S Rajaratnam, Singapore's First Foreign Minister
A journalist turned politician turned diplomat, S. Rajaratnam (1915–2006) wore many hats in the service of Singapore. His contribution to Singapore is so great that to cover his life adequately required 20 years of research and over 1,200 pages of writing. Irene Ng, his authorised biographer, tells us little-known facets of the man, his legacy as Singapore’s founding foreign and culture minister, and his relationship with Lee Kuan Yew.
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What Irene Talked About
06:10 – Rajaratnam's personality
07:55 – Main themes of the second volume of Rajaratnam biography, The Lion's Roar
10:24 – Why young Singaporeans should read the biography
14:49 – How Singapore’s pledge came from Rajaratnam’s ideals
19:07 – Rajaratnam's relationship with Lee Kuan Yew
24:41 – Rajaratnam’s legacy in shaping Singapore’s foreign policy
26:11 – Qualities that made Rajaratnam the ideal founding foreign minister
28:04 – Rajaratnam’s impact as the culture minister
30:51 – His forgotten achievements as the labour minister
35:10 – What inspired Irene to write Rajaratnam’s biography
37:30 – Challenges in writing the second volume of the biography
39:40 – Irene’s take on criticisms about the book based on her history
as a politician
44:58 – What Irene reads for leisure
46:06 – Biographies that inspired Irene
49:00 – What’s next for Irene
49:38 – Irene’s Singapore dream
About the Guest
Irene Ng is the authorised biographer of S. Rajaratnam and writer-in-residence at the Institute of ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute. She was formerly an award-winning senior political correspondent and a Member of Parliament in Singapore.
Resources
Irene Ng, The Lion's Roar, vol. 2 of S. Rajaratnam, The Authorised Biography (Singapore: ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute, 2024).
Irene Ng, The Singapore Lion, vol. 1 of S. Rajaratnam, The Authorised Biography (Singapore: ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute, 2024).
Irene Ng, “S. Rajaratnam: The Lion’s Roar,” BiblioAsia 20, no. 3 (October–December 2024).
Irene Ng, “Researching S. Rajaratnam,” BiblioAsia 15, no. 1 (April–June 2019).
S. Rajaratnam, The Short Stories and Radio Plays of S. Rajaratnam (Singapore: Epigram, 2011).
Credits
This episode of BiblioAsia+ was hosted by Jimmy Yap and produced by Soh Gek Han. Sound engineering was done by Doppler Soundlab. The background music "Di Tanjong Katong" was composed by Osman Ahmad and performed by Chords Haven . Special thanks to Irene for coming on the show.
About the Podcast
BiblioAsia+ is a podcast about Singapore history by the National Library of Singapore.