Opposition politician Kenneth Jeyaretnam passes away at age 67

SINGAPORE: Kenneth Jeyaretnam, who was the son of prominent opposition politician JB Jeyaretnam and the secretary-general of the Reform Party, passed away on Saturday (July 18), his wife, Amanda, announced in a Facebook post on Sunday afternoon.

He was 67 years old.

“He died peacefully in his sleep surrounded by family.  He was my beloved husband and a loving and devoted father to his son, Jared. He filled our lives with joy and wonder and we miss him so much,” she wrote, expressing thanks for people’s love and support.

She added that the funeral details for a small family service are being arranged, and that there will be a memorial to celebrate his life later on.

Mr Jeyaretnam’s cause of death has not been made public.

His life story

He was the second son of JB Jeyaretnam and Margaret Cynthia Walker. 

The elder Mr Jeyaretnam was the first opposition politician elected into Parliament after Singapore became independent, getting elected as MP for Anson SMC in 1981 and was the de facto Leader of the Opposition from 1981 to 1986. JB Jeyaretnam was also the secretary-general of the Workers’ Party from 1971 until he left the party in 2001. He founded the Reform Party in 2008, and after he died, his older son Kenneth took over as its leader the following year.

Kenneth Jeyaretnam received a double first-class honours in economics from Cambridge and studied at the Amsterdam Institute of Finance. He then worked in the finance industry, eventually becoming a hedge fund manager.

After his father’s death on September 30, 2008, Mr Jeyaretnam became more involved in politics. He contested in the 2011 general election, 2013 by-elections, 2015 general election, and 2020 general election; however, none of his bids to win a Parliamentary seat was successful.

What Singaporeans are saying

The announcement of Mr Jeyaretnam’s passing has been greeted with an outpouring of sympathies from Singaporeans, many of whom thanked the opposition politician for having been a voice for them. 

“Condolences to the family. Rest in peace, Kenneth. And thank you for speaking out for us S’poreans,” a Facebook user wrote.

“Just like his father JB, Kenneth too was a fighter to the end,” added another.

“Kenneth Jeyaretnam entered public life knowing that the road ahead would not be easy. He stood in an arena where the odds were often heavily against him, where voices of opposition could easily be drowned out by the power and machinery of the establishment. Yet he continued to step forward, driven by his belief that a healthy society requires courage, questioning, and the willingness to challenge those in power.

Like any public figure, his journey has been met with both support and criticism. But beyond opinions and political differences, there is something worthy of recognition: the determination of a man who refused to retreat when the path became difficult,” a netizen commented. /TISG

Read also: RP’s Kenneth Jeyaretnam: “Opposition” is becoming a bit less of a dirty word