S. Jayakumar


Shunmugam Jayakumar , often known as S. Jayakumar, is a Singaporean former politician, lawyer and diplomat of Tamil descent. A former member of the governing People's Action Party, 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 for the constituency of Bedok within the East Coast Group Representation Constituency.
S. Jayakumar was the 6th deputy prime minister on January 2, 1994 till August 12, 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. In May 2011, he retired from politics. In June 2020, he was appointed Pro-Chancellor of the National University of Singapore.

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. 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.

Political career

Jayakumar served as Singapore's Permanent Representative to the United Nations 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 in 1980.
In 1980, Jayakumar was elected a member of parliament 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 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 January 2, 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 April 30, 2008, and as Deputy Prime Minister on April 1, 2009.

Retirement

Jayakumar was appointed a Senior Minister on April 1, 2009 before retiring from politics on May 21, 2011.
He decided not to contest in the 2011 General Elections due to health reasons.
After retirement, he served as Chair of the National University of Singapore Faculty of Law's Advisory Council and Patron of the NUS Centre for International Law. He is also presently a consultant with Drew & Napier. In 2015 he published a memoir titled 'Be at the Table or Be on the Menu: A Singapore Memoir'. He is currently appointed as a pro-chancellor of the National University of Singapore for a three year term starting from July 1, 2020.

Awards

On April 2012, Jayakumar was awarded the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun by the Japanese government.