Paris V's call for Thaipusam to be reinstated as a public holiday gets loudest applause at WP's East Coast rally
SINGAPORE: When new Workers' Party candidate Paris V Parameswari called for Thaipusam to be reinstated as a national public holiday in Singapore at a rally on April 29, she received the biggest cheers of the night. Ms Paris is part of the WP team contesting at East Coast GRC, headed by former Non-Constituency Member of Parliament Yee Jenn Jong.
The candidate made reinstating Thaipusam the highlight of her speech, acknowledging that it had been WP MP Jamus Lim (Sengkang) who had raised the topic in Parliament.
Ms Paris explained the context of the WP's stance. 'In 1968, the government at the time reduced the number of public holidays and the Hindu community was asked to choose between Deepavali and Thaipusam,' she said, pausing as the crowd expressed displeasure with boos.
Going on to explain that as Hindus chose to retain Deepavali, this left Hindus in Singapore with only one public holiday. However, as the years have gone by, Thaipusam has become
'a spiritually significant affair for many Hindus in Singapore… as many of them fulfill their vows…as an act of gratitude and penance. So it is time to reinstate Thaipusam as a national public holiday and to increase the total number of public holidays in Singapore to 12,' Ms Paris said amid loud cheers.
She then went on to talk about the PAP's East Coast GRC rally on April 26. She quoted candidate Dinesh Vasu as responding to 'a common sentiment that Singaporeans share' when he said, 'There is talk of there being too many foreigners. Do we want our sons and daughters to be on construction sites and as laborers?'
'My fellow Singaporeans, the issue is not about laborers or people working in construction, people trying their best and doing good, honest work deserve respect,' Ms Paris said, while in the background, WP chief Pritam Singh and Hougang MP Dennis Tan are seen applauding.
'That is something to remember as Labor Day nears. What is at stake is really about ensuring good work and business opportunities for Singaporeans, including PMET jobs, so we can work hard and provide for our families. There have been foreign laborers in our country for many decades, but did we have an issue with that? The answer is obviously not. Singaporeans do not have an issue with our foreign laborer brothers.'
Ms Paris, 51, is a former US Navy Security Administrator who resigned to participate in the GE. She also worked for six years with the Singapore Navy and has been volunteering with the WP since 2021.
Her April 29 speech, where she also touched on national security and data privacy issues, has gotten a lot of positive feedback online, with some saying she, together with Mr Singh and Mr Yee, were the best speakers of the night.
'Close your eyes and listen. You will know for sure this is one true Singaporean indeed. A simple and sincere message. She deserves a place in Parliament,' wrote one YouTube user.
'Went there with my EC friends. Paris V was amazing, stellar resume, extensive corporate, civil service, and grassroots volunteerism. On point with her script, addressed some PAP key points, good speaker, linguistically can appeal to many segments, possesses the boldness to speak up, a real gem,' a Reddit user wrote.
Another commented, 'The loudest cheers of the night were in response to the call for Thaipusam to be made a public holiday again ('again', because it previously was a PH but that got abolished years ago).
If you think about it, this is indeed a straightforward way to improve everyone's lives – while it's only for one day off each year, this means a lot to our Hindu brothers and sisters, and will be an appreciated break for the rest of us too. Hope this can become a reality!' /TISG
Read also: 'This is long overdue': Some Singaporeans agree with Jamus Lim that Thaipusam should be reinstated as a public holiday
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