S. Jayakumar

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In this Indian name, the name Shunmugam is a patronymic, and the person should be referred to by the given name, Jayakumar.
Honourable Minister

Shunmugam Jayakumar
சண்முகம் செயக்குமார்
Jayakumar (1).jpg
4th Senior Minister of Singapore
In office
1 April 2009 – 20 May 2011
Serving with Goh Chok Tong (2004–2011)
Prime MinisterLee Hsien Loong
Preceded byLee Kuan Yew
Succeeded bySeat Vacant
Co-ordinating Minister for National Security
In office
1 September 2005 – 31 October 2010
Prime MinisterLee Hsien Loong
Preceded byTan Keng Yam Tony
Succeeded byWong Kan Seng
Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore
In office
12 August 2004 – 1 April 2009
Serving with Tony Tan, Wong Kan Seng
PresidentS. R. Nathan
Prime MinisterLee Hsien Loong
Preceded byLee Hsien Loong
Succeeded byTeo Chee Hean
ConstituencyEast Coast GRC
Minister for Foreign Affairs
In office
2 January 1994 – 12 August 2004
Prime MinisterGoh Chok Tong
Preceded byWong Kan Seng
Succeeded byGeorge Yeo
Minister for Law
In office
12 September 1988 – 30 April 2008
Prime MinisterLee Kuan Yew
Goh Chok Tong
Lee Hsien Loong
Preceded byEdmund William Barker
Succeeded byK. Shanmugam
Minister for Home Affairs
In office
2 January 1985 – 1 January 1994
Prime MinisterLee Kuan Yew
Goh Chok Tong
Preceded byChua Sian Chin
Succeeded byWong Kan Seng
Member of Parliament
for East Coast GRC (Bedok)
Bedok SMC (1980–1988)
Bedok GRC (Bedok) (1988–1997)
In office
23 December 1980 – 19 April 2011
Preceded bySha'ari bin Tadin
Succeeded byLim Swee Say
Permanent Representative to the United Nations
In office
1971–1974
Personal details
Born (1939-08-12) 12 August 1939 (age 82)
Singapore, Straits Settlements
NationalitySingaporean
Political partyPeople's Action Party (1980-2011)
Spouse(s)Lalitha Rajahram
Children3
Alma materNational University of Singapore
ProfessionLawyer, diplomat

Shunmugam Jayakumar DUT (with High Distinction) (Tamil: சண்முகம் செயக்குமார்; born 12 August 1939),[1] often known as S. Jayakumar, is a Singaporean former politician, lawyer and diplomat of Tamil descent. He retired from politics in 2011.

A former member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he previously served as Singapore's Senior Minister in the Cabinet and the Co-ordinating Minister for National Security from 2009 to 2011, 6th Deputy Prime Minister from 2004 to 2009, Minister for Foreign Affairs from 1994 to 2004, Minister for Home Affairs from 1988 to 1994, Minister for Law from 1988 to 2008, and Minister for Labour from 1984 to 1985. He was a member of parliament (MP) for the constituency of Bedok within the East Coast Group Representation Constituency.

S. Jayakumar was the 6th Deputy Prime Minister on 2 January 1994 till 12 August 2004 when former Deputy Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong stepped down from position. S. Jayakumar was serving as Deputy Prime Minister with Tony Tan & Wong Kan Seng. [2] In June 2020, he was appointed Pro-Chancellor of the National University of Singapore.[3]

Academic career[]

Jayakumar received his secondary education in Raffles Institution, before going on to the University of Singapore where he graduated with a Bachelor of Laws (Honours). He was admitted to the Bar in 1964, and then furthered his education at Yale Law School where he received a Master of Laws degree in 1966. Upon his return to Singapore, Jayakumar took on a lecturing position in the Faculty of Law at the National University of Singapore from 1964 to 1981, assuming the position of Dean of the Faculty in 1974, which he held until 1980.[4]

Political career[]

Jayakumar served as Singapore's Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN) and High Commissioner to Canada from 1971 to 1974, and was a member of Singapore's delegation to the UN Law of the Sea Conference from 1974 to 1979.

Jayakumar authored three books and 32 articles on the topics of constitutional law, international law and legal education. He was awarded the Public Service Star (BBM) in 1980.

In 1980, Jayakumar was elected a member of parliament (MP) for the constituency of Bedok. He was returned as the MP for the same constituency in 1984 as an incumbent, and as one of the three MPs in the newly created Group Representation Constituency (GRC) scheme in 1988. This was again the case, as one of the four MPs in the same GRC in the 1991 General Election. He was re-elected as one of six MPs for the East Coast GRC in the 1997 General Election. In 2006, he was re-elected in the new five-member East Coast GRC.

