Arumugam Ponnu Rajah (7 July 1911 – 28 September 1999), also known as A. P. Rajah, was a Singaporean judge, diplomat and politician who served as
Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore
The speaker of the Parliament of Singapore is the presiding officer of the Parliament of Singapore. The speaker is nominated by the prime minister before being appointed by the Parliament. The speaker is also second in the presidential lin ...
between 1964 and 1966.
Rajah also served as Singapore High Commissioner to the United Kingdom and later Singapore High Commissioner to Australia.
[
He was Singapore's first Supreme Court judge to remain on the bench after turning 70.][
]
Education
Rajah received his early education at St. Paul's Institution and Raffles Institution
Raffles Institution (RI) is an independent educational institution in Singapore. Founded in 1823, it is the oldest school in the country. It provides secondary education for boys only from Year 1 to Year 4, and pre-university education for both ...
.[ In 1932, he attended ]University of Oxford
, mottoeng = The Lord is my light
, established =
, endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019)
, budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20)
, chancellor ...
where he received a law degree.[ He was later conferred the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws by the National University of Singapore (NUS) on 14 November 1984.][
]
Career
In 1948, Rajah contested in the Legislative Council of Singapore
The Legislative Council of the Colony of Singapore was the legislative council of Singapore that assisted the governor in making laws in the colony. It officially came into existence in 1946, when the Straits Settlements (Repeal) Act 1946 a ...
for Rural West Constituency as a Progressive Party Progressive Party may refer to:
Active parties
* Progressive Party, Brazil
* Progressive Party (Chile)
* Progressive Party of Working People, Cyprus
* Dominica Progressive Party
* Progressive Party (Iceland)
* Progressive Party (Sardinia), Ita ...
candidate but lose to independent candidate, Srish Chandra Goho (S C Goho).[
In 1949, Rajah was elected a city councillor.][
In 1953, Rajah represented Singapore to attend the ]Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II
The coronation of Elizabeth II took place on 2 June 1953 at Westminster Abbey in London. She acceded to the throne at the age of 25 upon the death of her father, George VI, on 6 February 1952, being proclaimed queen by her privy and executive ...
.[
In 1959, Rajah re-entered politics as an independent candidate][ and was elected to the Legislative Assembly for ]Farrer Park
Farrer Park is a subzone of the Rochor planning area in the Central Region of Singapore, bounded by Serangoon Road, Rangoon Road, Race Course Road, Northumberland Road, Tekka Lane and Bukit Timah Road.
This article is about the Farrer Park ...
.[
He lost his seat in 1963,][ but was appointed the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Singapore in 1964.][
In 1965, after Singapore gained independence, the Legislative Assembly of Singapore was renamed the Parliament of Singapore and he became the first Speaker of the Parliament.][
In 1966, Rajah was appointed as the High Commissioner to UK.][
Between 1971 and 1973, he was appointed as the High Commissioner to Australia and Fiji.][
Rajah returned to Singapore in 1973 to resume legal practice, and was later appointed as a Supreme Court judge on 1 October 1976.][ He held the appointment till he retired on 30 September 1990 at the age of 79.][
Rajah was the Pro-Chancellor of National University of Singapore from 1990 to 1999.][
]
Family and death
Rajah died on 28 September 1999.[ His wife, Vijaya Lakshmi had died before him in 1971.][ He was survived by his son Chelva and daughter Mala.][
]
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rajah, Arumugam Ponnu
1911 births
1999 deaths
20th-century Singaporean judges
Speakers of the Parliament of Singapore