“We have lost a great man": Family and friends mourn lawyer Subhas Anandan

The funeral of veteran lawyer Subhas Anandan was held at Mandai Crematorium and Columbarium on Thursday (Jan 8). He died of heart failure on Wednesday, at the age of 67. 

Eulogies were delivered by Law and Foreign Affairs Minister K Shanmugam, RHTLaw Taylor Wessing Senior Partner Rajan Menon, President of the Association of Muslim Lawyers Noor Mohamed Marican, and Mr Subhas’ nephew Mr Kesavan Nair at the funeral, which was attended by over 500 people. 

Mr Shanmugam described Mr Subhas as “a good person, a noble character and who cared deeply for others and society”. “When you met him, you felt that about him, that he is a rare person, and you get drawn to him,” he said. “We have lost a great man. It is our loss, it is our country's loss, and the country mourns his departure.”


"Although the accused, the impoverished and the troubled relied on him completely for help and comfort, Subhas relied completely on his family,” said Mr Kesavan Nair (pictured below). “He relied on his two brothers and two sisters for strength, on his wife for his will and purpose in life, and on his son for hope. While we say goodbye to Subhas Anandan, the social memories and stories of him you hold dear will survive him."

Mr Noor Mohamed Marican spoke about Mr Subhas' dedication to pro bono work and his acts of selflessness. "With the outpouring of grief here today, you can see that his goodwill was overwhelming. We must not let all go to waste at the end of the day. We will carry out his aspirations and all that he wanted to do, especially pro bono work," he said. "He was a charitable man. He was very compassionate and he cared for all, especially for the poor and needy. If you came to him without money and he knew that you needed representation, he wouldn't look at the money angle."