In 1981, Jayakumar was appointed as a Minister of State at the Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Law. He entered the Cabinet of Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew in 1984 as the Minister for Labour with the additional portfolios of Second Minister for Home Affairs and Second Minister for Law.

Jayakumar was appointed Minister for Home Affairs and Second Minister for Law on 2 January 1985.

In 1988, Jayakumar was appointed Minister for Law and Minister for Home Affairs. He retained these portfolios when Goh Chok Tong became Prime Minister in 1990.

In January 1994, Jayakumar was appointed Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Law.

On 12 August 2004 when it was his 65th birthday, Jayakumar was appointed Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Law in the Cabinet of the new Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong. On 1 September 2005, Jayakumar took over the role as Co-ordinating Minister for National Security from former President Tony Tan to oversee counter-terrorism policies in Singapore.

Jayakumar stepped down as Minister for Law on 30 April 2008,[5][6] and as Deputy Prime Minister on 1 April 2009.

Retirement from politics[]

Jayakumar was appointed a Senior Minister on 1 April 2009 before retiring from politics on 21 May 2011.[7] He decided not to contest in the 2011 General Elections due to health reasons. He also resigned as a permanent member of the Presidential Council for Minority Rights which he was appointed to the position on 1 July 1998.[8]

After retirement, he served as Chair of the National University of Singapore Faculty of Law's Advisory Council[9] and Patron of the NUS Centre for International Law.[10] He is Emeritus Professor at the National University of Singapore's Faculty of Law.[11] He is also presently a consultant with Drew & Napier.[12] He is currently appointed as a pro-chancellor of the National University of Singapore for a three year term starting from 1 July 2020.[13]

Jayakumar has written and published several books related to his life and experiences in foreign affairs and diplomacy. In 2009, Jayakumar and Ambassador-at-Large Tommy Koh published the book titled "Pedra Branca: The Road to the World Court" which covers the territorial dispute between Malaysia and Singapore over Pedra Branca, a small island of strategic value located near the entry point to the Straits of Malacca.[14] 2011 saw the launch of "Diplomacy: A Singapore Experience", written by Professor S Jayakumar.[15] The book covers his reflections on many events and episodes during his many years in public service.[15] It also shared behind-the-scenes political decision making that governed Singapore's responses during important post-independence events that formed the basis of Singapore's foreign policy principles.[15] In 2015, he published a memoir titled 'Be at the Table or Be on the Menu: A Singapore Memoir', which covers his early life and his career as a law academic and dean before he entered politics.[16][17] In 2019, Jayakumar, Ambassador-at-Large Tommy Koh and Deputy Attorney-General Lionel Lee launched the book titled "Pedra Branca: Story Of The Unheard Cases" which recounts how Singapore's team prepared in the dispute with Malaysia over the sovereignty of Pedra Branca and also serves as a continuation to "Pedra Branca: The Road to the World Court".[18] In November 2020, former Senior Minister Jayakumar launched his book titled "Governing: A Singapore Perspective" which covers his views and experiences of Singapore's governance, such as how he viewed the Lee family dispute over their 38 Oxley Road home, and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's retirement plan if the COVID-19 crisis has not improved.[19]

On 4 April 2021, during the National Day Awards, Jayakumar was bestowed the Order of Temasek (With High Distinction), the nation's highest civilian honour, by President Halimah Yacob for his "wide-ranging, invaluable and unique contributions to the well-being and security of Singapore".[20] In the investiture ceremony, he was praised for having "given his entire life to the service of Singapore" and the citation of his award said: "Uniquely among public servants, Prof Jayakumar brought an exceptionally keen legal mind to bear on a considerable range of issues, from national security and foreign policy to political and constitutional developments."[20]

Honours[]

References[]

