Singapore PM vows to keep Tamil flourishing as STTU marks 75 years
Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong declared that Tamil must thrive as a living language for generations to come, honouring educators at the 75th anniversary dinner of the Singapore Tamil Teachers' Union. Separately, the city-state's Internal Security Department cancelled the work permits of two Bangladeshi construction workers and repatriated them to Bangladesh after investigating extremist posts they had made on social media.
🪔 Singapore PM pledges Tamil will endure as a living language
Tamil must continue to thrive as a living language in Singapore for generations to come, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong declared at the 75th anniversary dinner of the Singapore Tamil Teachers' Union (STTU) on 17 July. Wong paid tribute to Tamil educators in one of only a handful of countries in the world where Tamil holds official language status alongside Mandarin, Malay, and English. He congratulated the STTU, founded 75 years ago before Singapore's independence, on its growth from a small group of volunteers into a vibrant union of more than 600 members today, including pre-school educators, all of them full-time teachers giving their time voluntarily on top of their classroom duties. Wong acknowledged the challenge facing Tamil: more young Singaporeans grow up in homes where English is the dominant language, used at school, at work, and in daily life. For Tamil specifically, he said, the challenge can be even greater because students often have fewer natural opportunities to speak, read, and use the language beyond the classroom. Tamil teachers, he said, do far more than teach vocabulary and grammar — they pass on stories, values, and traditions, helping each generation appreciate the community's rich cultural heritage. He singled out Mdm Usha Krishnasamy of North View Primary School, who brought coloured sand, Play-Doh, and music into her Tamil lessons to make the language come alive for young learners. [4]
🎓 STTU celebrates 75 years of championing Tamil education in Singapore
The Singapore Tamil Teachers' Union marked its 75th anniversary at a dinner on 17 July 2026, with Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong delivering a speech honouring the union's decades of work supporting Tamil language educators and advancing the teaching of Tamil in Singapore. Wong noted that the STTU had begun its work even before Singapore's independence, carrying its mission through the nation's formative years and continuing today with the same sense of purpose and commitment. From a handful of members in its early days, the union has grown to more than 600 members, including pre-school educators, all of whom are volunteers — full-time teachers dedicating their time and talent on top of their regular duties. Wong said Mother Tongue languages connect Singaporeans to their roots, values, and cultural heritage, and reflect Singapore's identity as a multiracial and multireligious nation. Singaporeans are all Singaporeans first and foremost, he said, while remaining deeply connected to the rich traditions of their respective cultures. That is why the learning of Mother Tongue languages is a cornerstone of Singapore's education system. The challenge has grown as more young people grow up in English-dominant households, making Tamil use outside the classroom increasingly rare. Tamil teachers, Wong said, play a very critical role in keeping the language alive and in preserving the cultural traditions and values it carries from one generation to the next. [1]
Two Bangladeshi workers deported over extremist social media posts
Singapore's Internal Security Department (ISD) cancelled the work permits of two Bangladeshi construction workers and repatriated them to Bangladesh after they made extremist posts on social media, the ISD announced on 17 July 2026. Tayani Md Risad, 25, and Islam Sahedul, 37, were separately investigated by the ISD in July. Risad expressed support for Bangladeshi radical Islamist writer Shafiur Rahman Farabi, who has incited violence against secular and atheist bloggers and is allegedly linked to Hizb ut-Tahrir, a fundamentalist Islamist group banned by the Bangladeshi government. Sahedul made inflammatory posts about the Israel-Iran conflict and posted divisive religious views, including references to Muslims who do not wish to be governed under Islamic law as infidels. The ISD spokeswoman said investigations found no evidence that either man intended to carry out terrorist attacks or was involved in any terrorism activities in Singapore. Their extremist and divisive views were, however, "inimical to Singapore's multiracial and multi-religious society," she said. The pair are not connected to any previously announced ISD cases concerning self-radicalised individuals dealt with under the Internal Security Act. Bangladeshi news outlets reported that authorities there detained and questioned Risad and Sahedul about alleged ties to militant groups after they arrived home, reflecting ongoing concerns about radicalisation among Bangladeshi workers employed overseas. [2]
Sources: [4] Tamil Guardian · [1] Prime Minister's Office Singapore · [2] The Straits Times