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From A Heartlander's Mind, 3 Dec 2009
Philip Jeyaretnam: My father would be happy that I joined PSC
In an interview with the Straits Times, Mr Philip Jeyeretnam, the younger son of late opposition leader Mr J.B. Jeyaretnam said that his father would be very happy for him joining the Public Service Commission (PSC).
“I have no doubt that my father would be very happy for me….It would not have been terribly different from how happy he was for me when I graduated from Officer Cadet School or when I was made a Senior Counsel – and the following year, when I became president of the Law Society,” he said.
Mr Philip Jeyaretnam was recently appointed to PSC which is involved in the selection of government scholars by President S R Nathan leading to many netizens to speculate that he had been “co-opted” by the establishment.
He disagrees with the perception, countering that the reason for “this reaction stems from an identification of the state with a particular political party” and it is wrong.
A key reason to him joining PSC is to safeguard the independence of PSC.
“The breakthrough which Singapore needs to make is to have an establishment which encompasses the full range of political opinions within the constitutional set-up of Singapore,” he added.
Mr Philip Jeyaretnam also revealed that he had difficulties securing a job in a law firm in Singapore after returning from his studies in Cambridge, England due to his father’s involvement in opposition politics.
He made up his mind that his character is not suitable for politics in the mid 1990s much to the disappointment of the elder Jeyaretnam.
When asked about his elder brother Kenneth taking over the reins of the Reform Party which was founded by his father last year, he pauses and seems to struggle for an answer.
“We have always respected each other’s choices in life and we have made slightly different choices,” he says.
The late Mr Jeyaretnam had won the respect and love from many ordinary Singaporeans for speaking up fearlessly for them.
He won two elections in the Chinese-dominant seat of Anson in 1981 and 1984, both against Chinese opponents. (Anson is now part of Tanjong Pagar GRC led by MM Lee Kuan Yew)
In 1985, he lost his parliamentary seat after being sentenced to one month’s imprisonment for allegedly mis-stating his Workers’ Party’s (WP) accounts.
He would to remain in the political wilderness for the next two decades except for a brief period as a NCMP from 1997 to 1999 before he was bankrupted again by another ruinous defamation lawsuit.
After he died last year from heart failure, thousands of Singaporeans attended his funeral to mourn his passed.
A candle-night vigil was held at Hong Lim Park a week later by 200 or so young Singaporeans many of whom are still children when JBJ, as he was fondly known, was fighting his one-man battle against the PAP juggernaut.
Till today, “Jeyaretnam” is still a “brand name” in Singapore politics with many Singaporeans urging his two his sons to carry on the family name.
Unfortunately, Mr Philip Jeyaretnam does not appear to be flattered by the high regard the public held for him.
“I’m not a believer in dynasties at all…..I don’t think there’s any need to carry on a particular name…” he said.
From A Heartlander's Mind, 3 Dec 2009
Philip Jeyaretnam: My father would be happy that I joined PSC
In an interview with the Straits Times, Mr Philip Jeyeretnam, the younger son of late opposition leader Mr J.B. Jeyaretnam said that his father would be very happy for him joining the Public Service Commission (PSC).
“I have no doubt that my father would be very happy for me….It would not have been terribly different from how happy he was for me when I graduated from Officer Cadet School or when I was made a Senior Counsel – and the following year, when I became president of the Law Society,” he said.
Mr Philip Jeyaretnam was recently appointed to PSC which is involved in the selection of government scholars by President S R Nathan leading to many netizens to speculate that he had been “co-opted” by the establishment.
He disagrees with the perception, countering that the reason for “this reaction stems from an identification of the state with a particular political party” and it is wrong.
A key reason to him joining PSC is to safeguard the independence of PSC.
“The breakthrough which Singapore needs to make is to have an establishment which encompasses the full range of political opinions within the constitutional set-up of Singapore,” he added.
Mr Philip Jeyaretnam also revealed that he had difficulties securing a job in a law firm in Singapore after returning from his studies in Cambridge, England due to his father’s involvement in opposition politics.
He made up his mind that his character is not suitable for politics in the mid 1990s much to the disappointment of the elder Jeyaretnam.
When asked about his elder brother Kenneth taking over the reins of the Reform Party which was founded by his father last year, he pauses and seems to struggle for an answer.
“We have always respected each other’s choices in life and we have made slightly different choices,” he says.
The late Mr Jeyaretnam had won the respect and love from many ordinary Singaporeans for speaking up fearlessly for them.
He won two elections in the Chinese-dominant seat of Anson in 1981 and 1984, both against Chinese opponents. (Anson is now part of Tanjong Pagar GRC led by MM Lee Kuan Yew)
In 1985, he lost his parliamentary seat after being sentenced to one month’s imprisonment for allegedly mis-stating his Workers’ Party’s (WP) accounts.
He would to remain in the political wilderness for the next two decades except for a brief period as a NCMP from 1997 to 1999 before he was bankrupted again by another ruinous defamation lawsuit.
After he died last year from heart failure, thousands of Singaporeans attended his funeral to mourn his passed.
A candle-night vigil was held at Hong Lim Park a week later by 200 or so young Singaporeans many of whom are still children when JBJ, as he was fondly known, was fighting his one-man battle against the PAP juggernaut.
Till today, “Jeyaretnam” is still a “brand name” in Singapore politics with many Singaporeans urging his two his sons to carry on the family name.
Unfortunately, Mr Philip Jeyaretnam does not appear to be flattered by the high regard the public held for him.
“I’m not a believer in dynasties at all…..I don’t think there’s any need to carry on a particular name…” he said.
