Cyril E. S. Perera

Mr. Cyril E. S. Perera, QC, a former Member of the House of Representatives, and in later life a leading businessman. He was also a linguist. Mr. Perera was a teacher before he entered the legal profession, and founded the first Teachers' Association of Ceylon, in Kandy, and was its Secretary till he left for Malaya in 1920, and remained in that country for five years. In Malaya too, he was a pioneer and founded a Teachers' Association.

He then took the legal profession and graduated in Arts and Law from the University of London and was called to the bar at Gray's Inn. Mr Perera had the unique distinction of being second in order of merit at the Bar Final in his year, and won the £50 prize from him Inn. Mr. Perera began his legal practice in Kandy, and came to Colombo in 1935, and appeared frequently in the Appeal Courts, and the District Courts. In 1953 he was made a Queen's Counsel in recognition of him eminence at the Bar.

In 1952, Mr. Perera successfully contested the Colombo North seat in Parliament. He abandoned the hustings of politics after four years and returned to business and the law.

In business, Mr Perera was associated in founding the Ceylon Insurance Company (predecessor to Ceylinco Consolidated) and had been on its directorate since that time. He also floated the Finance Company of Ceylon (now called, The Finance Co. PLC), and was also involved in establishing the Ceylon Chocolates Limited which produces the famous Kandos chocolates in Sri Lanka. At the time of his death he was either chairman or on the directorate of several Ceylonese organisations.

Sources

http://islanka.com/index.php?itemID=173&branch=125