S. Durai Raja Singam is a remarkable and often under-recognized figure in Malaysian and Sri Lankan Tamil history.
Here’s a concise yet rich profile of him:
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Full Name: S. Durai Raja Singam (1903 – 1995)
Profession: Lawyer, historian, biographer, and community leader.
Ethnicity: Ceylon Tamil (Jaffna Tamil).
Based: Lived and worked mainly in Malaya (then British Malaya, later Malaysia).
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His Background & Career
Trained as a lawyer, he practiced in Malaya but was equally passionate about history and heritage.
He became a leading chronicler of the Ceylonese diaspora in Malaya and Singapore.
Unlike many contemporary writers, he wrote from within the community — blending firsthand knowledge with colonial records and interviews.
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Historical Work
Durai Raja Singam authored and compiled numerous publications that today serve as key reference materials for historians of Malaysian Indians. His most notable works include:
1. A Hundred Years of Ceylonese in Malaysia and Singapore (1867–1967) — the book you have, marking a century of the Ceylonese community’s contributions in administration, education, and medicine.
2. Malayan Indian Who’s Who (various editions in the 1930s–50s) — a directory of Indian professionals and leaders across Malaya and Singapore.
3. Ceylonese in Malaya and Singapore (1845–1945) — his earlier documentation, later expanded into the 1967 centenary edition.
4. Biographical essays on prominent Ceylonese figures such as Sir Arunachalam, Sir Ponnambalam Ramanathan, and other early Tamil leaders.
His Style and Vision
His tone was scholarly but deeply personal — written “by one of us, for all of us.”
He believed that Ceylonese Tamils had a moral duty to record their own history rather than let colonial or foreign writers define it.
Through his work, he highlighted the community’s role in the civil service, railways, education, and temples — especially how Jaffna Tamils became known as reliable administrators in British Malaya.
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Legacy
His books are often cited in academic works on Malaysian Indian history, diaspora studies, and migration sociology.
In many libraries (for instance, the National Library of Malaysia and the Singapore National Library), his 1967 book is kept in reference-only sections due to its rarity.
Among Ceylon Tamil families in Malaysia, owning a copy is considered almost a heirloom of community history.
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Why He Matters
S. Durai Raja Singam preserved the record of a generation that might otherwise have vanished into colonial archives. Without his meticulous documentation, much of the Ceylonese Tamil contribution to Malaysia and Singapore’s civil and educational systems would be forgotten today.
Wednesday, October 22, 2025
An Introduction to the Malaysian Ceylonese Community and the Malaysian Ceylonese Congress
“One of the greatest Malaysian stories waiting to be written is the contribution the immigrant and domiciled races of Malaysia – the Chinese, the Indians and the Ceylonese – have made towards the development and advancement of this country”, wrote Mr.S.Durai Raja Singam in October 1968 in his book – A hundred years of Ceylonese in Malaysia and Singapore (1867 – 1967)
On Malaysia Day – September16, 1963, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II said in her message, “We have good reason to be proud of the men and women, Chinese, Malay, Indian, Pakistani, Ceylonese, British and others who over the years have each made their own contribution.” Again, Field Marshall Tun Sir Gerald Templer has remarked: “The story of this country is not the story of one race alone, but of all the people and all the circumstances which have shaped its course. Everyone in Malaya today can feel proud of the contribution which their race had made towards the comity of the Malayan nation which in due course will spring up and flourish. It is desperately important that those who live here today should recognise their contribution and should be proud of it: not as a separate entity, but as one thread in the pattern we are trying to weave”.
In his book, Mr. Durai Raja Singam adds, “Much has been written about the Chinese and Indians in the past. But little has been written of the Ceylonese. Nor has anything been set down on the Gurkhas, who are till today making a great contribution to the defence of Malaysia, the Sikhs and the Chettiars of Malaysia. Detailed account of all this is required if we are to have a real understanding of the complex fabric of Malaysian history. A study of the history of a community is in no way parochial.
A greater understanding of the history of the different races in Malaysia, their culture and traditions, would go a long way in building up an integrated Malaysian society and in fact all the detailed histories of the influx of the various communities and races in Malaysia and their subsequent prosperity in the country would act as a highly important source material when the history of the emotional integration of this country is written.
When a Chinese, Indian or Ceylonese treats this country as his motherland his own cultural background definitely enriches the life in this country because in addition to leading the Malaysian way of life he has added something of his own to it and has made the pattern of life in Malaysia more diversified and interesting. As Chinese, Indian and Ceylonese, these represent a chain in the succession of events. A part of the past of each of these is associated with a country. Each of these communities have left permanently their own landmarks as they developed their own philosophy of life, a way of living and a traditional culture. The recent past of all these communities in Malaysia – the Chinese, Indians and the Ceylonese – is associated with Malaysia – a country which all these races have adopted as their motherland. A proper fusion of these two channels of history is absolutely essential to place these communities in a proper perspective in the life of modern Malaysia.”
In the Forward to this book, the Founder and first Prime Minister of Malaysia, the Late Y.T.M. Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj wrote, “Much has been written and said regarding the great contribution of the Chinese and Indians. The Ceylonese, however, have been grouped as Indians or just “Others”. Who were these significant “Others” and what was their role in the development of this nation?
