118-597: The Singapore Indian Development Association ( SINDA ) is a charity for the Singaporean Indian community. Set up to focus on educational and socio-economic matters, its mission is to “build a well-educated, resilient and confident community of Indians that stands together with other communities in contributing to the progress of multi-racial Singapore”. SINDA is one of four "self-help groups" available for each ethnic community in Singapore — which also include
236-622: A 'bazaar contingent' of washermen, servants and others who came with Stamford Raffles on his first visit in 1819. Throughout the colonial period, military personnel came from all over India. Most returned home after their service without settling in Singapore. Finally, there were the convicts. In the 19th century, the British shipped Indian convicts to Singapore to relieve overcrowded Indian jails. These men (and some women) were used as labour to build public buildings and roads in Singapore. Like
354-624: A case involving the publication of Singapore's 1992 second-quarter flash GDP growth projections in the Business Times newspaper. The others included the editor, Patrick Daniel, of the Business Times . The OSA case, which lasted over a year, was reported extensively in the Singapore press. Tharman contested, and was eventually acquitted of, the charge of communicating the GDP growth flash projections. The District Court then introduced
472-558: A contested presidential election in Singapore. Tharman was born in Singapore during British colonial rule in 1957 to a family of Jaffnese Tamil origin. In his youth, Tharman attended the Anglo-Chinese School (ACS) before graduating from the London School of Economics (LSE) with a Bachelor of Science degree in economics. (LSE later awarded him an Honorary Fellowship in 2011). He subsequently went on to
590-462: A high earning capacity may be granted renewable Employment Passes. These entitle the holder's spouse, children and parents to Dependents Passes. Students may enter on Students Passes. Pass holders may apply for Permanent Residence, which lets them live in Singapore on a long term-basis on a five-year renewal term. As part of Singaporean nationality law , they are also eligible to apply for Singapore Citizenship although acceptance have been stringent since
708-399: A lesser charge of negligence, as the prosecution's case had been that the figures were seen on a document that he had with him on a table during his meeting with private sector economists together with one of his colleagues. Tharman also contested this lesser charge of negligence, and defended himself on the witness stand for a few days. The Court nevertheless convicted him and the others in
826-703: A mark in Singapore as leaders of various fields in national life. Indian Singaporeans are also collectively well represented, in areas such as politics , education , diplomacy the law and sports, among others. The Singapore Department of Statistics broadly defines Indians as a race (or ethnic group ), comprising "persons of Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi or Sri Lankan origin such as Tamils , Telugus , Malayalis , Punjabis , Bengalis , Sinhalese etc." Indians 'in Singapore' may be further defined in terms of nationality and residency status. Most ethnic Indians are Singapore residents, known in local parlance as 'Singaporean Indians', or 'local Indians'. They are usually
944-520: A mobile satellite centre to extend SINDA’s reach into the heartlands. While SINDA benefits the community through initiatives for various groups, volunteers remain crucial to many SINDA programmes and they function as the engines that power the organisation’s efforts. As of 2019, close to 700 volunteers were active at SINDA. The highest honours bestowed by SINDA upon Indian students who have achieved excellence in their respective academic, arts or sports fields. An annual ceremony, held in collaboration with
1062-508: A number of ' dialect ' groups. However, these groups included Sikhs , who are a religious rather than linguistic group. Virtually all of the Sikhs are Punjabi , which was also captured as a separate 'dialect' category (comprising mainly Hindu Punjabis). Given their small absolute and relative numbers, the following table adapts the 2010 census data by combining the 'Sikh' (12,952) and 'Punjabi' (5,672) category under 'Punjabi'. The percentages in
1180-550: A plurality – although there are significant amounts of Singaporeans of South Asian descent that do not identify with the former, most notably the Sikhs . The Indo–Singaporean culture has endured and evolved over 200 years. By the late 20th century, it had grown distinct from contemporary South Asian cultures, with Indian Singaporean elements becoming diffused within a broader Singaporean culture that includes other ethnic groups. Prominent individuals of South Asian descent have long made
1298-500: A policy set by Afonso de Albuquerque , then Viceroy of India . These people were Goan Catholics ( Konkani Catholics) and Bombay East Indians (Catholics of Marathi descent ). Kuparis who were of mixed Samvedic Brahmin, Goan and Portuguese descent also arrived. Sinhalese and their children from Portuguese that include Portuguese Burghers from Portuguese Ceylon also came later. Their children already intermarried with Malay population, losing their ethnic identities. Indian contact
SECTION 10
#17327865615661416-412: A political discourse of racial integration and national identity, it came to recognise that important differences in the socio-economic profiles of the three main races continued to endure in the post-colonial period. Initially, it had set up Mendaki, a quasi-autonomous Malay community self-help group to promote educational advancement within that community to address underperformance by Malay students. In
1534-431: A similar number use Tamil . The remainder speak either Malay (11%) or other languages, including other Indian languages and Kristang (11%).There are about 3000 families which speak Marathi at home. 3.1% of all Singapore residents speak mainly Tamil at home and it is one of the country's four official languages . Tamil is taught as a second language in most public schools. Tamil content (produced locally or abroad)
1652-485: A specialised focus. Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for Social Policies, Tharman Shanmugaratnam , is Chairman of SINDA’s Board of Trustees, while Indranee Rajah , Minister, Prime Minister’s Office, Second Minister for Finance and National Development is President of SINDA’s Executive Committee. All working Singaporean Indians are expected to contribute monthly to the SINDA Community Fund through
