Punch Coomaraswamy (16 October 1925 – 8 January 1999) 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 line ...
between 1966 and 1970, and
Singapore Ambassador to the United States between 1976 and 1984.
He had also served as Singapore's Ambassador to Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Fiji, India, and Sri Lanka.
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Education
Coomaraswamy was the son of Kandiah and Chellam Coomaraswamy. Kandiah Coomaraswamy was a medical doctor who served in the then Straits Settlements
The Straits Settlements were a group of British territories located in Southeast Asia. Headquartered in Singapore for more than a century, it was originally established in 1826 as part of the territories controlled by the British East India Comp ...
Medical Service from 1916 to 1955, when he retired.[ Coomaraswamy received his early education at the English College in ]Johor
Johor (; ), also spelled as Johore, is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia in the south of the Malay Peninsula. Johor has land borders with the Malaysian states of Pahang to the north and Malacca and Negeri Sembilan ...
and later obtained his law degree from the University of Nottingham
The University of Nottingham is a public university, public research university in Nottingham, United Kingdom. It was founded as University College Nottingham in 1881, and was granted a royal charter in 1948. The University of Nottingham belongs t ...
in England.[
]
Career
Coomaraswamy practised in the firm of Braddell Brothers as an advocate during the 1950s and 1960s. From 1958 to 1960, he was appointed the Honorary Secretary of Singapore Bar Council. He was a visiting lecturer in the law of evidence at the University of Singapore
The National University of Singapore (NUS) is a national public research university in Singapore. Founded in 1905 as the Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States Government Medical School, NUS is the oldest autonomous university in the c ...
(now National University of Singapore
The National University of Singapore (NUS) is a national public research university in Singapore. Founded in 1905 as the Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States Government Medical School, NUS is the oldest autonomous university in the c ...
) from 1959 to 1969.[ From 1961 to 1969, he was a lecturer for the Board of Legal Education, Singapore.][ During his time as a lawyer, Coomaraswamy represented convicted murderer ]Sunny Ang
Sunny Ang Soo Suan (; – 6 February 1967), alias Anthony Ang, was a Singaporean racing driver and part-time law student who gained notoriety for the alleged murder of his girlfriend Jenny Cheok Cheng Kid near Sisters' Islands. Ang was charged ...
in his trial, where Ang was accused of murdering his girlfriend for her insurance. Ang was executed
Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, is the state-sanctioned practice of deliberately killing a person as a punishment for an actual or supposed crime, usually following an authorized, rule-governed process to conclude that t ...
in 1967.Speaker of Parliament
The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England.
Usage
The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hungerf ...
.[ He was the Acting ]President of Singapore
The president of Singapore is the head of state of the Singapore, Republic of Singapore. The role of the president is to safeguard the Reserves of the Government of Singapore, reserves and the integrity of the Singapore Civil Service, public serv ...
from 5 March to 5 May 1968.[ Dr Yeoh Ghim Seng took over as the Speaker of the Parliament in January 1970.][
His first appointment with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was from January 1970 to July 1973 as Singapore's High Commissioner to India, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh.][
From July 1973 to September 1976, he was Singapore's High Commissioner to Australia and Fiji, and from October 1976 to August 1984, he was Singapore's Ambassador to the United States and Brazil.][
He served as a Supreme Court judge from 7 September 1984][ to 15 October 1993.][
]
Family and death
Coomaraswamy married Kaila on 9 November 1956 and had three children from the marriage.[ He died in his sleep on 8 January 1999 as a result of chronic lung disease caused by smoking.][ One of his sons, Vinodh Coomaraswamy, is currently a judge in the ]High Court of Singapore
The High Court of Singapore is the lower division of the Supreme Court of Singapore, the upper division being the Court of Appeal. It consists of the chief justice and the judges of the High Court. Judicial Commissioners are often appointed ...
.[
]
Awards
*1946: Pacific War (1941 to 1945) Medal (United Kingdom)[
*1976: ]Public Service Star
The Bintang Bakti Masyarakat (English: Public Service Star) is a Singaporean decoration instituted in 1963, is awarded to any person who has rendered valuable public service to the people of Singapore, or who has distinguished themselves in the ...
Award[
*1980: ]Meritorious Service Medal A Meritorious Service Medal is an award presented to denote acts of meritorious service, and sometimes gallantry, that are worthy of recognition. Notable medals with similar names include:
* Meritorious Civilian Service Award
*Meritorious Service Me ...
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References
External links
A Tribute to Punch Coomaraswamy
{{DEFAULTSORT:Coomaraswamy, Punch
1925 births
1999 deaths
Ambassadors of Singapore to the United States
Speakers of the Parliament of Singapore
20th-century Singaporean judges
Singaporean expatriates in India