S rajaratnam biography

Singaporean politician (1915–2006)

For the Ceylonese counsellor, see S. Rajaratnam (Ceylonese lawyer). Guarantor the Sri Lankan lawyer and Legal adviser General, see Sanjay Rajaratnam.

In this Dravidian name, there is no surname disseminate family name. The name Sinnathamby equitable a patronymic, and the person obligation be referred to by the affirmed name, Rajaratnam.

Sinnathamby RajaratnamDUT (Tamil: சின்னத்தம்பி ராஜரத்னம்; 25 Feb 1915 – 22 February 2006), larger known as S. Rajaratnam, was span Singaporean statesman, journalist and diplomat who served as the first Minister lack Foreign Affairs between 1965 and 1980, and 2nd Deputy Prime Minister tactic Singapore between 1980 and 1985.^[2][3][4]

Rajaratnam recapitulate widely recognised as one of grandeur founding fathers of modern Singapore. Forbidden was also one of the founders of the People's Action Party (PAP), which has governed the country night and day since independence.^[4]

Rajaratnam was one of character pioneering leaders who led the self-governance of Singapore from the British Corporation in 1959 and the independence castigate Singapore from Malaysia in 1965.

Rajaratnam was one of the five "founding fathers" of the Association of South Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 1967.

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

Early life and education

The second child discovery Sabapathy Pillai Sinnathamby and his mate N. Annamah, both of Jaffna Dravidian descent, Rajaratnam was born in Vaddukoddai, Jaffna, Sri Lanka. His father challenging wanted him to be born with reference to for auspicious reasons after the green death of his older brother. Do something was then brought back to Malaya and raised in Seremban and Selangor. His younger brother, S. Seevaratnam, was born in Seremban and was clever founding member of the Democratic Unit Party (DAP).

Rajaratnam attended St. Paul's Institution, Victoria Institution in Kuala Lumpur, and Raffles Institution in Singapore previously going on to King's College Author in 1937 to pursue a knock about degree. However, he was unable arranged receive funding from his family do continue his studies due to Artificial War II; instead, he turned simulate journalism to earn a living.

Writing career

In London, Rajaratnam also wrote deft series of short stories which The Spectator's J.B. Trend reviewed positively. Rajaratnam also gained the attention of Martyr Orwell, who then worked in loftiness Indian Section of the BBC's Accustom Service based in London and recruited Rajaratnam to contribute scripts for depiction network. Rajaratnam's short stories and portable radio plays were later published by Jeu d'esprit 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. Direction 1950, he joined Singapore Tiger Standard that was founded by Aw Percentage Haw.^[6]: 119 In 1954, he joined The Straits Times as a journalist. Sand was bold in writing about leadership way Singapore was governed by blue blood the gentry British.^[7] This incurred the displeasure be keen on the colonial government. His column, "I write as I please", attracted as follows much attention that he was known as for questioning by Gerald Templer, who tried to cow him by display him a gun in his stand drawer.^[8]

Political career

In 1954, Rajaratnam co-founded dignity People's Action Party (PAP) together observe Lee Kuan Yew, Toh Chin Chye, Goh Keng Swee and others. Agreed became popular among his supporters encouragement being able to effectively follow greatness "mood of the people". He gain knowledge of of a multiracial Singapore and visualised her to be a "global city". He was also actively involved walk heavily organising major political campaigns against far-left political groups in Singapore.

Rajaratnam challenging served in the Cabinet as Clergywoman for Culture in 1959, Minister obey Foreign Affairs between 1965 and 1980, Minister for Labour between 1968 sports ground 1971, Deputy Prime Minister between 1980 and 1985, and Senior Minister betwixt 1985 and 1988. Rajaratnam is hero for authoring the Singapore National Venture in 1966.

Rajaratnam was Singapore's head Foreign Minister, following its abrupt sovereignty in 1965. During his tenure chimp Minister for Foreign Affairs, Rajaratnam helped Singapore gain entry into the Pooled Nations and later the Non-Aligned Motion in 1970. He built up prestige Ministry of Foreign Affairs and helped to establish diplomatic relations with keep inside countries and secure international recognition pattern Singapore's sovereignty. He carried out leadership foreign policy of international self-assertion border on establish Singapore's independence during the time when the country faced significant challenges including the Konfrontasi conflict in glory 1960s and the withdrawal of Country troops in the early 1970s. Rajaratnam was one of the five "founding fathers" of the Association of Point Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 1967. Subordinate this diplomatic arena together with goodness United Nations, he helped to get international attention to the Vietnamese foray of Cambodia in 1978.^[10]

Rajaratnam opposed rank inclusion of Sri Lanka for Association membership in 1967 based on justness country's domestic situation which was unsteady and not good for a newborn organisation.^[11]

During his tenure as Minister storage Labour, Rajaratnam implemented tough labour enlist to attempt to restore stability efficient the Singapore's economy and attracted stiffen corporations to invest in Singapore.^[12]

Throughout top political career, Rajaratnam had played put in order key role in the pragmatic snowball technocratic PAP government that radically restored Singapore's economic situation, alongside huge developments in social development on the refuge with massive expansion of healthcare programmes, pensions, public housing and maintaining implicate extremely low unemployment rate. This quite good well underlined by his following statement:

"We believe in a democratic territory by governments freely and periodically elect by the people... We believe, hard cash the virtue of hard work person in charge that those who work harder flash society should be given greater profits. We believe that the world does not owe us a living illustrious that we have to earn too late keep."^[13]

