bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

sponsorType

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Former lawyer M Ravi, known for taking on human rights cases and his pro bono work, has died in Singapore. He was 56.
Friends of Ravi confirmed the news on Wednesday. The cause of death has not been disclosed.
Police said that they were alerted to a case of unnatural death at Tan Tock Seng Hospital at 6.50am on Wednesday.
“A 56-year-old man was admitted to the hospital unconscious, where he was subsequently pronounced dead,” police said.
“Based on preliminary investigations, the police do not suspect foul play. Police investigations are ongoing.”
Ravi, whose full name was Ravi Madasamy, was born in 1969 and was a lawyer for more than 25 years.
He was widely known for representing inmates on death row and had also been in the news over his conduct. He was also an advocate for the LGBTQ community and supported the abolition of the death penalty.
Lawyer Eugene Thuraisingam, who had previously served as Ravi’s counsel, said that he “was a man who stood up for and fought hard in court for what he believed in”.
“He was dedicated to his pro bono work and deeply cared for his clients,” Thuraisingam added.
“He was a friend and he will be deeply missed by all in the legal fraternity.”
Lawyer Ariffin Sha said that Ravi played a major role in his journey towards a career in law.
“He is an inspiration and one of the reasons I first read law after he spoke to my late father to let me pursue law,” Ariffin said.
“I hope we remember his good heart and his passion for access to justice.”
According to the Encyclopedia of Singapore Tamils, an online resource, Ravi was a graduate of the National University of Singapore and Cardiff University and was called to the Bar in 1996.
He founded his own law firm, M Ravi Law, in 2019.
In 2023, he was recognised for his human rights work by the International Bar Association, receiving its “Award for Outstanding Contribution by a Legal Practitioner to Human Rights”.
The organisation praised Ravi for his “extraordinary dedication to defending human rights and advocating for the decriminalisation of homosexuality and the abolition of the death penalty in the Republic of Singapore”.
Ravi had several brushes with the law, being fined for disorderly behaviour in 2004 and given a mandatory treatment order to address his bipolar disorder in 2018 before he was sentenced to 14 weeks’ jail for a string of offences in 2024.
He was handed a five-year suspension from practising law in 2023 for making “grave and baseless accusations of improper conduct” against the attorney general, officers from the Attorney General’s Chambers and the Law Society.
Ravi was a one-time political candidate, running in the 2015 general election as part of a Reform Party slate that contested Ang Mo Kio group representation constituency.
He was also an author, publishing an autobiography, Kampong Boy, in 2013. The book was shortlisted for the Singapore Literature Prize the following year.
This story was first published by CNA


Do Singapore’s athletes need more funding? Official’s ‘come to party’ review spurs debate

Former Singapore lawyer and human rights activist M Ravi dies

Singapore’s young graduates feel the heat in ‘draining’ job hunt

Singapore Airlines passenger jailed for in-flight theft targeting business class

Singapore

M Ravi (right) was widely known for taking on human rights cases in Singapore. Photo: Facebook/MRaviLawMyanmar

The central business district in Singapore. Official data showed the unemployment rate of residents aged below 30 was 5.5 per cent in September. Photo: Reuters

Demetrius Tan decided to pursue his dream of being an entrepreneur by starting a 3D printing business after little luck in the job market in Singapore. Photo: Demetrius Tan

People walk out for a lunch break in the Raffles Place financial business district in Singapore. The city state in October launched the Graduate Industry Traineeships scheme for fresh graduates. Photo: AFP

Dave Ho, who graduated from NTU in Singapore with a business degree in December 2024, ventured into live streaming earlier this year. Photo: Dave Ho

In her search for job fulfilment and ownership, Esther Low launched a business in Singapore selling vanity cases after turning down a job opportunity in a finance firm. Photo: Esther Low

Singapore’s unforgiving food scene can go hot and cold on brands. What keeps them coming?

The opening of Chick-fil-A’s first outlet in Singapore on December 11 drew a long queue. Photo: YouTube/Chick-fil-A

Chick-fil-A, which has opened its first outlet in Singapore, is known for its signature chicken sandwich and waffle potato fries. Photo: YouTube/Chick-fil-A

Starbucks coffee cups in Christmas festive colours. Western franchises like Starbucks and McDonald’s have been able to thrive in Singapore’s challenging food scene. Photo: AP

Chinese coffee shop chain Luckin Coffee at the China International Import Expo in Shanghai. Chinese brands like Luckin Coffee, Haidilao and Mixue have expanded their presence in Singapore in recent years. Photo: Frank Chen

News

Asia

Southeast Asia

The 56-year-old was a vocal advocate for the LGBTQ community and supported the abolition of the death penalty in the city state


The 56-year-old was a vocal advocate for the LGBTQ community and supported the abolition of the death penalty in the city state.


Human rights

Obituaries

Former Singapore lawyer and human rights activist M Ravi dies

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The 56-year-old was a vocal advocate for the LGBTQ community and supported the abolition of the death penalty in the city state

The 56-year-old was a vocal advocate for the LGBTQ community and supported the abolition of the death penalty in the city state