Its been a while since my last posting and
this time around I really wanted to write
about something more interesting
and closer my the heart and ideals.
Joshua Benjam Jeyaretnam
(5 January 1926 – 30 September 2008
more commonly known as
"J.B. Jeyaretnam"
"J.B.J
became the first opposition
politician since
Singapore's independence in
1965 to win in Parliament, when he
defeated the candidate
of the governing People's Action Party
(PAP) by-election in the constituency of
Anson. He was re-elected at the 1984
general election, but lost his seat in
Parliament in 1986 following a conviction
for falsely accounting the party's
funds ( he always maintained was
politically motivated).
He returned to Parliament after the
1997 general election as a
Non-Member Member of Parliament
(NCMP) . he was stripped of his NCMP
seat in 2001 when he was declared
bankrupt after failing to keep u
with payment for damages to
PAP leaders as a result of a libel
suit. He left the Worker that later
that year.
He was discharged from bankruptcy
in 2007,and founded the Reform
Party in June 2008.
He died of heart failure September 2008,
three months after founding the Reform
Party which is now led by his son,
Kenneth Jeyaretnam.
Excerpt taken - At the funeral parlour this afternoon,
Kenneth Jeyaretnam related
to us how despite warnings from doctors about
his father's heart condition, JBJ kept putting
off medical treatment until such a time
when he could finish his immediate task.
And what was this task that was so urgent?
He had been toiling in court to bring the
Singapore Government to bear for not
holding a by-election after a PAP MP
had passed away recent
He didn't have to do this, nor did he have
to form a new political party, or to revive his
law practice. At the age of 82, he should
have long retired, as both of his sons are
successful professionals.
Even to his last day, he battled for justice
for accountability for a free Singapore.
He gave away his life, literally, to the pursuit
of genuine Democracy in Singapore.
