Kenneth Andrew Jeyaretnam(born 1959) is a Singaporean politician and hedge fund manager who has been appointed as the Secretary-General of the oppositionReform Partysince 2009.
Kenneth Jeyaretnam | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 2nd Secretary-General of theReform Party | |
| Assumed office 10 April 2009 | |
| Chairman | Andy Zhu (2012–2020) Charles Yeo (2020–2022) Yasmine Valentina (2022–present) |
| Preceded by | J. B. Jeyaretnam |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Kenneth Andrew Jeyaretnam 1959 (age 65–66) Colony of Singapore |
| Political party | Reform Party (2009–present) |
| Spouse |
Amanda Jeyaretnam (m.1995) |
| Children | Jared Jeyaretnam (son) |
| Parents |
|
| Relatives | Philip Jeyaretnam(brother) |
| Alma mater | Queens' College, Cambridge Amsterdam Institute of Finance |
| Occupation |
|
He is the elder son ofJ. B. Jeyaretnam,a prominent opposition politician in Singapore who founded the Reform Party in 2008.[1]
Jeyaretnam received adouble firstin economics fromCambridge,[2]and started his career in the financial sector. He worked atWardley,Continental Bank,Banque IndosuezandNomura Internationalbefore becoming ahedge fundmanager.[3]
He took up a more active role in politics after his father's death in 2008 and started leading the Reform Party. Since then, he has contested in the2011 general election,2013 by-elections,2015and2020 general election,but lost all of them.[4][5][6][7]
Background
editJeyaretnam's parents,Joshua Benjamin Jeyaretnamand Margaret Cynthia Walker, were both lawyers by profession.[8]His father was a prominent opposition politician in Singapore and the first elected opposition Member of Parliament since Singapore gained independence in 1965.[9]
Jeyaretnam was educated atSt. Andrew's Schooland theUnited World College of South East Asiain Singapore before he attendedCharterhouse Schoolin England from 1975 to 1977. Between 1977 and 1980, he returned to Singapore forNational Service,and then went on to read economics atQueens' College,University of Cambridge,from which he graduated with double first class honours in 1983.[10]He also studied at theAmsterdam Institute of Finance.[2]
After graduating from Cambridge in 1983, Jeyaretnam applied to work at theMonetary Authority of Singaporeand other financial institutions and banks, but his applications were turned down.[10]Nevertheless, he managed to start a career in the financial sector as an assistant manager in the Lending Department ofWardley,the merchant banking arm ofHSBC.He worked at Continental Bank,Banque IndosuezandNomura Internationalbefore he became ahedge fundmanager focusing on event-driven investing. From 2004 to 2008, he established and managed his own funds. When he was working inLondon,he was a committee member of the Singapore UK Association.[3]
Political career
edit
Following his father's death in September 2008,[11]Jeyaretnam took up a more active role in politics. In April 2009, he became the Secretary-General of the oppositionReform Party,founded by his father in 2008 months before his death.[2][10][12]
2011 general election
editJeyaretnam first stood for elections in the2011 general electionwhen he led a five-member Reform Party team to contest inWest Coast GRCagainst a five-member team from the governingPeople's Action Party(PAP) led by Trade and Industry MinisterLim Hng Kiang.The Reform Party team lost after garnering 33.43% of the vote against the PAP team's 66.57%.[4]
2013 by-election