1770-657: Is a Singaporean politician and economist who has been serving as the ninth president of Singapore since 2023. Prior to his presidency, Tharman served as Senior Minister of Singapore between 2019 and 2023, Chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore between 2011 and 2023, and Deputy Prime Minister between 2011 and 2019. He also served as Coordinating Minister for Economic and Social Policies between 2011 and 2015, Minister for Finance between 2007 and 2015, Minister for Education between 2003 and 2008 and Minister for Manpower between 2011 and 2012. Tharman
1888-601: Is a collaboration between the four SHGs. Launched in 2018, Vibrance offers students and families enrichment programmes, educational talks and life skills workshops. The centre also helps SHGs meet the needs of their respective communities, by enabling them to run programmes and activities for their respective beneficiaries. SINDA is overseen by two bodies – the Board of Trustees and the Executive Committee. These bodies are supported by various sub-committees, each with
2006-714: Is available on free-to-air and cable television as well as radio channels, and in libraries, cinemas, theatres and bookshops. Tamil is used in temples, mosques and churches catering to the community. Some business and non-profit groups, especially those in the Little India neighbourhood, use Tamil on a daily basis. Many Indian loan words are found in Malay, and, to a lesser extent, in English. The influence of Indian vocabulary, syntax and pronunciation are also found in Singlish ,
2124-542: Is composed of many smaller groups with ancestry from both southern India (such as the Telugus ) and northern India (such as the Hindustanis , the Malay colloquial term for Hindi-speaking Indians), or ethnically mixed Singaporeans with paternal Indian ancestry. Ancient India exerted a profound influence over Southeast Asia through trade , religious missions , wars and other forms of contact. Pre-colonial Singapore
2242-499: Is unclear if this referred only to Employment Pass holders, or if it included Permanent Residents, Student Pass and/or Dependant Pass holders. Based on these figures, the number of short-term or 'non-resident' Indians in Singapore in 2007 is likely to be in the region of 100,000. As such, the proportion of Indians in the total population is likely to range from 9% to 10% (suggesting 89,000 to 135,000 'non-resident' Indians). The advance release figures from Singapore's 2010 Census show, for
2360-459: The 'A' level examination . However, those Indians who did reach the 'A' level and sat for this exam marginally outperformed the national average. 93% of Indians received 2 'A' and 2 'AO' level passes, compared with 92.6% among Chinese students, and 92.3% nationally. The socio-economic problems, and especially educational under-performance, facing Singapore Indians is addressed by the community through Singapore Indian Development Association (SINDA),
2478-532: The 2023 presidential election . He resigned from all his positions in the government and as a member of the People's Action Party (PAP) on 7 July in order to stand in the election, as the presidency is a non-partisan office. On 26 July, Tharman launched his presidential campaign with the campaign slogan "Respect for All". On 7 August, he submitted his application for the Certificate of Eligibility (COE) to
SECTION 20
#17327865615662596-650: The Chinese Development Assistance Council , Eurasian Association and Yayasan Mendaki — which provide a variety of programmes and services to assist its community. It is the only SHG to have its own family service centre, which assists communities on interpersonal and family-related issues. SINDA's programmes revolve primarily around the themes of education, youth, family and children, social and financial assistance, and community. All of SINDA’s programmes are heavily subsidised or provided at no cost to Singaporean Indians. From 1 July 2018,
2714-552: The Coromandel Coast , most of whom were males. Initially, Indian immigrants were predominantly adult men who came from India to find work, serve military duties or prison sentences for several years before returning home. There was a constant flow of Indians in and out of the city, keeping the local community fairly transient. A minority of Indians were also wealthy merchants who settled in Singapore and built local commercial and social institutions. Best known amongst them
2832-722: The Elections Department . He was issued the COE on 18 August by the Presidential Elections Committee (PEC). On 2 September, Tharman was announced as the winner after receiving 70.41% of the vote, with Ng Kok Song receiving 15.72% and Tan Kin Lian receiving 13.87%, and was elected as the ninth president of Singapore . He is the first non-Chinese presidential candidate to win in a contested presidential election in Singapore. Tharman also garnered
2950-527: The Indian subcontinent or 'dialect group'. Most Indians in Singapore have ancestral links to Southern India and Sri Lanka , with substantial groups from Northern India and Western India accounting for most of the remainder. These are generally the descendants of both free and indentured settlers from India during the 19th and early half of the 20th century. In 2010, the Singapore census categorised 237,473 Singaporeans and 110,646 permanent residents into
3068-684: The Primary One cohort were admitted to a post-secondary institution , compared with 86% for the Chinese, and 75% for the Malays. In the same year, 73.7% of Indian students received 5 or more passes in the Singaporean GCE 'O' Level examinations, compared with 86.5% of Chinese students and 59.3% of Malays. Given their performance in the 'O' level examinations, it would appear Indians would have been under represented among students who sat for
3186-489: The Ramakrishna Mission , Arya Samaj and Sree Narayana Mission were active conduits of this reform movement. Traditional religious practices, especially among lower caste Hindus, centred around various rural folk traditions, esoteric rituals and superstitions. In contrast, the new movement appealed to better educated urban Hindus, by conducting religious education classes for children and adults, and interpreting
3304-588: The Shudra caste as well as Adi Dravidas or ' Untouchables '. These were often indentured labourers who were brought through various labour recruitment systems to work on rubber plantations in Malaya . Many later came to work in Singapore once free of their bonds. Another group which was less than free was the military. The first Indians in Singapore were 120 sepoys in the Bengal Native Infantry and
3422-795: The Singapore Indian Development Association (SINDA), which seeks to uplift educational performance and aspirations in the Indian community in Singapore from 2008 until 2023. He also chaired the Ong Teng Cheong Labour Leadership Institute from 2002 until 2023. He chaired the National Jobs Council aimed at rebuilding skills and jobs for Singaporeans in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic . Tharman led
