By Anne Das
Tan Sri Dato’ Seri V. David Jeyaratnam did not measure his life in awards or accolades, though both came to him in abundance. His life was measured instead by what he gave to the law, to the city he loved, to the institutions he built, and above all, to the people who needed someone in their corner.
He passed away on 4 June 2026, at the age of 101. Born in Ipoh and devoted to Ipoh, the son of parents who had journeyed from Ceylon to Malaya in search of a better life. He spent his own life ensuring that others might find one too.
His early years in Ipoh shaped much of the man he would become. He grew up in a time of close racial harmony and easy friendships across communities. As a Boy Scout, he loved camping, adventure and the outdoors, experiences that strengthened his sense of fellowship and service.
His education carried its own turning point. After initially obtaining a Grade Three in the Senior Cambridge examination, his father, unhappy with the result, transferred him to St Michael’s Institution. There, he repeated the examination and achieved a Grade One, a lesson in resilience and the standards that would later mark his professional life.
When Tan Sri Jeyaratnam returned to Malaya after reading law through the University of London and being called to the Bar at Lincoln’s Inn, he joined the firm of Cheang Lee & Ong. The firm had capable lawyers. What it needed was a criminal lawyer. He stepped into that space without hesitation, and it defined his career.
He rose to become one of Malaysia’s foremost criminal lawyers, appearing in cases that made national headlines and earning the respect of judges, peers and clients across the country. The defence of communist leader Chai Kang remains among the landmark cases of his era, a moment that firmly established his standing as a courtroom advocate of the highest order.
He brought to every case the same qualities he brought to everything else in his life, precision, integrity and an unshakeable sense of purpose.
His connection to the Perak Turf Club began through an invitation from Dato’ Yeoh Cheang Lee, then its Chairman. After 14 years on the committee and a period as Acting Chairman, Tan Sri Jeyaratnam assumed the full chairmanship in 1982. He would hold it for 35 years, making him the longest-serving Chairman of any turf club in Malaysia.
During those decades, he helped shape the Perak Turf Club into a significant force for charitable giving and community development in Perak. Funds raised supported countless causes.
His first horse, fittingly, was named Viva Ipoh. It was always about the city.
In the same year he became Chairman of the Perak Turf Club, Tan Sri Jeyaratnam founded the Yayasan Sultan Idris Shah Foundation ( YSIS) and it is here, perhaps most clearly, that the true measure of the man is found.
He was deeply moved by the plight of persons with disabilities. His compassion was never passive. It became action, structure and long-term support. His stated mission was “liberating those confined and immobile into an environment of comparative freedom of mind and body”.
YSIS grew into one of Malaysia’s leading rehabilitation institutions. Patients who arrived unable to care for themselves left with restored mobility, marketable skills, and in many cases, rebuilt their lives.
He described it simply. “I found it satisfying to be able to provide mobility and independence for people with disabilities, a place where they can address their disability, a place to call a second home.”
Those who knew his work regarded YSIS as the jewel in the crown of his philanthropic legacy. It is hard to argue otherwise.
Across a century of public life, Tan Sri Jeyaratnam held numerous leadership roles beyond the courtroom. He served as Chairman of the Perak Bar Committee, President of the Perak Consumers Association, President of the Discharged Prisoners Aid Society and Member of the Perak Government Scholarship Board.
He was also President of the Ceylon Federation of Malaysia and Organising Chairman of the Miss Malaysia/World Beauty Contest. Each position was, in his hands, another platform for service.
Beyond his public roles, Tan Sri Jeyaratnam had a personal style that Ipoh never forgot. Impeccably dressed and well spoken, he was equally at ease with royalty and the man at the next hawker table. In his younger years, he was among the first in town to own a Mercedes sports car and was frequently voted one of Ipoh’s best-dressed men.
Yet his private pleasures were unassuming. Good local food, the company of his pet dogs, and family. Behind the elegance was a man of genuine warmth, and everyone who knew him felt it.
He leaves behind a city shaped in part by his generosity and institutions that will outlast this generation. His legacy reminds us that a life of purpose can hold both excellence and compassion. He chose both, for 101 years, without apparent conflict.
He is survived by his children, Jeyarajah, Jeyamalar and Ratnamalar, and his grandchildren, Shankar and Jeyanthi.
On behalf of the team at Ipoh Echo, we extend our deepest condolences to the Jeyaratnam family. We mourn with them and honour a remarkable man whose legacy will forever be woven into the fabric of this city.
