Enduring presence of vernacular media in Singapore not by chance: Minister

Josephine Teo lists contributions and successes of Tamil Murasu as it turns 90

- Gabrielle Chan

The continuing presence in Singapore of vernacular mainstream media outlets like Tamil Murasu is not by chance, but a result of careful policy design, strong community support and continuous efforts to innovate, said Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo on July 6.

It is also aligned with the city-state's deep commitment to multiculturalism, Mrs Teo said at a dinner to mark Tamil Murasu's 90th anniversary.

The Tamil daily, which is published by SPH Media, celebrated the milestone anniversary at the event, which President Tharman Shanmugaratnam attended as guest of honour.

In a speech to about 1,000 gathered guests, Mrs Teo noted that Tamil Murasu is one of the oldest Tamil-language newspapers in the world, and one of the few newspapers to have lasted nine decades.

Apart from India, Sri Lanka and Malaysia, even countries with large Tamil populations such as Canada, South Africa and Britain do not have Tamil dailies.

This is possibly due to distribution challenges, or the largely transient nature of their Tamil communities, Mrs Teo added.