3540-915: The Sri Lankan Tamil community built the Sri Senpaga Vinayagar Temple at Ceylon Road, while the Chettiar community set up the Sri Thandayuthapani Temple at Tank Road. The North Indian community also established the Sri Lakshminarayan Temple, built in the North Indian style. Two Hindu temples have been gazetted as National Monuments of Singapore . Tharman Shanmugaratnam Tharman Shanmugaratnam PPA(E) (born 25 February 1957), also known mononymously as Tharman ,
3658-694: The University of Cambridge , where he completed a Master of Philosophy degree in economics. He then became a student at the Harvard Kennedy School at Harvard University , where he completed a Master in Public Administration (MPA) degree and was a recipient of the Lucius N. Littauer Fellows Award (given to MPA students who demonstrate academic excellence and leadership). Tharman was a student activist while studying in
Singapore Indian Development Association - Misplaced Pages Continue
3776-612: The 1915 Sepoy Mutiny, was an incident concerning 850 Indian Army soldiers who mutinied against their British superiors on 15 February 1915 in Singapore, as part of the 1915 Ghadar Conspiracy (not to be mistaken for the Indian Mutiny of 1857 ). The predominantly Muslim soldiers mutinied because they believed they were being sent to fight against Islamic Ottoman Empire as part of the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I . This mutiny lasted nearly seven days, and resulted in
3894-422: The 1960s to 1990s lifted many out of poverty and created a broad middle class. In the process, many Indians experienced upward social mobility for the first time. Despite this progress, Indians remain somewhat stratified in terms of class relative to other ethnic groups. With the influx of highly qualified Indian Permanent Residents, the socio-economic indicators of the Indian community have improved, arguably masking
4012-463: The 1980s, this approach – which was initially seen as an exceptional measure taken in the case of the Malay community – became entwined with the rhetoric of Asian values , which saw the promotion of a greater consciousness and pride in each citizen's own ethnic heritage, as a bulwark against the supposedly negative influence of Western culture. Consequently, the government established the Singapore Indian Development Association (SINDA) in 1991 to address
4130-426: The 1990s, leading to an influx of foreigners in Singapore, particularly Indian nationals. This led to a new phase in the history of the Indian community in Singapore. A second phase began in the early 1990s, when immigration policies were liberalised to attract foreign professionals to boost the size and skills of the local workforce. The government was keen to draw in well educated migrants from Asian countries who, it
4248-439: The 2000s, in tandem with evolving trends, SINDA diversified its programmes and services – counselling, talks and workshops on parenting, student mentoring and IT training were provided. SINDA strengthened its relationships with community partners, and groups such as community centres, Indian Activity Executive Committees (IAECs), Indian organisations and religious organisations. New programmes were introduced and collaborations with
4366-428: The 2010s. In contrast, unskilled foreign workers enter Singapore with Work Permits. They are rarely allowed to stay in Singapore for more than two years and are never allowed to bring dependents with them. Nor are they eligible to apply for either Permanent Residence or Citizenship. Demographic statistics are generally restricted to 'Singapore residents', defined as both Singapore citizens and Permanent Residents. Many of
4484-481: The 2023 presidential election and his scheduled resignation on 7 July 2023 from all his positions in the government and as a member of the PAP, as the presidency is a non-partisan office. On 2 September 2023, Tharman was announced as the winner after receiving 70.41% of the vote in a landslide victory and was elected as the ninth president of Singapore. He is the first presidential candidate not of Chinese descent to win in
4602-479: The 4th prime minister of Singapore after Lee Hsien Loong resigned as prime minister. In October 2019, Tharman received the Institute of International Finance's inaugural Distinguished Leadership and Service Award, together with Bank of England Governor Mark Carney , for his role as a leading proponent of global reforms to de-risk and grow development finance and to achieve more resilient capital flows. Tharman
4720-802: The Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Group of Thirty (G30) , a grouping of eminent thought leaders in economic policymaking, academia and the financial industry. He also co-chairs the Global Commission on the Economics of Water (GCEW), whose initial recommendations helped shape the outcomes of the UN Water Conference in March 2023. In addition, he is co-chair of the High-Level Advisory Council on Jobs, established by
4838-540: The British for their radical union activism. Later, some of these men join the more moderate wing of the PAP. Devan Nair went on to build the modern trades union movement in Singapore, the National Trades Union Congress . Consequently, Indians in Singapore tended to align themselves, both individually and as groups, with parties advocating specific political or economic ideologies, rather than along purely racial lines. This basic difference between
Singapore Indian Development Association - Misplaced Pages Continue
4956-581: The Central Provident Fund Board (CPFB) – a community fund for the benefit of Indians, especially in the areas of education, youth support and family assistance. This includes all working Indians in Singapore who are Singapore Citizens, Permanent Residents and Employment Pass holders and are of Indian descent (including Bangladeshis, Bengalis, Parsees, Sikhs, Sinhalese, Telugus, Pakistanis, Sri Lankans, Goanese, Malayalees, Punjabis, Tamils, Gujaratis, Sindhis and all people originating from
5074-766: The Council for Skills, Innovation and Productivity (CSIP). Tharman co-chaired a few bilateral committees to promote economic and trade relations between Singapore and other countries, including the Singapore-Liaoning Economic and Trade Council from 2004 to 2008, and the High-Level Russia-Singapore Inter-Governmental Commission from 2011 to 2022. In 2011, members of the International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC),
5192-561: The G20 Eminent Persons Group (EPG) on Global Financial Governance. In October 2018, the Group proposed reforms for a more effective system of global development finance and for financial stability. On 1 January 2017, Tharman succeeded Jean-Claude Trichet as Chair of the Group of Thirty , an independent global council of leading economic and financial policymakers. Tharman was subsequently succeeded by Mark Carney and
