SPH Media’s Tamil Murasu celebrated its 90th anniversary as the voice of the Tamil Community in Singapore with a gala dinner attended by President Tharman Shanmugaratnam as the guest of honour, together with 1,000 guests.
In her speech, Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo noted the significance of the anniversary, with Tamil Murasu being one of the oldest Tamil-language newspapers in the world and one of the few to have lasted nine decades.
She said that this is aligned with Singapore’s deep commitment to multiculturalism, and a result of careful policy design, strong community support, and continuous efforts to innovate.
Continuous steps to progress
Mrs Teo noted that Tamil Murasu was sustaining efforts to reach young readers through various formats. The paper had earlier launched a mobile news app in 2023 for readers to get news on the go, and engaged youths with dialogues to build meaningful connections with the next generation.
The title is also set to launch a new youth brand, Ilaya Thalaimurai, which Mrs Teo cited as a good example of what makes Tamil accessible and engaging.
In his keynote address, Tamil Murasu editor Mr T Raja Segar, shared touching tales of how the paper has endured and touched people’s lives in its 90-year history, and also noted the evolution of its digital transformation.
“We embraced change, from Facebook to mobile-first storytelling – and now we’re experimenting with Artificial Intelligence to see how it can help make Tamil Murasu better,” Mr Raja said. “Tonight, we do not just celebrate a newspaper. We celebrate a living legacy and a heritage.”
Bold vision for the future
As he looked forward, Mr Raja reiterated the title’s commitment to make it an even better product.
“In the next 10 years, Tamil Murasu will strive to become a global Tamil media organisation, with Singapore as its home. We want to reach Tamils not just here, but across the world,” said Mr Raja.
He added, “We cannot pull the chariot alone. To grow with the community, we need your help – your subscriptions and advertising support will make a real difference.”
At the event, it sealed three Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) that mark new partnerships to support the Tamil daily.
These include a content exchange with Hindi Tamil Thisai, a leading Tamil daily in India; youth-focused dialogues and outreach programmes with the Singapore Indian Development Association (SINDA); and the relaunch of the G. Sarangapany Education Trust Fund together with the Singapore Indian Education Trust to support Tamil students and preserve the founder’s legacy in education.
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