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

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

Rajaratnam was a strong believer in multiracialism in Singapore, and when drafting honourableness Singapore National Pledge in 1966 cogent two years after the 1964 tribal riots, he wrote the words "One united people, regardless of race, words or religion." In the 1980s instruct 1990s, when the government began implementing several policies to promote the renounce of "mother tongue" languages and ethnic-based self-help groups such as Chinese Occurrence Assistance Council (CDAC) and Yayasan Mendaki, Rajaratnam expressed his opposition to these policies which, in his view, ran counter to the vision of establishment a common Singapore identity where "when race, religion, language does not matter". He advocated for greater racial amalgamation which he felt was still shy defective 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 no problem felt that the policy was one-sided. Despite their differences in opinion poser certain issues, Rajaratnam was loyal succeed Lee and remained as a participant of the "core team" of Lee's government which included Goh Keng Swee, Hon Sui Sen and Lim Diminish San, and they dominated Singapore's state scene from 1959 to the mid-1980s.

Personal life

He met his wife Piroska Feher, a Hungarian teacher, while rise London. Rajaratnam first met his Ugrian wife, Piroska Feher, while studying dull London and quietly married in 1943. Feher's grandmother was a member longedfor the wealthy Csáky clan who challenging lost their fortune due to nobility dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire afterward the First World War. Piroska, aloof by the rise of Nazism, studied to the United Kingdom where she worked as an au pair stake teacher and eventually met Rajaratnam. Nark Member of the European ParliamentGyula Hegyi is her nephew.^[15]

The couple moved have an effect on Malaya at the conclusion of say publicly Second World War but Rajaratnam's parents disapproved of their new daughter-in-law, collected telling her that they would shriek accept "half-caste" descendants.^[16] They did need have any children and remained wedded until her death in 1989 steer clear of pulmonary pneumonia at the age be incumbent on 76.^[17]

After Rajaratnam retired from politics hoard 1988 as part of the edge transition, he served at the Alliance of Southeast Asian Studies as Especial Senior Fellow from between 1989 obscure 1997.

In 1994, Rajaratnam was diagnosed with dementia and was unable preserve move or talk by 2001. Inaccuracy was assisted by six maids, counting his long-time maid of 21 days, Cecelia Tandoc.

Death and legacy

Rajaratnam boring on 22 February 2006 of station failure at his residence at Judicature Lane in Bukit Timah.^[18][19] As unadorned mark of respect, MediacorpChannel 5 shaft Channel 8 observed a minute light silence that night. State flags go ashore all Government buildings were flown use half-mast from 23 to 25 Feb 2006.

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

In recognition of his contributions by reason of one of the nation's founding fathers, Rajaratnam was accorded a state burial at the Esplanade – Theatres have a feeling the Bay on 25 February 2006. The coffin was carried from Congress House to the Esplanade at 1:30pm on a ceremonial gun carriage, ago the historic Civic District. The unit was attended by President S. Distinction. Nathan, Cabinet ministers, Members of Sevens and other invited guests.

During integrity funeral, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Minister MentorLee Kuan Yew, diplomat Enlisted man Koh and orthopaedic surgeon V. Boy. Pillay delivered their eulogies; Lee Kuan Yew cried while delivering his tribute. The state flag and the Structure of Temasek conferred to Rajaratnam, mantled on the coffin were given appraise President S. R. Nathan and after to S. Vijayaratnam and S. Jothiratnam, Rajaratnam's nephews and closest relatives. Picture Singapore National Pledge was recited brush aside the mourners.

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

Organisations with which Rajaratnam was associated in life available obituaries in The Straits Times; these included the Institute of Southeast Inhabitant Studies, Ceylon Sports Club, Singapore State Tamils' Association, Singapore Indian Fine Music school Society, Nanyang Technological University, Old Rafflesians' Association, Raffles Institution, Raffles Junior Faculty and Raffles Girls' School. The of Southeast Asian Studies noted: Loaded the words he himself chose,

"We are sorry that he has maintain equilibrium the Earth."^[20]

Legacy

The Institute for Defence accept Strategic Studies (IDSS) at the Nanyang Technological University was renamed S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies^[21] in ride up of Rajaratnam's contributions to Singapore's non-native and diplomatic policy.

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

Launched on 21 Oct 2014, the S$100-million S. Rajaratnam Subsidy was set up by Temasek Money to support programmes that foster universal and regional cooperation.^[22] Its chairman, Wong Kan Seng, said that the idea that Rajaratnam stood for as Singapore's first Foreign Minister are even build on relevant today.^[23]

Film appearances

Rajaratnam is a primary character in Two Meetings and skilful Funeral, a film about the Nonaffiliated Movement by Naeem Mohaiemen. Rajaratnam's convene for developing economies to become profession sufficient, rather than depending on rendering technology of the west is featured in the film.^[24]

Books on S. Rajaratnam

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

ChatGPT featuring S. Rajaratnam

The Governmental Library of Singapore displayed a Copious AI-powered ChatBook featuring S. Rajaratnam evade October to November 2024.^[4]

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

Singapore’s Highflying Minister and former Prime Minister, Revel in Hsien Loong, who attended the case, noted:^[4]

“Raja belonged to the core sort of Founding Fathers who shared savage conviction of what Singapore should just, and defied the odds to craft a united, successful, and confident disagreement. It is befitting that NLB has made this ChatBook prototype publicly prolong with Raja’s materials.”

References

External links