5310-594: The Global Commission on the Economics of Water with Mariana Mazzucato , Ngozi Owonjo-Iweala , and Johan Rockström . Its initial recommendations helped shape the outcomes of the UN Water Conference in March 2023. He is also co-chair of the High-Level Advisory Council on Jobs, established by the World Bank Group in July 2024. On 8 June 2023, Tharman announced his intention to be a candidate in
5428-538: The Indian Singaporeans are Hindus. The proportion of Indians following Islam, Christianity and Buddhism are relatively higher as the census include Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Sri Lankans and other South Asian ethnic groups under the category of "Indians". According to the latest 2020 Census, 57.3% of Singapore's Indian population declared themselves as Hindus, including 23.4% Muslims, 12.6% Christians, 4.6% other religions and 2.2% non-religious, as stated in
5546-400: The Indian communities of Singapore and Malaysia has endured to the present day. Scholars have identified two phases in the development of the Indian community after Singaporean independence in 1965. The first phase, from 1965 to the early 1990s, saw a decline in the proportion of the community from 9% in 1957 to a low of 6.4% in 1980. One reason was the withdrawal of British military forces in
5664-506: The Indian community. Alongside S. Vasoo and S. Chandra Das, they formed the Singapore Indian Welfare Association (SIWA) to help Indian individuals and families sort out their social difficulties. It was later renamed to SINDA, or Singapore Indian Development Association, with E Sukumar announced as the president. 1991: The Action Committee on Indian Education (ACIE), chaired by J Y Pillay , highlighted
5782-525: The Indian prince who founded Singapore – Sang Nila Utama – as being a descendant of Alexander the Great and an Indian Princess. Meanwhile, the royal and sacred associations of Fort Canning Hill , the seat of ancient rulers, are related to the Hindu Mount Meru concept. Archaeological digs have unearthed Hindu-Buddhist artefacts from the pre-colonial period. In 1822, John Crawfurd documented
5900-420: The Indian sub-continent.) Indian Singaporeans Indian Singaporeans are Singaporeans of Indian or of general South Asian ancestry . They constitute approximately 9.0% of the country's residents, making them the third largest ancestry and ethnic group in Singapore . While contact with ancient India left a deep impact on Singapore's indigenous Malay culture, the mass settlement of Indians on
6018-838: The Investment Strategies Committee (ISC). Tharman chaired the International Advisory Council (IAC) of the Economic Development Board (EDB) between 2014 and 2023, and the International Academic Advisory Panel that advises the Singapore Government on strategies regarding the university sector. On 8 July 2023, Tharman was succeeded by Lawrence Wong in both positions. Tharman chaired the Board of Trustees of
SECTION 50
#17327865615666136-687: The MAS where he eventually became its managing director. He was awarded the Public Administration Medal (Gold) in 1999. He resigned as managing director of the MAS to contest in the 2001 general election as a candidate for the People's Action Party . While serving as director of the Economics Department of the MAS in 1992, Tharman was one of five persons charged under the Official Secrets Act (OSA) in
6254-521: The SINDA 2020 review to gauge how far the community had come and the progress still required. The review resulted in the “SINDA 2020: A New Momentum” report, which recommended key strategies for SINDA to focus on. Following this report, SINDA restructured its goals by increasing the capacity and impact of existing programmes to improve its services to the community. While signature programmes and events continued to run, new and improved programmes that cater to
6372-463: The SkillsFuture programme, launched in 2014 with the aim of developing skills of the future, and opportunities for life-long learning and job upskilling among Singaporeans. He also chaired the tripartite councils from 2011 to 2016 which drove national efforts to transform productivity through innovation and skills, and the implementation of industry-specific transformation programmes. This included
6490-787: The Sree Narayana Mission set up a home of the destitute elderly. Another social reform movement was the Self-Respect Movement , which emerged in Tamil Nadu in the 1920s to liberate Dravidian people , and especially Adi Dravidas and lower caste Tamils from what was seen as Brahmin oppression. This movement sought inspiration from Tamil history and culture. In Singapore, groups like the Tamil Reform Association were inspired by this movement. They imported publications from India that promoted
6608-749: The UN HDR. He led the Board for the 2023/24 HDR with Joseph E. Stiglitz, and co-chaired with Thomas Piketty, Michael Spence, and Michèle Lamont, respectively, for the previous three editions of the HDR. A former member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP) , he was the Member of Parliament (MP) representing Jurong GRC between 2001 and 2023. Tharman made his political debut in the 2001 general election, and had been re-elected to Parliament four times at subsequent general elections in 2006, 2011, 2015 and 2020. On 8 June 2023, Tharman announced his intention to run for
6726-638: The United Kingdom during the 1970s. He originally held socialist beliefs, but his views on economics evolved over the course of his working career. Tharman started his working career at the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), where he became its chief economist . He later joined the Singapore Administrative Service and served in the Ministry of Education as Senior Deputy Secretary for Policy, before returning to
6844-731: The World Bank Group in July 2024. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the World Economic Forum (WEF) , an advisory board that helps shape the strategic directions of the WEF. Tharman co-chaired the Advisory Board for the UN Human Development Report (HDR) from 2019 – 2024. The Advisory Board provides intellectual advice and guidance on the overall vision, direction and message of
6962-414: The basis of meritocratic ability rather than kinship or ethnicity. Consequently, "the cultivation of a Singaporean identity has been largely successful in converting Indian migrants into Indian-Singaporeans." In general, Indian social patterns and political activities became aligned and integrated within the national mainstream from the 1960s. Although the Singapore government championed public policies and
7080-434: The case. Tharman was fined S$ 1,500, and the others S$ 2,000. As there was no finding that he communicated any classified information, the case did not pose any hurdle to his subsequent appointment as the managing director of the MAS, nor to his subsequent larger national responsibilities. Tharman made his political debut in the 2001 general election , contesting Jurong GRC as part of a five-member PAP team and won 79.75% of
