Obituary for the Late Mr Palaniappan s/o Arumugum

Leader of the House.

Mr Deputy Speaker, every time a Member speaks in this Chamber, three other voices speak too – that of our translators, simultaneously translating our speeches into the other official languages. Today, one of those voices is silent. Last week Members were greatly saddened to learn of the passing of our Tamil translator, Mr Palaniappan s/o Arumugum, on 4 May 2023.

Mr Palaniappan, known to many of us affectionately as Mr Pala, worked at Parliament for more than 30 years and as such, was a familiar figure to many cohorts of Members of Parliament (MPs). With your leave, Mr Deputy Speaker, I like to say something on behalf of all Members to remember Mr Palaniappan and acknowledge his contributions.

Yes, please do.

I should also mention that we have with us in the Gallery Mr Palaniappan’s family. [Applause.]

They are seated in front of the window on the far right, where you see some flowers placed. That used to be Mr Palaniappan's seat in Parliament, where he did his translation. We extend to the family our deepest condolences. I had invited them to be with us as we remember him and I hope that they will take comfort from the knowledge that Mr Palaniappan’s life and work is recognised and appreciated by this House.

Many of us have only ever known Mr Palaniappan in his role as a translator and interpreter in Parliament. However, this was only part of the rich tapestry of his life and service, and it is fitting that I recount some of this, to give Members and the public a better sense of this unassuming but remarkable man.

Mr Palaniappan, commenced his 50-year career in the Public Service in 1968 as a Judiciary Interpreter at the State Courts where he was in service till 1990, with a two-year hiatus from 1981 to 1983 when he was with the then Singapore Broadcasting Corporation.

Mr Pala then joined Parliament Secretariat in September 1990 and retired upon reaching the compulsory retirement age in January 2012. He was re-employed by the Parliament Secretariat till July 2020 and worked part-time to interpret parliamentary proceedings during Sittings till November 2022.

His voice was most often heard translating the Parliament proceedings from English to Tamil and, occasionally, from Tamil to English when speeches were made in Tamil. During his 30-year tenure in Parliament Secretariat, Mr Pala made many important contributions.

He led the Language Services Department, from 2008 until his retirement in 2012, during which he instituted several measures to improve simultaneous interpretation services during Parliamentary Sittings.

In addition, Mr Pala helped promote inter-parliamentary relations by managing incoming and outgoing Parliamentary visits and conferences, taking up the role of Chief Liaison Officer for many parliamentary conferences hosted by the Singapore Parliament. Many a time, he went beyond official duties to ensure the foreign dignitaries were well taken care of, and received numerous oral and written compliments.

He served a total of five Speakers of Parliament – namely Mr Tan Soo Khoon, Mr Abdullah Tarmugi, Mr Michael Palmer, Mdm Halimah Yacob and our current Speaker, Mr Tan Chuan-Jin – and accompanied them and many Members on countless official Parliamentary trips.

Mr Pala’s vast experience and expertise in interpretation and translation between Tamil and English, was highly valued at the national level.

He was part of the regular interpretation team for the National Day Rallies and was appointed by the Government as a member of the National Standardisation Committee for Tamil Media from 2009 to 2013, and the National Translation Committee (NTC), serving as the NTC’s Tamil Resource Panel Chairman from 2014 to 2020. During his tenure, he improved the standards of Tamil translation within the Public Service.

Mr Pala served in the Tamil Language Council as a volunteer for close to 15 years and was instrumental in developing a Bilingual Glossary (English – Tamil) for the public as well as an e-Glossary for students. The key feature of this Glossary was the compilation of more than a few hundred words that are unique to the Singaporean Tamil context. It is still in use today.

He actively contributed to the building of Tamil vocabulary by starting a Facebook page called “Singai Translate Community”, which deliberated with members of the general public on how best to translate complex English words and subject matters into the Tamil language.

In 2014, Mr Pala translated the biography of our former President Mr SR Nathan titled "An Unexpected Journey: Path to the Presidency", into Tamil.

After retiring, Mr Pala continued to impart his wealth of knowledge and experience as an Adjunct Faculty at the National Institute of Education and an Associate Faculty at the Singapore University of Social Sciences, where he had taught courses on Tamil Culture, Translation and Interpretation.

In recognition of his contributions, he was awarded the Efficiency, Public Service, Long Service and Commendation Medals in 1996, 2001, 2008 and 2011 respectively.

Mr Pala also made many contributions in the community, serving and receiving the Public Service Medal in 2001 as Vice-Chairman, Telok Blangah Citizens’ Consultative Committee (CCC). A respected community and grassroots leader, he played a significant role in grassroots events, solemnised marriages in English and Tamil where he made it a point to brief the couple on family values, and translated speeches for national agencies.

In the 1980s he served as the secretary of the Hindu Endowments Board. Subsequently, he served on the Management Committee of the Sri Krishnan Temple and furthered racial harmony through his participation in the Inter-racial Religious Circles (IRCC). He emceed and helped out at temple consecration ceremonies and functions.

But beyond these official duties, there was Mr Pala the man. Gentle, unassuming and approachable, Mr Pala would quickly put people at ease. I recall how, when I was first appointed Deputy Speaker many years ago, he made an effort to make me feel welcome and offered assistance should I need it. He was always ready to give counsel and help to those who needed it. Warm, witty and friendly, he had a cheeky and playful streak which endeared him to many who encountered him, and he was always good company. He was a good father and a good role model.

Mr Deputy Speaker, we have lost a good friend and a good man. However, we have been enriched by his contributions the impact of which still remain. He may no longer be with us but his voice can still be heard in the works he translated and in the Tamil language that he loved so dearly and did so much to promote. Mr Palaniappan was a Singaporean that we all can be proud of. May he rest in peace. [Applause.]

Thank you very much, Leader. Thank you to the family for being present.