Former Dean and Head of Political Science, Professor Emeritus Dato' Dr K.J. Ratnam, passed away on 10 March 2024.

A prominent political scientist specialising in Malaysian politics and race relations, Prof Ratnam was the youngest professor in his generation. He served as a key member of the Department of Political Science at the University of Malaya in Singapore when it was first established in 1961 and became Head in 1965.

Prof Ratnam also served as the Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Singapore from 1966 to 1969.

“Prof Ratnam was a key contributor to the foundation of political science in Singapore, having been intricately involved in the setting up of the department in the University of Singapore. During his tenure, he also taught a generation of social science students, one of whom is Ambassador Chan Heng Chee, who holds cherished memories of him.” said NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Dean, Professor Lionel Wee.

In 1970, he joined the Universiti Sains Malaysia as the Foundation Dean of the School of Comparative Sciences. Throughout his career, Prof Ratnam held various roles, including Founder and Director of the Centre for Policy Research (CPR). The CPR led pioneering social scientific research and offered policy recommendations to the Malaysian government on various critical issues, spanning from poverty reduction to ethnic relations.

In recognition of his contributions, he was honoured by Universiti Sains Malaysia with the title of Professor Emeritus in 1993.

In January 2003, he assumed the prestigious Tuanku Chancellor Chair of Science and Technology Policy and Development at the Universiti Sains Malaysia.