7198-422: The city. Tharman is a fourth-generation Singaporean of Ceylonese-Tamil ancestry. One of three children, Tharman is the son of Emeritus Professor K. Shanmugaratnam , a medical scientist known as the "father of pathology in Singapore", who founded the Singapore Cancer Registry and led a number of international organisations related to cancer research and pathology. Tharman is married to Jane Yumiko Ittogi,
SECTION 60
#17327865615667316-523: The colonial system. In contrast, the ruling People's Action Party (PAP) espoused an ideology of social democracy which gained the support of Indian union workers. S. Rajaratnam was one of the founding members of the PAP, and he worked to define and champion its vision of a multi-racial country, in contrast to the Malaysian model. More left-leaning Indian leaders and intellectuals, such as C.V. Devan Nair and James Puthucheary initially supported more radically left-wing groups. They had been imprisoned by
7434-446: The community also became more settled, with several new generations born locally. A historical novel titled 'Sembawang: A Novel' explores this notion as well traces the lives of Indian migrants who lived in an Indian enclave outside the HM Naval Base in the 1960s. From the 1960s to 1980s, the People's Action Party government tried to cultivate a shared national identity and to end the historical tendency of Singaporeans to identify with
7552-425: The community increased as well, stemming from heightened networking and the collective interest of working towards uplifting the Indian community in Singapore – Project Give was launched, Teach programme was introduced to help weak students, Project Athena to empower single Indian mothers to become confident and independent and the Back To School Festival, which allows students to receive stationery and shoe vouchers for
7670-420: The concept of the Non Resident Indian or NRI, which the government of the Republic of India uses to describe its citizens living abroad. In Singapore, an NRI may be statistically non-resident (in the case of work permit or pass holders) or he/she may be considered a Singapore resident (in the case of permanent residents). Indian Singaporean are grouped according to their respective ethnolinguistic backgrounds in
7788-436: The criteria were: Family Per Capita Income (PCI) refers to the total monthly nett monthly household income divided by the number of members living in the household. PCI is used by SINDA to assess the eligibility of individuals and families for financial assistance and programme fee subsidies. 1990: Then Director of Welfare at the Ministry of Community Development, K V Veloo, recognised the social obstacles faced by sectors of
7906-421: The current ethnic Indian party within Malaysia's ruling Barisan National coalition government. Unlike Malaysia's delicate ethno-demographic balance, Singapore had a large Chinese majority. This rendered ethnic-based politics less viable, and tended to support class-based politics instead. For example, several Indian professionals supported the more conservative pro-British parties, as they had been beneficiaries of
8024-417: The deaths of 47 soldiers and civilians at the hands of the mutineers, who were subsequently arrested and court-martialled ; those who were found guilty of capital crimes were executed by the Singapore Volunteer Corps . In general, the mutiny was restricted to Muslim soldiers, and did not involve the wider Indian population in Singapore. While the mutiny was a significant event in Singaporean history, and one of
8142-486: The early 1970s, which led to the repatriation of many Indian base workers. Another factor was the retirement of older men, who chose to return to families in India. Meanwhile, post-1965 immigration restrictions ended new migration from India. Furthermore, there was a rise in the emigration of Indian Singaporeans to the West in the late 1980s. During this time, the Indian population continued to grow in absolute terms due to natural increase. Even as it grew proportionally smaller,
8260-818: The educated professional elite (over 0.5% of the Indian community), mercantile groups (under 10%), the white collar middle class (5–7%) and the uneducated labourers (over 80%). Economic class and job functions were also aligned with the ethnic origins of immigrants. For example, Sri Lankan Tamils and Malayalees formed the core of the English educated upper middle class. Mercantile families tended to be Sindhi , Gujarati , and Tamil Muslim. South Indian upper caste Hindus tended to perform traditional skilled jobs, such as moneylenders ( Chettiars ) and priests ( Brahmins ). Sikhs were often policemen or private security guards. Most of these migrants were voluntary migrants who entered and left Singapore freely on their own resources. Unskilled coolies tended to be landless Tamil peasants from
8378-404: The educational and social problems of the Indian community. Shortly after, a similar body was set up for the majority Chinese community. Apart from ethnic self-help groups like SINDA (which remain controversial in Singapore), the government has in the main pursued policies emphasising racial integration and national identity. It is against this backdrop that immigration policies were liberalised in
8496-685: The educational under-performance of Indian students and recommended wide-ranging remedial measures. Several courses of action were proposed and one of them was to have SINDA operate on two fronts; the Education Wing, aimed at Indian students and their parents, and the Welfare Wing, which would focus on reinforcing healthy and happy family relationships. The new SINDA came into effect in August 1991, with S Iswaran as Chief Executive Officer. 1992: SINDA Tutorials for Enhanced Performance (STEP)
8614-569: The evolving needs of the community were piloted and subsequently implemented. Devising a new strategy for outreach – called the “Flipped-model” was one of the enhancements SINDA made to engage the community more effectively. In doing so, SINDA actively reached out to its target audience to forge stronger connections and understand ground issues better. For instance, the Door Knocking Exercise, targeted at specific neighbourhoods with higher concentration of low-income Indian families,
8732-524: The first time, the number of ethnic Indian Singapore citizens, and ethnic Indian Singapore Permanent Residents, separately – instead of combining the two. As of 2010, there were 237,473 Indian Singapore citizens, or 7.35% of the citizen population. There were 110,646 Indian PRs, or 20.45% of the PR population. In total, ethnic Indians formed 348,119, or 9.23% of the 'resident' population of citizens and PRs. Several in-depth studies have been conducted and published in
