chin Chye, S. Dhanabalan, Othman Wok, Lee Hsien Loong, S. R. Nathan and Tharman Shanmugaratnam, paid their last respects at his home. His body lay in state at Parliament House from 9:30am to 9:00pm on 24 February 2006.

In recognition of his contributions as one of the nation's founding fathers, Rajaratnam was accorded a state funeral at the Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay on 25 February 2006. The coffin was carried from Parliament House to the Esplanade at 1:30pm on a ceremonial gun carriage, past the historic Civic District. The service was attended by President S. R. Nathan, Cabinet ministers, Members of Parliament and other invited guests.

During the funeral, Prime Minister

Singapore National Pledge
was recited by the mourners.

Rajaratnam's state funeral was broadcast live on Channel NewsAsia. The programme, called "Farewell to S. Rajaratnam", aired from 1:30 to 3:15 pm on 25 February 2006. His body was cremated at 5:00 pm at Mandai Crematorium.

Organisations with which Rajaratnam was associated in life published obituaries in

Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Ceylon Sports Club, Singapore Ceylon Tamils' Association, Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society, Nanyang Technological University, Old Rafflesians' Association, Raffles Institution, Raffles Junior College and Raffles Girls' School. The Institute of Southeast Asian Studies noted: In the words he himself chose,

"We are sorry that he has left the Earth."[20]

Legacy

The Institute for Defence and Strategic Studies (IDSS) at the Nanyang Technological University was renamed S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies[21] in recognition of Rajaratnam's contributions to Singapore's foreign and diplomatic policy.

In memory of Rajaratnam, the then-unnamed newly constructed seven-storey building in Raffles Institution, his alma mater, was christened as the S. Rajaratnam Block.

Launched on 21 October 2014, the S$100-million S. Rajaratnam Endowment was set up by

Temasek Holdings to support programmes that foster international and regional cooperation.[22] Its chairman, Wong Kan Seng, said that the values that Rajaratnam stood for as Singapore's first Foreign Minister are even more relevant today.[23]

Film appearances

Rajaratnam is a central character in Two Meetings and a Funeral, a film about the

Nonaligned Movement by Naeem Mohaiemen. Rajaratnam's call for developing economies to become technology sufficient, rather than depending on the technology of the west is featured in the film.[24]

Books on S. Rajaratnam

Former Singapore Parliamentarian Irene Ng authored two books on Rajaratnam, The Singapore Lion in 2010 and The Lion’s Roar in 2024.[25]

  • Ng, Irene (2010), The Singapore Lion: A Biography of S. Rajaratnam,
    ISBN 978-9-8142-7951-2

ChatGPT featuring S. Rajaratnam

A Generative AI-powered ChatBook featuring S. Rajaratnam at the National Library of Singapore; Fintech Association of Sri Lanka founding president and a relative of Late S. Rajaratnam, Rajkumar Kanagasingam while exploring the ChatBook.[4]

The National Library of Singapore displayed a Generative AI-powered ChatBook featuring S. Rajaratnam from October to November 2024.[4]

The showcase was inaugurated by Lawrence Wong, the Prime Minister of Singapore, during the launching of the second volume of the biography of S. Rajaratnam, The Lion’s Roar, authored by Irene Ng.[4]

Singapore’s Senior Minister and former Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong, who attended the showcase, noted:[4]

“Raja belonged to the core group of Founding Fathers who shared fierce conviction of what Singapore should be, and defied the odds to build a united, successful, and confident nation. It is befitting that NLB has made this ChatBook prototype publicly available with Raja’s materials.”

