‘This is long overdue’: Some Singaporeans agree with Jamus Lim that Thaipusam should be reinstated as a public holiday

SINGAPORE: In Parliament last week, Workers’ Party Member of Parliament Jamus Lim (Sengkang GRC) made the case for reinstating Thaipusam as a public holiday.

He said that when the Indian community gave up Thaipusam as a public holiday in 1968, it came at a time when they already had fewer holidays and underlined that the holiday is a “significant and joyous affair” for them.

Thaipusam had been removed, along with several other holidays, to raise economic competitiveness and productivity. However, E.W. Barker, the Minister for Law and Economic Development at the time, said that if Singapore prospers, he was certain the number of holidays would again increase.

“Between 1968 and today, our GDP per capita has grown from a little more than $2,100 to more than $127,000, a close to 60-fold increase. It is impossible that we have not prospered. It is time to call in that promise, made close to six decades ago, and reinstate Thaipusam as a national holiday,” said Assoc Prof Lim.

He also pointed out that many developed countries elsewhere in the world have 10 to 15 holidays, while Singapore, one of the richest countries, only has 11.

“It seems fair, not just for the Hindu community but for all hardworking Singaporeans, to bring us closer to the average number of holidays for advanced economies. We should reinstate Thaipusam as a national holiday,” he added.

In its reply, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) noted that Singapore’s current public holidays are the result of “careful deliberations and consultations with various religious groups at the point of Singapore’s independence”.

While Thaipusam will not be reinstated, MOM encouraged employers to make it possible for Singaporeans of different faiths to observe their religious festivals.

On Monday morning, Assoc Prof Lim posted about the issue on his Facebook and Instagram accounts, which resonated with many commenters.

Some thanked him for bringing the matter up and for speaking on behalf of the Indian community. One pointed out that the “Hindu community has effectively only one public holiday to celebrate their religious festivals”.

Another underlined that recognising Thaipusam as a public holiday would “honour the enduring contributions and legacy of Tamil migrant workers who have helped build this nation”.

On Reddit, a commenter wrote, “Growing up, I always felt so awkward giving parents’ letter or taking MC (medical certificate) in school just to participate in an important religious and cultural festival. This is long overdue. Not giving it a PH (publish holiday) is another way of saying that it’s just not that important of an event, which shows in how many are clueless as to what it even is.” /TISG

Read also: Declare Thaipusam As A Holiday