8850-518: The following statistics. Based on the latest 2020 Census, 5.0% of the resident population aged above 15 years, were Hindu. Almost all Hindus in Singapore were ethnic Indians (99%), with the majority of Singapore's ethnic Indians (57.3%) being Hindu. There are approximately 35 temples serving Hindus in Singapore. Most are built in the South Indian Dravidian style. Specific communities have established their own temples. For instance,
8968-564: The highest vote count in Singapore's presidential electoral history of 70.41%. He was sworn in on 14 September at a ceremony held at the Istana , succeeding Halimah Yacob . On 24 January 2024, Tharman made his first state visit to Brunei as president. His predecessor, Halimah Yacob also made her first State Visit overseas, to Brunei. He also made state visits to Italy and Estonia in June. On 15 May 2024, Tharman appointed Lawrence Wong as
9086-487: The island began with the founding of modern Singapore by the British Empire in 1819. Initially, the Indian population was transient, mainly comprising young men who came as workers and soldiers. By the mid-20th century, a settled community had emerged, with a more balanced gender ratio and a better spread of age groups . Indian Singaporeans are linguistically and religiously diverse, with ethnic Tamils forming
9204-616: The local English dialect. At the same time, Singapore Tamil is slightly distinct from the versions spoken in India and Sri Lanka, with its closest cousin being the Malaysian Tamil spoken across the border. Local usage includes some words from English, Malay and other languages. Meanwhile, certain Tamil words or phrases that are archaic in India and Sri Lanka are still used in Singapore. Religion of Indian Singaporeans (2020) Majority of
9322-543: The locally-born and nativised second, third, fourth or even fifth generation descendants of settlers from the Indian subcontinent, many with little to no connection left with the latter. In addition, there are also many ethnic Indian immigrant workers in Singapore . Foreign citizens of the Republic of India are called 'Indian nationals', or even 'Indian Indians'. Foreign Indians may be distinguished in terms of residency status. Well educated professionals or entrepreneurs with
9440-502: The most important ones specifically involving the Indian diaspora, it was somewhat distinct from the mainstream development of nationalist sentiments among the Indian population in Singapore, which emerged most prominently around the time of the Second World War . Nationalist movements in India established branch organisations in Singapore to draw on local Indian support for Indian independence. The Indian Independence League
9558-540: The movement, and they also hosted visiting leaders of the Self-Respect Movement from Tamil Nadu when they visited Singapore. The Singapore groups focussed on moral, social and religious reform. For example, they campaigned against caste distinctions and alcohol abuse. These groups also promoted the use of the Tamil language, and the development of Tamil literature in Singapore, through the establishment of Tamil newspapers and schools. They were also involved in
9676-687: The national self-help group for the Indian community. Singapore has the following international schools for expatriate Indians: The official languages of Singapore are English, Malay , Chinese (Mandarin) and Tamil . The national language of Singapore is Malay for historical reasons, and it is used in the national anthem, " Majulah Singapura ". Persons of ethnic Tamil ancestry form about 58% of Singapore's Indian residents. Minority Indian groups include Malayalees , Telugu , Punjabis , Sindhis , Gujaratis , Sinhalese , and Hindi -speaking people, among others. In terms of actual daily language use, 39% of Indian residents speak mainly English at home, and
9794-637: The national – and often nationalistic – politics of their ancestral homelands. While different ethnic groups were allowed and sometimes encouraged to retain their cultural identities, they were also pushed to integrate socially, politically and economically across ethnic lines. The government pursued policies to integrate the races in public housing estates and national schools. Young men underwent two years of compulsory national service in ethnically mixed military or police camps. Traditional family businesses were superseded by government agencies or foreign multi-national corporations, which hired multi-ethnic workforces on
9912-427: The needs of the Indian community. A biennial event that recognises SINDA partners and volunteers for their contribution to the community. The SINDA Youth Hub was launched in 2018 to serve as a conducive space for students to study in and spend their time in meaningful ways. It also serves as a bridge, linking youth to many other programmes and services offered by SINDA. The ‘Vibrance @ Yishun’ Self-Help Groups Centre
10030-545: The new school year. SINDA also launched its newsletter, SINDA Connections in 2008 and today, it is circulated to some 62,000 Indian households and community organisations to keep them updated on SINDA news. In 2010, the SINDA Youth Club (SYC) was established, targeting at 18 to 35 year olds. SYC’s aim is to nurture generations of Indian leaders with a passion for community building and social leadership. In 2011, as part of its 20th anniversary, SINDA launched
10148-479: The other Self-Help Groups, that recognises top students with significant improvements at landmark examinations across all four Self-Help Groups’ tuition programmes. A year-end carnival that brings together families in a festive atmosphere and presents students with vouchers to purchase essential items for school, in preparation for the new academic year. An annual fundraising campaign that allows individuals to learn more about SINDA’s initiatives and contribute towards
10266-628: The overseas Chinese in these territories. As these colonies progressed towards independence, Indians and Chinese in Malaya organised themselves along the lines of ethnic political parties. For instance, the Indian Association in Singapore, today a social and recreational club, was one of a network of such clubs in early 20th century Malaya which came together to form what would become the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC),
10384-635: The policy advisory committee of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), appointed Tharman as its chair where he served until 2014. In announcing Tharman's selection, the IMF said that his "broad experience, deep knowledge of economic and financial issues, and active engagement with global policy makers will be highly valuable to the IMFC". In April 2017, Tharman was appointed by the G20 to chair