Bapa Malaysia then answered this question thus, “As a former civil servant, the dedication and stability of the Ceylonese who worked in large numbers in almost every branch of public administration and in the plantation and industrial sectors, has left an indelible mark in my mind”.
Founder and first Prime Minister of Singapore, the Right Honorable, Mr. Lee Kuan Yew had the following to write in his Forward in the same book, “I found Mr. Durai Raja Singam’s compilation of the record of Ceylonese community during the last hundred years in Singapore and Malaysia an illuminating lesson in what a minority community can achieve given self-confidence and adaptability. In terms of numbers the Ceylonese, like the Eurasians, are among the smallest of our various communities. Yet in terms of achievements and contributions to the growth and development of modern Singapore and Malaysia they have done more than warranted by their numbers. In the early days of Malaysia’s and Singapore’s history the civil service and the professions were manned by a good number of Ceylonese. Even today the Ceylonese community continue to play a prominent role in these and other fields of civil life. For example in Singapore, today, the Speaker of our Parliament is a Ceylonese. So is our High Commissioner in Great Britain. So is our Foreign Minister. In the Judiciary, in the civil service, in the University, in the Medical Service and in the professions they continue to make substantial contributions out of all proportion to their numbers. They are there not because they are members of a minority community but on the basis of merit The point is that the Ceylonese are holding their own in open competition with communities far larger than them. They have asked for no special favour or consideration as a minority. What they have asked for – and quite rightly – is that they should be judged on their merits and that they be allowed to compete with all other citizens fairly and without discrimination. This, as far as the Singapore government is concerned, is what is best for all of us. I believe that the future belongs to that society which acknowledges and rewards ability, drive and high performance without regard to race, language or religion.
Our Ceylonese citizens, like the other citizens of migrant stock, have made a distinctive contribution towards the enrichment and growth of Singapore, as they have towards the modernisation of Malaysia and Singapore during the past hundred years. Their forefathers emigrated and sweated and toiled to build a new world out of virgin jungle and swamp so that their descendants could live in dignity and equality: not on sufferance but as of right, because they sweated and toiled to build their new homeland”.
The above statements by the foremost leaders of both countries is more than any testimony one can ask for about this minority community in Malaysia and Singapore.
(above found and shared from google search)
Reprint in hard cover available at Rm180/=) Call Thiru 016 3712762. (3rd Oct 2025)
A book titled " 100 years of Ceylonese in Malaysia " was written by Dr.S Durai Raja Singam. He had the pictures of the Ceylonese who had come from Jaffna to work in the then Malaya. This was the years when the British were in Malaysia. Could I get from you a intro and a preview of that book and some words about the author.
Certainly! Here's a thoughtful introduction and preview of the book A Hundred Years of Ceylonese in Malaysia and Singapore (1867–1967) by Dr. S. Durai Raja Singam, along with a brief profile of the author:
ð Book Introduction:
A Hundred Years of Ceylonese in Malaysia and Singapore (1867–1967)
This landmark publication by Dr. S. Durai Raja Singam chronicles the rich and often overlooked history of the Ceylonese Tamil diaspora in British Malaya and Singapore. Spanning a century from 1867 to 1967, the book documents the migration, settlement, and contributions of Ceylonese—primarily from Jaffna, Sri Lanka—who arrived to serve in colonial administration, education, and civil service under British rule.
Through detailed narratives, rare photographs, maps, and facsimiles, the book paints a vivid portrait of a community that played a pivotal role in shaping the intellectual and administrative backbone of colonial Malaya. It highlights the values of discipline, education, and civic duty that defined the Ceylonese ethos, and how these values were passed down through generations.
ð Preview Highlights
ð· Archival Photographs: Includes portraits of early Ceylonese pioneers, civil servants, educators, and community leaders.
ðš️ Migration Routes: Traces the journey from Jaffna to key towns in Malaya such as Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh, and Penang.
ð️ Institutional Legacy: Documents the founding of temples, schools, and associations like the Ceylon Federation and the Vivekananda Ashrama.
ð Biographical Sketches: Features profiles of prominent Ceylonese figures who contributed to law, medicine, and public service.
𧎠Cultural Continuity: Explores how traditions, language, and religious practices were preserved across generations.
ðĪ About the Author: Dr. S. Durai Raja Singam
Dr. Singam was a distinguished historian, bibliophile, and chronicler of Tamil and Ceylonese heritage. Born in Jaffna, he dedicated much of his life to documenting the diaspora experience, particularly the contributions of Ceylonese Tamils in Southeast Asia. His works are known for their meticulous research, cultural sensitivity, and archival richness.
He was also a passionate advocate for Tamil literature and history, and his publications often served as bridges between communities separated by geography but united by heritage. This book remains one of his most enduring legacies, treasured by scholars and descendants of the Ceylonese diaspora alike.
To get yourself a reprint edition (now in print) call 016 3712762 K.Thiru Already now available. RM180/ per copy. Delivery in Selangor only.
All-star contributor 
S. Durai Raja Singam is a remarkable and often under-recognized figure in Malaysian and Sri Lankan Tamil history.
Full Name: S. Durai Raja Singam (1903 – 1995)
His Background & Career
Historical Work
His Style and Vision
Legacy
Why He Matters
