On 14 January 2019, it was reported on The Independent Singapore, an alternative news site, that the People’s Action Party (PAP) Kaki Bukit Branch had released door hangars which misspelt the Tamil language portion of its message.

The article is true.

According to Mr Shamsul Kamar, the Branch Chairman of the PAP Kaki Bukit Branch, there was indeed an error in the use of the Tamil language on the door hanger. We note, however, that a Facebook member by the name of Alex Shanthan Gopalan has actively sought to clarify that he was part of the team designing the hanger and had made the mistake, not Mr Shamsul Kamar.

The article also mentions the existence of a Review Panel for Government Tamil Translations. This is true, and the panel was formed in 2017 (not in 2018 as the article suggests).

Note, however, that as far as the article seems to suggest that a PAP branch is required to check its translation with the Panel, this is incorrect. A PAP branch is not a government body, and even then, the Panel only issues recommendations and does not have the mandate to check and inspect government bodies.