10502-409: The population. Following this, Indians slowly began to settle permanently in greater numbers and the relative size of the community in colonial Singapore became stable, fluctuating between 7.7% and 9.4%. Scholars have characterised the Indian community in colonial times as being diverse and highly stratified along class lines. According to Dr Rajesh Rai, the social hierarchy comprised four main groups:
10620-753: The recent years on the Indian communities in Singapore such as Rajesh Rai's, Indians in Singapore, 1819–1945: Diaspora in the Colonial Port City, Anitha Devi Pillai's, From Kerala to Singapore: Voices from the Singapore Malayalee Community, Mathew Mathews, The Singapore Ethnic Mosaic, S A Nathanji's Singapore: Nation Building and Indians' Legacy amongst others. Alongside other ethnic groups, Indians from all social backgrounds have achieved significant advances in their educational levels, income, life expectancy and other social indicators. Singapore's extraordinary economic growth from
10738-600: The ruins of a Hindu or Buddhist temple on Fort Canning Hill . Singapore's two most important pre-colonial artefacts are the Singapore Stone , which is inscribed with an Indic script and a gold armlet bearing the motif of a Hindu 'kala' head. Following the Portuguese colonisation of Malacca ( Malaysia ) in 1511, the Portuguese government encouraged their explorers to bring their married Indian women who were converted already to Roman Catholic Christianity, under
10856-666: The second largest community, making up 7.57% of the local Indian population. Tamils and Malayalees are the two main South Indian ethnolinguistic communities in Singapore, forming two-thirds of the Indian population. Meanwhile, the three main North Indian ethnolinguistic groups in Singapore (the Punjabi , Gujarati , and Sindhi communities) constitute 7.67% of the Singaporean Indian populace. The remaining 29.68%
10974-543: The sepoys, they came from all parts of India. While some returned to India, several settled in Singapore after serving their sentences. From the 19th century, Hindu reform movements emerged in India as part of a broader cultural modernisation. These movements sought to promote what they saw as a more authentic form of Hinduism while addressing social abuses, such as the Hindu caste system . These movements spread to overseas Indian communities, including Singapore. Groups like
11092-447: The statistics about Indians in Singapore in this article are restricted to this group. Scholars have noted "(o)fficial figures for workers on temporary contracts are difficult to obtain because the Ministry of Manpower in Singapore considers the information sensitive." Consequently, there is limited information about short-term or 'non-resident' Indians in Singapore. Note that use of the term 'non-resident' Indian should not be confused with
11210-465: The table refer to the proportion of each language group within the larger Resident Indian community in Singapore. The Singaporean Indian demographic is characterised by an ethnic Tamil majority (54.18%) and a large number of smaller groups. Ethnic Tamils in Singapore include the descendants of Tamil settlers from India and Sri Lanka (sometimes referred to as ' Ceylonese '). Ethnic Malayalees , tracing their heritage to Kerala in southern India, form
11328-543: The total population. This group includes two-year work permit holders as well as those holding renewable Employment, Dependant and Student Passes. In 2005, Dr Rajesh Rai from the National University of Singapore has observed that "independent surveys approximate the number of South Asians on work permits to be… approximately 90,000–100,000." In November 2007, a cabinet minister said "more than 20,000 Indian professionals had set up home" in Singapore, although it
11446-450: The under-achievement of some Indians. In 2005, both the average and median monthly income for Indian Residents (S$ 3,660 and $ 2,480 respectively) exceeded those for all Residents (S$ 3,500 and S$ 2,410 respectively). In the same year, 25% of Indian Residents had a university degree as their highest qualification attained. In contrast the national average was only 17%. Other educations statistics are less positive. In 2004, 73% of Indians among
11564-465: The union activism, especially in those work sectors dominated by Tamils. Tamil-educated journalists and teachers were at the forefront of this movement. Leaders like Thamizhavel G. Sarangapani were especially instrumental in championing the rights of Tamils and Indians, by encouraging Indians to register for Singapore citizenship in the 1950s and by campaigning to make Tamil one of Singapore's official languages. The 1915 Singapore Mutiny , also known as
11682-479: The values, concepts and principals behind the religion for lay people. These groups also encouraged a more direct relationship with God, unmediated by Brahmin priests and rituals, through individual devotion (stemming from the Bhakti movement ), chanting Bhajans, or hymns, as well as through yoga . Charitable service was also promoted. The Ramakrishna Mission in Singapore set up a home for boys from troubled homes, while
11800-399: The vote against the five-member Red Dot United team. In July 2023, Tharman stepped down from Parliament and all his positions in the government and resigned as a member of the PAP in order to stand as a candidate in the 2023 Singaporean presidential election . Tharman served as Chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) for 12 years from 1 May 2011 until 7 July 2023, when he
11918-468: The vote. Tharman was subsequently appointed Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry and Senior Minister of State for Education . He was appointed to the Cabinet as Minister for Education in 2003 and served in this role until 2008. Following the 2006 general election , Tharman was appointed Second Minister for Finance (alongside his role as Minister for Education). On 1 December 2007, he
12036-569: Was Naraina Pillai , the earliest Indian community leader and the island's first building contractor. In 1827, he also founded the Sri Mariamman Temple , Singapore oldest Hindu place of worship. The influx of Indians in the half century after 1819 led to a brief period when Indians, for the only time, overtook the Malays to become the second largest ethnic group. In 1860, they formed 16% of the population. However, their number then fell from 13,000 that year to 12,000 in 1880, or 8.7% of
12154-573: Was a political organisation operated from the 1920s to the 1940s to organise those living outside of India to remove the British from India. Founded in 1928 by Indian nationalists Subhas Chandra Bose and Jawaharlal Nehru , the organisation was active in Singapore and Malaya following Japan's successful Malayan Campaign in the Second World War . The Indian National Army (INA) was an armed force formed by Indian nationalists in 1942 in Southeast Asia , also during World War II . Their aim
