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SINGAPORE : Ground-breaking laws and a reputable legal system are what former Law Minister Professor S Jayakumar is leaving behind after stepping down at the end of last month.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, the Deputy Prime Minister said confidence in the nation's legal framework must be preserved.
Professor Jayakumar, who was Law Minister since 1988, outlined some unique laws passed during his stint. One of them was amending the constitution on the elected president, giving him a safeguard role in reserves and key appointments.
Another was creating the Non-Constituency MP post for defeated opposition members with the highest vote. Yet another was the Maintenance of Religious Harmony Bill.
Professor Jayakumar said, "It was satisfying because it was ground-breaking; there were hardly any precedence elsewhere in the world for me and the Prime Ministers to work on these creative legislation. We spent many hours looking at the various options before we tabled the legislation in Parliament."
But the Pedra Branca issue must be the most memorable for Professor Jayakumar, who was involved in it even before joining the ministry.
Will Singapore or Malaysia gain sovereignty over the island and its two outcrops? The decision is expected on May 23 at the International Court of Justice in The Hague.
Professor Jayakumar said, "We are quietly confident. Why? Because I think personally, we presented a better case. But then I cannot describe myself as an impartial observer. I've been involved in it, so I may be biased, and we have to remind ourselves that the nature of court proceedings is such that it can go the other way.
"The officials from both sides have recently been in touch to discuss the details of how to manage the implementation after the judgement is given... to ensure there's a smooth management of the enforcement implementation, issues which of course will have to be sorted out by both countries, so that this will be as smooth and problem-free as possible."
He said that whoever wins the case, it sets an example for the region to rely on a third party to resolve thorny issues. The case also highlighted how well the multi-government agencies worked together.
Professor Jayakumar said it is not easy to point to visible results under the Law Ministry. This is unlike National Development, where one can observe the progress of urban city planning, or Transport, where one can see concrete results like new roads.
However, Professor Jayakumar said the evidence of the Law Ministry's work is reflected in the country's legal system. And that, he said, plays a critical factor in Singapore's success story.
He said, "To me, it doesn't matter whether the Law Ministry's work gets headlines or not. That's my own style. It does not matter because the work must get done."
And putting his words into action - that can be seen in how the laws and legal services have evolved over the years. - CNA/ms
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