K Jayabalan

The passing of Jayabalan came as a shock to many of us. As a friend who has known Jayabalan (better known as Jaya) for 27 years, coming to grips with the reality of his death and the loss of a friend in every sense of the word, has been a tremendous blow to me. I can still recall the night I received an SMS with the news of his passing. It seemed so surreal … there we were having lunch just a week before, chatting and planning a holiday, and it was the most remote of thoughts that Death would cruelly take him away at the relatively young age of 55.   

Coming to terms with the loss has been difficult. His sudden demise has left a vacuum in the lives of those who were close to him. However, the legacy he left behind will light up the lives of many who were touched by his acts of kindness, his humility and sincerity. Jaya had given meaning to the word ‘friendship’ through his virtues of honesty, forthrightness, his open generosity, and dependability, a lesson which many of us can learn from.  

Jaya’s beginnings were humble. Born in an estate in Malacca to a plantation worker, he came to Singapore after his father died, and his mother remarried. Jaya grew up the hard way. Life was not plain sailing for this tough cookie who had to finance his studies at a young age, after the death of his stepfather, working in the day, and attending  night classes under the  then LGPD (Lembaga Gerakan Pelajaran Dewasa). Undaunted by the tremendous odds facing him, he completed his GCE ‘A’ levels and joined the work force as an Investigation Officer with the CPF Board in 1972. Relentless in his pursuit of knowledge, and driven by the desire to improve himself, he enrolled himself as an external student in Law with the University of London, whilst holding a full-time job with the CPF Board. He graduated with a second class honours degree in Law from the University of London. The sweet success of his achievements tells the story of a self-made man, a man who persevered through the tough journey of life, determined to reach his goal, in the face of grave adversity. This sets Jaya apart from the more fortunate who were blessed with the comfort and luxury of an uneventful tertiary education.

Jaya had also contributed to the legal profession through his active involvement in the Law Society from 1985 to 2004, having served on various sub-committees of the Society, such as the Cross-Border Practice Committee, Legal Mission Committee, Information Technology Committee, Professional Indemnity Committee, to name a few. He had also served on the Council of the Law Society for seven years, from 1991 to 1997.  

His more memorable and  significant contributions to the legal profession included the organising of a tour to India as well as China for the Law Society, in his capacity as Chairman of the Legal Mission Committee. The tour to India opened up golden opportunities for greater interaction between the legal fraternities of the two countries, in particular with the legal fraternity in Chennai, Mumbai, Bangalore and New Delhi. The trip also provided an opportunity for the Singapore Legal Mission to meet with the Chief Justice of India, a country steep in legal history and traditions.

The visit to China was an eye-opener for the non-Chinese members of the legal mission. It was the beginning of further exchange/co-operation between Singapore and China, an economic powerhouse. Jaya has certainly with some foresight laid the foundation for more fruitful exchanges between the legal fraternity of Singapore and that of India and China, a legacy we should be proud of.

The legal profession is a noble profession which places great emphasis and importance on the character of a person. Jaya held tenaciously to this basic tenet, ‘for what is left of a man if he has no character’. To Jaya, what mattered most was the character of the lawyer, and not the size or standing of the firm. As a litigation lawyer, Jaya never compromised on the quality of his work. Steadfast in his belief that law is a calling, and not a business venture driven by monetary gains and glamour/power, Jaya has done the profession proud.  These principles guided him in his practice of the law. Hence he never hesitated to go the extra mile to help the man in the street, even though he may not have been rewarded handsomely. In the face of harsh economic reality, it is such kind and caring acts from professionals like Jaya which make a difference in the lives of many.  

Service to Man and God seemed to be the guiding mantra of Jaya’s life. For those who may not have known about the religious side of him, Jaya had been active on the temple front, having served on the management committees of several Hindu temples, such as the Shree Sivan Temple, the Perumal Temple and the Vairavimada Kaliamman Temple. Worthy of note is the fact that Jaya had played an active role in the building of the Shree Sivan Temple at Geylang East Avenue 2, a monumental task. His tireless commitment to service was evident in his contributions on the Hindu Endowment Board, which he had continued to do so up till a month before his demise.

Jaya lived a full life. His love for God and Mankind will be remembered and cherished by those who had been a part of his life. Especially and more profoundly so will this love continue to burn in the hearts of the people closest to him -– his wife, Letchime and his three remarkable sons.
 

B Rengarajoo

B Rengarajoo & Associates