Reform Party leader Kenneth Jeyaretnam dies aged 67

SINGAPORE: Mr Kenneth Jeyaretnam, secretary-general of the Reform Party (RP), has died, his wife said on Sunday (Jul 19). He was 67 years old. 

Mr Jeyaretnam died in his sleep, surrounded by family, on Saturday, said Amanda Jeyaretnam in a post on her husband’s Facebook page. 

“He was my beloved husband and a loving and devoted father to his son, Jared. He filled our lives with joy and wonder and we miss him so much,” she said. 

She added that funeral details for a small family service were currently being finalised and a memorial to celebrate Mr Jeyaretnam’s life would be arranged at a later date.

POLITICAL CAREER

The eldest son of the late opposition icon JB Jeyaretnam, Mr Kenneth Jeyaretnam took over the leadership of his father’s party in 2009. 

The Cambridge graduate contested three General Elections from 2011, as well as the 2013 Punggol East by-election. In 2020, the last election he contested, Mr Jeyaretnam led a five-member RP team against then-Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in Ang Mo Kio GRC. 

Mr Jeyaretnam was also a vocal critic of the government, regularly commenting on politics and public policy on social media and his personal website. Over the years, he received multiple correction directions under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA).

The RP leader had been living in the United Kingdom. His former lawyer Clarence Lun said in a Facebook post that he visited Mr Jeyaretnam in hospital in June, when he was not fully alert.

Mr Lun said their professional relationship allowed him to know more about Mr Jeyaretnam away from the political stage. 

“Kenneth was thoughtful, courteous and scrupulous in his dealings,” he wrote. 

He added that Mr Jeyaretnam’s contribution to Singapore’s public life should never be measured solely by whether he held political office.

“Public service is also the willingness to stand, to question, to endure criticism and to keep an alternative voice alive when doing so is difficult. Kenneth did all of those things,” he said. 

Lim Tean, leader of the People’s Alliance for Reform (PAR), hailed Mr Jeyaretnam as a “steadfast voice in Singapore’s opposition”. 

RP was once part of the PAR, which began as a four-party opposition alliance, but withdrew from it in 2025. 

Lim said he admired Mr Jeyaretnam for his convictions, pointing to his belief in fighting for the underprivileged. 

“When he believed in something, he never wavered, no matter how unpopular the cause might be. That was the measure of the man, and it was his father’s spirit living on in him,” he said. 

Mr Jeyaretnam is survived by his wife Amanda, their son Jared and his younger brother, High Court judge Philip Jeyaretnam.