editIn 2013, after PAP Member of ParliamentMichael Palmerresigned from the PAP and gave up his parliamentary seat inPunggol East SMC,aby-electionwas scheduled to be held on 26 January 2013. Jeyaretnam contested in the by-election, which turned out to be a four-cornered fight pitting him against three other candidates:Koh Poh Koonof the PAP;Lee Li Lianof theWorkers' Party;andDesmond Limof theSingapore Democratic Alliance.The by-election concluded with a victory for Lee, who won with 54.5% of the vote against Koh's 43.73%, Jeyaretnam's 1.2%, and Lim's 0.57%.[7]Since he got lower than 12.5% of the vote, Jeyaretnam forfeited hiselection depositof S$14,500 under Singapore's electoral rules.[13]
After his candidacy was first announced, Jeyaretnam and his family in London received multiple death threats, including threats to castrate his son. He made a police report[14]and the police arrested a 23-year-old man working as a clerk inSingapore Press Holdings's classified ads department.[15]
2015 general election
editJeyaretnam led a four-member Reform Party team to contest inWest Coast GRCagain during the2015 general electionagainst a four-member PAP team led by Trade and Industry MinisterLim Hng Kiang.The Reform Party lost with 21.43% of the vote against the PAP team's 78.57%.[5]
2020 general election
editDuring the2020 general election,Jeyaretnam switched to leading a five-member Reform Party team to contest inAng Mo Kio GRCagainst a five-member PAP team led by Prime MinisterLee Hsien Loong.The Reform Party team lost after garnering 28.09% of the vote against the PAP team's 71.91%.[6]
Personal life
editJeyaretnam and his wife, Amanda Jeyaretnam, have a son, Jared Jeyaretnam.[14]His younger brother,Philip Jeyaretnam,has been a judge of theSupreme Courtsince 2021 and was one of the youngest lawyers to be appointedSenior Counselin 2003 at the age of 38.[16]
References
edit- ^"J. B. Jeyaretnam: Politician and activist who fought all his adult life for greater democracy in Singapore".Independent.co.uk.Archived fromthe originalon 12 August 2011.Retrieved2 September2017.
- ^abcalvinology (6 September 2015)."GE2015: Humanising Kenneth Jeyaretnam".Yahoo News Singapore.Retrieved22 November2021.
- ^ab"Upfront with The Reform Party: An exclusive interview with Mr Kenneth Jeyaretnam and Mr Justin Ong".The Kent Ridge Common.24 September 2009.Retrieved22 November2021.
- ^ab"2011 PARLIAMENTARY GENERAL ELECTION RESULTS".Elections Department Singapore.Retrieved22 November2021.
- ^ab"2015 PARLIAMENTARY GENERAL ELECTION RESULTS".Elections Department Singapore.Retrieved22 November2021.
- ^ab"2020 PARLIAMENTARY GENERAL ELECTION RESULTS".Elections Department Singapore.Retrieved22 November2021.
- ^ab"2013 PARLIAMENTARY BY-ELECTION RESULT".Elections Department Singapore.Retrieved22 November2021.
- ^Khor, Christine (5 September 1987)."Always something Singaporean".The Straits Times.Retrieved22 November2021.
- ^Chua, Val; Lee, Ching Wern (14 November 2020)."TODAY20: The lonely fighter (Oct 12, 2002)".Today.Retrieved18 November2021.
- ^abcLoh, Chee Kong (8 April 2010)."I am my own man: Kenneth Jeyaretnam".CNA. Archived fromthe originalon 10 April 2010.Retrieved22 November2021.
- ^"J B Jeyaretnam dies of heart failure, aged 82".Today.30 September 2008. Archived fromthe originalon 2 November 2008.
- ^Kor, Kian Beng; Au Yong, Jeremy (28 April 2009)."Kenneth Jeyaretnam is Reform Party's sec-gen".The Straits Times.Retrieved22 November2021.
- ^Rashith, Rahimah (27 January 2013)."RP's Jeyaretnam and SDA's Lim unbowed by low number of votes".Yahoo News Singapore.Retrieved22 November2021.
- ^abLim, Joyce (21 January 2013)."Rally goes on despite threats to RP chief's son".The Straits Times.Archivedfrom the original on 22 April 2018.Retrieved21 April2018.
- ^Agence France-Presse (25 January 2013)."Singapore man held for politician threats: police".Bangkok Post.Retrieved22 November2021.
- ^Ang, Qing (7 December 2020)."Philip Jeyaretnam appointed Supreme Court judicial commissioner".The Straits Times.ISSN0585-3923.Retrieved2 November2021.