Ex-lawyer & political candidate M Ravi dies at 56

Former lawyer and political candidate M Ravi has died at the age of 56.

The cause of death was not disclosed, reported CNA. He was found dead in the early hours of Dec. 24.

Ravi was a former political candidate who contested in GE2015 with the Reform Party, and more recently volunteered with Red Dot United in GE2025.

His 2013 book, "Kampong Boy", was shortlisted for the Singapore Literature Prize.

The police are investigating a case of unnatural death. No foul play is suspected, said the Singapore Police Force.

Embattled lawyer

As a lawyer, Ravi was best known for representing inmates on death row and his strong stances on human rights issues.

He frequently posted on social media arguing against the mandatory death penalty. He was also an opponent of the controversial law Section 377A, calling it "absurd and arbitrary".

It was later repealed in 2022.

But he had a checkered history with the legal authorities. In 2023, he was handed a five-year suspension; in 2024, he was disbarred for improper conduct.

This included making "false and unwarranted attacks" on then-President Halimah Yacob, then-Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, and former PM Goh Chok Tong, and accusing a High Court judge of being biased during a trial.

In 2018, Ravi was given a mandatory treatment order to address his bipolar disorder, following several instances of disorderly behaviour.

Most recently, he was charged in 2024 for allegedly assaulting and harassing nine people.

Tributes

Tributes have since poured in for the late lawyer.

In a heartfelt Instagram post, the Singapore Democratic Party's (SDP) Ariffin Sha recalled how it was Ravi who first sparked his interest in law.

"In 2014, during my first ever internship I did not have a blazer to follow you to Court. You brought me to G2000 picked a suit out and bought it for me. I still wear the same suit today, even on the day that I was called," he wrote.

Kumaran Pillai, publisher at The Independent and formerly of the Progress Singapore Party (PSP), said he was "in shock" at the news.

They were supposed to catch up over lunch in the new year, he said in a Facebook post.

"Ravi has been depressed about how things have turned out for him. He confides in me from time to time. He is very helpful and a big heart for those in need."

Several lawyers also paid tribute to to Ravi. Lawyer Josephus Tan said that he is "a good friend who would be dearly missed".

“You can love him or hate him for all his controversies but you cannot deny his contributions to the jurisprudence of criminal and constitutional laws in Singapore," he told The Straits Times.

Eugene Thuraisingam, who previously represented Ravi in court, said his friend "had his struggles but was always true to the cause he fought with all his heart".

“He has contributed to and will be missed by the legal profession," he said.

Top image from M Ravi/Facebook