References

  1. ^ "PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES DEWAN RA'AYAT (HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES) OFFICIAL REPORT" (PDF). Dewan Rakyat. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
  2. ^ "Obituary: Sinnathamby Rajaratnam". Tamil Guardian. 7 March 2006. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
  3. ^ "S Rajaratnam Endowment". Temasek Foundation. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d e f "Generative AI-powered ChatBook featuring S. Rajaratnam, one of Singapore's Founding Fathers". Daily FT. 26 November 2024. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
  5. ^ "The Short Stories & Radio Plays of S. Rajaratnam". Epigram Books. Archived from the original on 20 September 2014. Retrieved 17 September 2014.
  6. ISBN 978-981-4279-52-9
    .
  7. ^ "1915-2006 Politician". Archived from the original on 10 January 2015. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
  8. ^ "PM Lee Hsien Loong at the Launch of "The Singapore Lion: A Biography of S. Rajaratnam"". Prime Minister's Office (Singapore). 4 February 2010. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
  9. ^ "Prime Minister of Singapore Visits UN Headquarters". United Nations. 21 October 1967. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
  10. ^ a b Chong Guan Kwa, Sinnathamby Rajaratnam, S Rajaratnam on Singapore: from ideas to reality. World Scientific, 2006, p.9. text online
  11. ^ "Asean's birth a pivotal point in history of Southeast Asia". The Nation. 6 August 2007. Archived from the original on 14 June 2013.
  12. ^ "Remembering Mr S Rajaratnam". Archived from the original on 10 January 2015. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
  13. ^ Adapted from speech by S Rajaratnam, Minister for Foreign Affairs, at a dinner in honour of His Excellency Mr. Hans Dietrich Genscher, Minister for Foreign Affairs, 20 April 1977.
  14. ^ S. Rajaratnam. 1975. "Non-Communist Subversion in Singapore," in: Seah Chee Meow (ed.). Trends in Singapore: Proceedings and Background Papers. Singapore: Singapore University Press, p. 118.
  15. ^ "Tribute to my aunt, Mrs Piroska Rajaratnam". The Straits Times. 7 December 2015.
  16. ^ Chew, Emrys (6 October 2010). "The Singapore 'Herstory': From Sophia Raffles to Kwa Geok Choo and Beyond" (PDF). RSIS Commentaries. S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.
  17. ^ Hussain, Zakir (1 February 2010). "Lest we forget Raja and his ideals". The Straits Times. AsiaOne. Archived from the original on 7 January 2019. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  18. ^ "S. Rajaratnam". Retrieved 10 January 2015.
  19. ^ "Former DPM Rajaratnam dies at age 90". Channel NewsAsia. 22 February 2006. Archived from the original on 23 February 2006. Retrieved 22 February 2006.
  20. ^ The Straits Times, Friday, February 24, 2006, pp. H25-26
  21. ^ "S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies".
  22. ^ "S Rajaratnam Endowment". Archived from the original on 10 January 2015. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
  23. ^ Ng, Kelly (21 October 2014). "S Rajaratnam Endowment to foster international, regional cooperation". MediaCorp. TODAY. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
  24. ^ "Two Meetings and a Funeral - A Conversation between Naeem Mohaiemen and Hendrik Folkerts - Features - Metropolis M".
  25. ^ "Singapore cannot exist other than as an island city-state connected to the world: PM Wong". The Straits Times. 23 July 2024. Retrieved 25 November 2024.


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Political offices
New office Minister for Culture
5 June 1959 – 9 August 1965 		Succeeded by
New office
Minister for Foreign Affairs

9 August 1965 – 1 June 1980 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister for Labour
16 April 1968 – 5 July 1971 		Succeeded by
Vacant
Title last held by
Toh Chin Chye 		Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore
2 January 1985 – 3 September 1988
Served alongside: Goh Keng Swee, Ong Teng Cheong 		Succeeded by
New office Senior Minister
2 January 1985 – 3 September 1988 		Vacant
Title next held by
Lee Kuan Yew
1990
Parliament of Singapore
New constituency Member of Parliament
for Kampong Glam SMC
1959–1991 		Succeeded by
Parliament of Malaysia
New constituency Member of the Dewan Rakyat
for Singapore
1963–1965 		Constituency abolished
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