He died in 1960, falling ill on pilgrimage to Mecca. After retiring form politics, Jayah was appointed as the first High Commissioner for Ceylon in Pakistan. He became the minister of Labour and Social Service in the first independent government of Sri Lanka. He was also a founding member of the United National Party. He was elected to the legislative council, state council and parliament. He entered the politics and became a prominent figure in pre-independence politics of Sri Lanka. Jayah emerged as a leader of the Muslim community of the country. Under his stewardship, Zahira College became one of the leading schools in the country.
He started his career as a school teacher and retired after serving 27 years as the principal of Zahira College, Colombo. Tuan Burhanuddin Jayah (1 January 1890 – ), was a Sri Lankan educationalist, politician, diplomat and Muslim community leader and considered one of Sri Lanka's national heroes.