  1. ^ Justin Corfield (2 December 2010). Historical Dictionary of Singapore. Scarecrow Press. pp. 124–. ISBN 978-0-8108-7387-2. Archived from the original on 6 August 2020. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  2. ^ "Senior Minister S. Jayakumar to retire". Archived from the original on 26 March 2011. Retrieved 16 June 2011.
  3. ^ "Former DPM S. Jayakumar appointed NUS pro-chancellor". 18 June 2020. Archived from the original on 26 June 2020. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  4. ^ "History and Milestones". Retrieved 5 April 2021.
  5. ^ "PM Lee unveils cabinet changes". 29 March 2008. Archived from the original on 31 March 2008. Retrieved 29 March 2007.
  6. ^ "Shanmugam gets Law in new Cabinet line-up". 30 March 2008. Archived from the original on 3 April 2008. Retrieved 30 March 2007.
  7. ^ Chang, Rachel. "Former Senior Minister S Jayakumar launches memoir". Straits Times. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
  8. ^ "S. Jayakumar". Singapore Government Agency. Singapore Infopedia. 22 November 2013. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
  9. ^ "NUS Law Advisors". Archived from the original on 26 April 2014. Retrieved 23 April 2014.
  10. ^ NUS Centre for International Law Patrons.
  11. ^ "S JAYAKUMAR". NUS Law. National University of Singapore. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
  12. ^ Jayakumar, S. "Professor". Drew & Napier LLC. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
  13. ^ Ang, Jolene (18 June 2020). "Former DPM S. Jayakumar appointed NUS pro-chancellor". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 22 June 2020. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  14. ^ "Pedra Branca: The Road to the World Court". National University of Singapore (NUS). National University of Singapore (NUS). 2009. Retrieved 6 April 2021.
  15. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Straits Times Press launches Professor S Jayakumar's book, "Diplomacy – A Singapore Experience"". SPH. Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. 9 June 2011. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
  16. ^ Abdul Khamid, Hetty Musfirah. "S Jayakumar's book a reminder of Singapore's position in the world: PM Lee". CNA. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
  17. ^ Chang, Rachel (6 May 2015). "Former Senior Minister S Jayakumar launches memoir". The Straits Times. The Straits Times. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
  18. ^ Teo, Gwyneth (30 January 2019). "Book on 'unheard cases' of Pedra Branca challenge launched". CNA. CNA. Retrieved 6 April 2021.
  19. ^ Ho, Grace (6 November 2020). "Former senior minister Jayakumar launches book on governance in Singapore". The Straits Times. The Straits Times. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
  20. ^ Jump up to: a b Yuen-C, Tham (4 April 2021). "Former senior minister S. Jayakumar heads list of 500 receiving National Day honours". The Straits Times. The Straits Times. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
  21. ^ "Former DPM S Jayakumar heads list of National Day Award recipients". CNA. Archived from the original on 9 August 2020. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  22. ^ Yuen-C, Tham (9 August 2020). "Nation's top civilian honour for Jayakumar". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 10 August 2020. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  23. ^ "Japan to confer award on former DPM Jayakumar". ChannelNewsAsia. Archived from the original on 28 April 2012. Retrieved 29 April 2012.

Bibliography[]

  • Jayakumar, S. (2003), The water issue: statement by Singapore Foreign Minister Prof S Jayakumar in Parliament, 25 Jan 2003, Singapore: Ministry of Foreign Affairs
(Contains official documents, press statements and speeches, correspondence between ministers of Singapore and Malaysia and text of the water agreements)
  • Jayakumar, S. (c. 1996), The Southeast Asian drama: evolution and future challenges : Georgetown University inaugural distinguished lecture on Southeast Asia, Washington DC, 22 April 1996, Singapore(?): Ministry of Foreign Affairs(?)
  • Jayakumar, S.; chairman ..., eds. (1984). People's Action Party 1954–1984 : Petir 30th anniversary issue. Singapore: Central Executive Committee, People's Action Party.
  • Jayakumar, S., ed. (1982), Our heritage and beyond : a collection of essays on Singapore, its past, present and future, Singapore: Singapore National Trades Union Congress
  • Jayakumar, S.; Chin, Tet Yung (1981), Report on the development of the Faculty of Law, Singapore: National University of Singapore
  • Jayakumar, S. (1976). Constitutional law cases from Malaysia and Singapore. Singapore: Malayan Law Journal.
  • Jayakumar, S. (1976). Constitutional law, with documentary materials. Singapore: Malaya Law Review, Faculty of Law, University of Singapore.
  • Jayakumar, S. (1974). Public international law cases from Malaysia and Singapore. Singapore: Singapore University Press.

External links[]

Political offices
Preceded by
E W Barker 		Minister for Labour
1983–1985
(Acting: 1983–1984) 		Succeeded by
Lee Yock Suan
as Acting Minister for Labour
Preceded by
Chua Sian Chin 		Minister for Home Affairs
1985–1994 		Succeeded by
Wong Kan Seng
Preceded by
Edmund W. Barker 		Minister for Law
1988–2008 		Succeeded by
K Shanmugam
Preceded by
Wong Kan Seng 		Minister for Foreign Affairs
1994–2004 		Succeeded by
George Yeo
Preceded by
Lee Hsien Loong 		Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore
2004–2009 		Succeeded by
Teo Chee Hean
Preceded by
Tony Tan 		Co-ordinating Minister for National Security
2005–2010 		Succeeded by
Wong Kan Seng
Preceded by
Lee Kuan Yew 		Senior Minister of Singapore
2009–2011
Served alongside: Goh Chok Tong 		Vacant
Title next held by
Teo Chee Hean
Tharman Shanmugaratnam
2019
Retrieved from ""