SingFirst makes translation gaffe on campaign slogan banner
SingFirst’s banner with the botched Tamil translation of the party’s slogan Restore Our Nation. Photo: Lee Yen Nee
SINGAPORE — Its newly-launched campaign slogan was emblazoned in the four official languages across a large banner, which was used as a backdrop at a press conference to introduce its election candidates — but the Singaporeans First (SingFirst) Party had botched the Tamil translation.
What was supposed to say its Restore Our Nation slogan ended up being gibberish, made up of non-existent Tamil characters. The party was notified about the gaffe after the press conference held at the party office on Tras Street.
When contacted, SingFirst secretary-general Tan Jee Say acknowledged the error, but pointed to the printer the party had commissioned to do up the banner. “It was done by the printer, and I don’t speak Tamil so we just went with it. We took the printer’s word for it,” Mr Tan said, without naming the printer.
Asked whether SingFirst has members who know Tamil and could have spotted the error in the first place, Mr Tan said “it was not convenient (to do so), so we just went ahead”. He added: “We will rectify (the error) for (tomorrow’s) press conference.”
The launch of the slogan today (Aug 28) kicked off the party’s election campaign. Five of the 10 candidates that the party plans to field in next month’s polls were introduced, including Mr Tan himself. The remaining five who will contest on the party’s ticket will be introduced by SingFirst chairman Ang Yong Guan tomorrow.
SingFirst, the newest political party in Singapore, intends to take on the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) in Jurong and Tanjong Pagar, both five-member Group Representation Constituencies.
