SINGAPORE - Thambi Magazine Store owner Periathambi Senthil Murugan is getting help finding a new location for his shop, which moved out of Holland Road Shopping Centre on May 5 after more than 40 years.

In a Facebook post on May 6, Education Minister Chan Chun Sing said he took a walk around the neighbourhood with Mr Senthil Murugan – who goes by the nickname Sam – at the weekend.

He said: “Last weekend, walked around the Holland Village neighbourhood with Sam to check out possible alternative locations for his iconic news-stand Thambi Magazine Store.

“We are working with agencies and potential partners to develop some options for Sam to continue.”

Mr Chan is an MP for Tanjong Pagar GRC and oversees the Buona Vista ward, which includes Holland Village.

In response to queries, Mr Chan’s spokesman said: “Discussions are ongoing between Sam and potential partners. We hope for positive news from them.”

Thambi Magazine Store closed on May 5 – a casualty of development plans. When contacted, the Holland Road Shopping Centre management office declined to comment on the store’s closure.

Mr Senthil Murugan, 49, who took over the running of the store from his father in the 1990s after his dad fell ill, has been a familiar sight in Holland Village for decades.

The store was started by his grandfather P. Govindasamy in the 1940s as a newspaper distribution service, and it has stayed in the family since.

Government agencies, in response to queries, said the store did not come under their purview.