12272-657: Was also appointed Coordinating Minister for Social Policies. At the 2015 general election , Jurong GRC, which was predominantly anchored by Tharman, won 79.28% of the vote against the five-member Singaporeans First team. Tharman was elected to the Central Executive Committee of the People's Action Party in December 2002, and was appointed 2nd Assistant Secretary-General in May 2011. On 23 April 2019, it
12390-484: Was announced that both Tharman and Teo Chee Hean were appointed Senior Ministers effective from 1 May 2019 under a Cabinet reshuffle, relinquishing their Deputy Prime Minister portfolios. Tharman would also be Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and advise the prime minister on economic policies. Tharman retained his parliamentary seat in Jurong GRC at the 2020 general election , after winning 74.62% of
12508-467: Was appointed Minister for Finance . Following the 2011 general election , Tharman was appointed Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Economic and Social Policies, while retaining his portfolio as Minister for Finance. He also served as Minister for Manpower between 2011 and 2012 concurrently. After the 2015 General Election, he stepped down as Minister for Finance on 30 September 2015, after 9 years. He remained Deputy Prime Minister and
12626-621: Was appointed Chairman of the Board of Trustees on 1 January 2023. On 22 May 2019, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) announced that Tharman will be co-chairing the Advisory Board of the Human Development Report (HDR) 2019 alongside Thomas Piketty . He was reappointed thrice, to co-chair the Advisory Board, alongside Michael Spence in 2020, Michele Lamont in 2021/22, and Joseph Stiglitz in 2023/24, In May 2019, Tharman
12744-779: Was appointed a member of the Board of Trustees of the World Economic Forum (WEF). In January 2021, Tharman was appointed by the G20 to co-chair the G20 High Level Independent Panel (HLIP) on Financing the Global Commons for Pandemic Preparedness and Response, alongside Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Lawrence Summers . In March 2022, Tharman was appointed a member of the United Nations Secretary-General 's High‑Level Advisory Board on Effective Multilateralism. Tharman co-chairs
12862-629: Was committed through his years in government to building economic resilience and a more inclusive society. He introduced major educational reforms while serving as Education Minister, to make for a broader and more flexible system of meritocracy. He later led the ‘SkillsFuture’ programme , aimed at enabling life-long learning for all. He has also promoted initiatives to deepen and advance Singapore’s model of multiculturalism. Tharman has led several international councils focused especially on global financial reforms, preparedness for future pandemics, education, and global water sustainability. He currently chairs
12980-531: Was hoped, would be both keen and able to settle permanently. This also addressed the problem of Singapore's extremely low fertility rates. In addition to these professionals, unskilled foreign workers were recruited as low cost manual labour for construction sites and the cleaning sector, albeit without the prospect of permanent settlement. As a result of these policies, the Indian population grew faster than other groups. The proportion of Indian citizens and permanent residents rose from 6.4% in 1980 to 9.23% in 2010. This
13098-423: Was launched and by March, 2,600 students had enrolled in the programme through referrals of educators and parents. STEP centres were made more accessible, fees affordable, class sizes kept small and trainings for tutors were enhanced. 1996: The Youth Development Wing was initiated to develop, engage and motivate Indian youth, in activities such as holiday enrichment programmes like camps and community service. By
13216-463: Was mainly due to rapid growth in the number of Indian nationals who acquired Singapore citizenship or permanent residency. For some years now, the Department of Statistics has stopped providing ethnic data about the short-term or 'non-resident' foreign citizens living in Singapore (i.e. those without Singapore Permanent Residence). As of end June 2007, there were 1,005,500 such persons, or 21.5% of
13334-575: Was named Finance Minister of the Year 2013 by Euromoney , in recognition of the roles he played in the economic restructuring of Singapore and as statesman of the region on the international stage. Tharman was conferred the Freedom of the City of London award in June 2019, in recognition of his significant contributions to global finance governance, and his efforts to strengthen ties between Singapore and
13452-623: Was part of 'Indianised Kingdoms' like Srivijaya and the Majapahit , which formed part of a cultural region known as Greater India . Prior to the spread of Islam , Singapore and the rest of the Malay world , was Hindu-Buddhist. One of the most extensive and enduring Indian influence in Malay culture is the vast number of Indian loan words in the Malay language . Indian influence is also seen in symbols and mythology associated with ancient Singapore. The Sejarah Melayu or Malay Annals describe
13570-530: Was piloted 2016. In 2017, it was introduced as a new programme that helped SINDA connect better with Indian heart landers and tend to their needs and concerns. 2016 was also the year that the Prisons Outreach programme was piloted, through which SINDA provided family assistance to inmates’ families who required help during the inmates’ incarceration. 2018 saw the launch of the SINDA Bus which serves as
13688-470: Was rekindled from 1819 to World War II , when both India and Singapore were under British colonial rule . Unlike earlier forms of contact, this led to mass migration and, eventually, the formation of a large, settled and distinct population. By 1824, Singapore's first census counted 756 Indian residents, or about 7% of the total population. In 1826, official figures give a total population of 13,750, of which 1,021 are Indians – 244 from Bengal and 777 from
13806-400: Was succeeded by his deputy, Lawrence Wong . In May 2019, Tharman was appointed Deputy Chairman of GIC , Singapore's sovereign wealth fund , a position he held until 7 July 2023. Tharman also served as Director of GIC between 2004 and 2023, and Chairman of the Investment Strategies Committee (ISC) between 2011 and 2023. On 8 July 2023, Tharman was succeeded by Lawrence Wong as Chairman of
13924-629: Was to overthrow the British Raj in colonial India, with Japanese assistance. Many Indian soldiers and civilians were recruited in Singapore and Malaya to join the INA during the Japanese occupation. Many of them died fighting alongside the Japanese against the British in Burma during the war. Indian nationalist sentiments in Singapore and Malaya were paralleled by the rise of Chinese nationalism amongst
#565434