Alter Ego

The Story of Philip

Writers must have a lot of stuff in them. Even more so if they are accomplished ones. By stuff, I mean passion, inspiration, creativity and literary skills to fill pages and pages of their books with intricate plots, colourful characters and flowery prose. That's why I admire writers, especially the local ones who juggle full-time careers as well. Like many others, I too have read Philip Jeyaretnam's books - First Loves and Raffles Place Ragtime - and wondered about the stuff that he was made of.

I attended one of Philip's writing workshops about 15 years ago. I remember his gentle demeanour and a face wreathed in smiles. Shawn Toh, the Law Society's Senior Assistant Director of Communications agrees with me about Philip's smile. 'If you look closely, Philip's smile is a reflection of his thoughts,' says Shawn.
In 2005, I had the opportunity to serve in the Council of the Law Society under Philip's leadership. Years of law practice had worn him down physically. Compared to 15 years ago, the rigours of holding office in the Law Society have also made him smile less. He is highly professional when chairing Council meetings and takes pains to consider the views of each one of us during Council meetings. Law Society's Chief Executive Officer, Chua Lik Teng, describes him as possessing an 'innate quality of bringing together different and opposing views in a disarming way and moving things forward quickly and effectively'. He has a fine wit - we always enjoy his off the cuff remarks during gatherings.

However, what stands out is his general aloofness, his careful, measured choice of words and his restrained interaction with people. You start searching for the writer in him. He tells you that one of the distinguishing characteristics of a writer is his reserve. The writer achieves 'something more sustained and significant' in a solitary setting.

Through the various phases of his life, his literary tastes have evolved as well. 'Dickens is an old favourite,' he recounts. 'In my twenties, I liked the works of Italo Calvino; Orhan Pamuk was a favourite in my thirties and now, it is TC Boyle.' He describes his favourite book, Dream of the Red Chamber as only an author could: 'A fabulous work. The melancholy love triangle at its best. A haunting evocation of the female world at home which a boy inhabits but must inevitably be
ejected from.'

While some lawyer-writers have put away their pens and chosen to focus on law careers, Philip refuses to choose between writing and law. He draws inspiration for his stories from history, places and the people he has met. He is also a great movie buff (The Others starring Nicole Kidman being one of many that he likes), and food and wine lover (he lists Jaffna Tamil, Keralan food and Garibaldi restaurant as his favourites).

Philip's foray into Council work started when he attended an Extraordinary General Meeting which was called to consider the abolition of appeals to the Privy Council. This led to his
subsequently serving on the Civil Practice and IT Committees of the Law Society. 'It was former President
George Lim who co-opted me into Council during the first year of his presidency.' His first task was the
drafting of the Society's mission statement. 'I enjoyed doing it because it clarified the purposes of the Society.' He realised how much he enjoyed Council work and decided to stand for election. He has been President for the last four years. He explains that through serving in Council, he quickly gained a better understanding of the challenges facing the legal profession and was able to play a significant role in dealing with the challenges and solving problems.

He sees common ground in people choosing to become lawyers and volunteering in the Law Society - making a difference by helping people solve their legal problems. 'Once a lawyer understands that the profession depends on the continued success of an independent bar association, he or she will give their time to that association,' he rationalises.

On how he feels about the Law Society performing its functions within certain constraints, he accepts it readily and feels that lawyers have to learn to work around these constraints. He feels that the Society can reap many benefits by building goodwill with the Ministry of Law and the Singapore Academy of Law. He lists the formation of the Society's Pro-Bono Services Office and the recent successful IBA Conference as the fruits of such co-operation. However, he warns that the Society must never lose its distinctiveness.

A strong advocate for the independence of the Bar, he feels that the government and some members used to compare the Society to a trade union - looking after its own. 'But bypassing the Society, for example, in the regulation of foreign lawyers has weakened our legal sector.' He is full of praise for China which freed the legal profession from state control in the early 1990s. 'Without an independent and trusted legal profession, the rest of China's liberalisation would not have been possible,' he declares. To him, the legal profession is peculiar. Its success depends on respecting it and giving it space to operate in.

He mapped out big dreams for the future of the Law Society when he shared that it has a vital role in making Singapore an active legal hub. Singapore, together with the Society can play a bigger role in capacity building and professional legal education within ASEAN.

He feels that it is the responsibility of the profession to ensure that the Secretariat is well staffed so that the key functions of the Society can be carried out effectively. He describes a good Secretariat director as one who can spot issues, outline threats and opportunities and highlight them to the Council for it to make policies.

The job of the Society President is a demanding full-time job which is done part-time. 'Yes, it is hard work but every month of these last four years I found something that I enjoyed.' He says he would miss it 'as one misses running up Pengkang hill' when he steps down on 31 December 2007. He sums up his four-year term as an exhausting but satisfying journey. Having said that, he is quick to reiterate that four years is the
absolute limit.

His advice for the next President: 'Try to do one important thing each year, but only if the Society has the resources to do it. Speak up for the profession, always keeping the public interest front and centre.'

Volunteer work is not new to Philip. His passion drives the type of volunteer work he involves himself in. He is on the advisory committee of his eldest son's school because he loves teaching. His love of the arts led him to serve as a member in the National Arts Council and chair a theatre school founded by the late Kuo Pao Kun. He feels that Singapore has a lot more urgent work to do in the arts field if it wishes to remain competitive.
He dodges the question when I invite him to share about his private life. He is known to be a family man - a loving husband to his wife, Cindy and kindly father to his three children, Quentin, Tristan and Miranda. His favourite weekend activity is Sunday brunch followed by a theatre matinee. He travels often with his family, and enjoys visiting churches, temples and castles as they are a testament to man's efforts in making sense of the world around him. Watching birds and other wildlife and sampling cuisine are other favourites.

A senior counsel who enjoys litigation, he says that litigation appeals to game-players. 'If you like strategy games, shoot-em-up games or pretty much games of any sort, then you will enjoy litigation. It's the only adult job where you get paid to spar with another grown-up!' He sees lawyers who are appointed senior counsel as leaders in the profession who should try to model the best virtues of an advocate - determination, fairness and courage.

Come 1 January 2008, he will catch up on sleep, spend more time with his family and spend more time writing.

For many lawyers who complain that there is no time for anything else in their lives but law, Philip Jeyaretnam's story shows the importance of having the right stuff in you to guide you in your life journey.

Rajan Chettiar
Rajan Chettiar & Co
E-mail: [email protected]