First year remembrance of S.M. Jiffrey

Born to a respectable family in Akurana, S.M. Jiffrey was a senior retired public servant who unexpectedly passed away on January 16 last year. I knew him from a very early age as we shared a family tree. His father was a prominent person whose qualities his son inherited. Both of us having been passionate Table Tennis players, we met often.  

Having read geography, Mr. Jiffrey passed out of Peradeniya  University in 1961, taught for four years at Zahira College Colombo and entered SLAS in 1963, the first batch of the administrative service, successor to Ceylon Civil Service. 

His initial service was at the Elections Department under the leadership of Elections Commissioner Felix Dias Abeysinghe; he served in Matale, Badulla, Monaragala, Kegalle and Kandy Districts. In discharging duties, he maintained a fierce sense of independence and caused much discomfiture to many politicians who on occasions suggested anything underhand or dishonest. The respect his co-workers and subordinates showed him long after he retired reflects the just, fair and helpful manner in which he treated them when he was in charge. 

In 1985, he functioned as the Senior Assistant Secretary to the Fisheries Ministry, before being posted as Government Agent (GA) to the Mannar District in 1986; an appointment he had to forego due to threats from the LTTE. He had a number of commissions for various ministries until in 1989 when (on presidential appointment) he became the Secretary to the Ministry of State for Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs, a post he held and cherished until he prematurely retired from Public Service in 1990. 

In 1979, he was attached to the Foreign Affairs Ministry. He was appointed First Secretary and later Counsellor to the Sri Lankan Embassy at Bonn in West Germany. For the next three years, he travelled Europe on official duty and leisure. Although he had a very happy and lucrative posting in West Germany, he did not accept the offered extension of his diplomatic post. He wanted to return to his father who was, though still very active in the community, ageing. He also wanted his children brought up in the traditional Sri Lankan value system to which he had a high regard. His father would pass away ten months after he returned. 

He was at Jayatilleka Hall in Peradeniya  University from 1957 where he formed lasting friendships. Some of his hall mates were Ambassador Jayantha Dhanapala and H.M.Z Farouque of Ceylon Civil Service who later became Registrar General. He became a proficient public speaker during his time at campus. 

He greatly admired the coffee table book titled ‘Garden University of Peradeniya’ which I co-authored. Being a linguist of sorts, he authored many books in his later life where in one he undertook the pioneering work of recording the uniqueness of the Akurana language. His book is a compilation of thousands of Akurana specific words that enrich the local Tamil dialect. A lot of his later work revolved around his beloved Akurana including a survey which he completed single-handedly. 

Fiercely honest, charitable and fair-minded, the strict disciplinarian would go out of his way to help people. He leaves behind two daughters and a son, ten much-loved grandchildren and many, many friends who will cherish his memory.

By S.A.C. Mohamed
Zuhyle (Former Ambassador to Kuwait)