S. Rajaratnam

Sinnathambi Rajaratnam, commonly known as S. Rajaratnam (1915-2006), was one of the first-generation leaders who laid the foundation for the creation of independent Singapore and one of the founders of the People's Action Party. He was a distinguished journalist and helped craft the Singapore National Pledge. He served as Senior Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Culture, and Labour over the years. Born in Sri Lanka, Rajaratnam was brought to Malaya as a six-month-old baby. He completed his schooling in 1934 after studying at St Paul's Institution in Seremban, Raffles Institution in Singapore, and Victoria Institution in Kuala Lumpur. He then went to King's College, London, in 1936 to read law. During his studies there, he was attracted to left-wing ideas and realised the importance of political awareness. During the Japanese Occupation (1942-45), when funding from Malaya was cut off, he discontinued his law course and became a journalist in London to make ends meet.

Rajaratnam, who lived in London until the end of the war, came to Singapore in 1947. Over the next decade, he worked for the Malaya Tribune (1948-50), the Singapore Standard (1950-1954), and The Straits Times (1954-59), writing political articles and editorials. He entered politics as one of the founders of the People's Action Party when it was launched in 1954. He contested and won the Kampong Glam constituency seat as the party's candidate in 1959. He took charge as the Minister of Culture (1959-65) when the People's Action Party came to power that year. When Singapore became an independent country in 1965, he became the Republic's first Foreign Minister and held the post until 1980. He also served as Labour Minister for about three years (1968-71) during that period. He was later elevated to Second Deputy Prime Minister and then Senior Minister, and he retired from public life in 1988. Rajaratnam was then appointed as Senior Distinguished Fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (now ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute). He died in 2006 due to ill health. At his funeral with state honours, everyone recited the National Pledge, which he had helped craft in 1966. 

While working as a journalist in Singapore, Rajaratnam wrote articles exposing the grievances of the colonial regime so vehemently that he was invited to meet and brief the then-Governor of Malaya. He has written not only articles but also short stories and plays. These were published as a collection in 2011 (The Short Stories and Radio Plays of S. Rajaratnam). A deep believer in multiculturalism, he, as Minister of Culture, revised the final drafts of the National Pledge and invested it with the dream of a multiracially united Singapore. He was honoured by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 1997 for his significant contribution to the formation of ASEAN in 1967 and its subsequent achievements, in his capacity as Singapore’s Foreign Minister. Rajaratnam received Singapore's highest public service award, the Order of Temasek (First Class), in 1990 for his outstanding contributions to the country. After his death, a building at Raffles Institution was named in his honour. The S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) was established in his name at the  Nanyang Technological University in 2007. Rajaratnam was also named in the $100 million endowment established by Temasek Holdings in 2014 to support projects that strengthen Singapore's engagement locally and internationally. Rajaratnam is remembered as an architect of Singapore who formulated ideas with clarity and vision.



For more information
Singapore: The Encyclopedia, edited by Tommy Koh, Timothy Auger, Jimmy Yap, Ng Wei Chian, published by Editions Didier Millet and National Heritage Board, 2006
Ng, Irene. The Singapore Lion: S. Rajaratnam The Authorised Biography Volume 1. Singapore: ISEAS, Yusof Ishak Institute. (Call No. 327.59570092 NG)
Ng, Irene. S. Rajaratnam, The Authorised Biography, Volume Two: The Lion’s Roar, Volume 2. Singapore: ISEAS, Yusof Ishak Institute. (Call No. 327.59570092 NG)

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The information in this article is valid as of August 2025 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. If you have any feedback on this article, please submit here.