Desmond Choo
Singapore
“Through these expanded volunteer networks, we are building something more than a collection of programmes. We are strengthening a culture, a culture where service is valued, where sacrifice is understood and where defence is embraced as a shared mission. We are strengthening the very foundation of our national defence.”
“Mr Speaker, I would like to thank Prime Minister for his Ministerial Statement. The Labour Movement has surveyed our unionists. They are rightly worried about growth issues, loss of jobs and cost of living, but they have also expressed confidence that the People's Action Party Government will stay us through these difficult times.”
“Chairman, I would like to thank Minister Tan See Leng, Senior Minister of State Koh Poh Koon, Senior Minister of State Zaqy and Minister of State Gan Siow Huang for their comprehensive responses and driving policy changes; and also Permanent Secretaries Ng Chee Khern, Jeffrey Siow, and their team of MOM officers, for their dedication in b…”
“Mr Chairman, just two clarifications. One, why is the Ministry raising the S Pass qualifying salary despite the labour market being already quite tight and the potential economic headwinds? What is the expected impact on the local workforce's wages?”
“Chairman, we have seen a surge in overseas travel as Singaporeans continue to embrace travelling in the new post-pandemic norm. Singaporeans are no longer sticking to the usual destinations but, increasingly, also to less-travelled destinations.”
“Since our Independence, Singapore has maintained the importance of capacity-building as a pillar of regional cooperation. In 1992, the Singapore Cooperation Programme (SCP) was established in our effort to pay forward the help we received in our formative years. It serves as a platform to provide technical assistance to the world.”
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“For example, the Tech Talent Academy works with tech firms like AWS, Microsoft and Goggle to train and place workers into tech jobs. Since 2024, the Tech Talent Academy has trained over 53,000 workers. About 4,000 of these were people switching careers through the SkillsFuture Career Transition Programme. More than half of them have already found jobs in a softening job market. This shows that when we link training directly to employment, better things can happen. Mr Speaker, the success of this Bill will be judged by whether workers experience a system that is more coherent or responsive and more relevant to their daily lives. If this new agency can help Singapore move closer to that goal, it will build the social compact for a new era of work. The Government has an important role, but it cannot do this alone. NTUC will continue with the new SWDA to strength career security for workers at every stage of their life. Career security is the new social compact. This Bill is an important step towards building that compact for workers for today and tomorrow. Mr Speaker, I support the Bill.”
“Its recent Memoranda of Understanding with National University of Singapore and Singapore Institute of Technology showed how this can strengthen students' career readiness, connect them to broader range of opportunities and help them understand the skills needed in a changing workplace. Second, NTUC can scale up our AI career coach. This tool has already seen over 9,000 sign-ups, providing 24/7 help to young people as they take first steps into the workforce. Mr Speaker, NTUC will also continue to support workers making career transitions. For many mid-career workers, the fear is not only just change itself but the cost of change. A transition may mean temporary income loss, uncertainty for the family and real doubt about whether a new path will work out. Workers need support – the lower the friction of transition, it gives them greater confidence to make a move when change becomes necessary. With the merger of this agency, we should consider a few things. First, expand place-and-train programmes. This is where a worker is matched to a job before they start training. It gives them certainty of a pay cheque and a clear path forward, reducing the stress in their lives. NTUC Learning Hub can further support this new social compact by helping workers and employers translate transformation into capability. We know training only works if it is tied to a real job. Through our Company Training Committees, we help companies, especially small businesses, figure out how to redesign their work and help their workers to improve. NTUC Learning Hub can play a vital role here. They do not just offer random courses. They build skills pathways that industries actually value.”
“This Council will help workers and the businesses navigate the big changes brought by AI. It will work hand-in-hand with the SWDA to make sure that businesses adopt new technology, that workers are trained and supported to move into new roles. The Labour Movement stands ready to support this effort in concrete ways. NTUC has a long-standing partnership with Government on business transformation, training and worker support. Through our unions and our work on the ground, we see where anxieties are rising and where support is most needed. We can help workers and employers understand where opportunities lie and navigate the path from uncertainty to action. The e2i will continue its deep partnership with the new agency. Over the years, WSG has transferred various career jobs and skills centres to e2i, enabling it to serve more jobseekers on the ground. Building on this foundation, e2i can work closely with the new agency to translate national strategies into practical support through direct engagement with workers and businesses on career guidance, job matching and workforce transformation. This is especially important for younger workers. As the broken rung becomes a more real concern, support should begin earlier. Career guidance should not only start after a young person struggles to find work. It should begin before graduation and continue through the early career years, where expectations are shifting quickly and confidence is still being formed. Let me share two examples of how this can be done. First, e2i can and will bring its labour market knowledge, employer network and ground-sensing to partnerships with IHLs.”
“For young people, the first foothold in the labour market matters. It shapes confidence, habits, skills and future earnings. It often sets the direction of an entire career, but today the first rung is less secure. Entry-level work is changing. Employers are rethinking junior roles. New technologies, including AI, are changing what firms expect, even from those just entering the workforce. For some young workers, the challenge is no longer simply finding a job. It is finding a start. If the first rung weakens, it affects progression, wage growth and long-term mobility. The old assumption that one can simply enter, learn on a job and move up steadily can no longer be taken for granted. New entrants need stronger career guidance earlier. They need better information on where demand is growing and training that is more closely tied to real workplace needs. They may also need more support in moving from school to work and from first job to a sustainable career. This is where a more integrated agency can make a real difference. When the same system can connect career guidance, training advice, market labour signals and employment support, it becomes easier to help younger Singaporeans where they are most likely to fall through the cracks. Mr Speaker, Sir, no Statutory Board, however well designed, can build career security on its own. This effort requires the full strength of tripartism. Government can shape policy and provide systems of support. Employers create jobs, redesign work and invest in their people. Unions bring workers' voice, trust and a deep understanding of how change is felt on the ground. Training providers helped turn broad ambition to practical capability. All parts of this ecosystem matter. We recently announced the Tripartite Jobs Council on May Day.”
“The true test of a policy is not how many people attend the course or how many certificates are handed out. The real test is whether workers can move into better jobs and feel more confident about the future. Right now, the system can feel a bit fragmented for some workers. They might get career guidance in one office. They go to another place for training advice. They look for job support somewhere else. When you are in the middle of a stressful career change, this fragmented journey can make things appear harder. You are left to bridge the gaps yourself. The new SWDA seeks to change this by bringing everything under one roof. It will link business transformation, training and employment support into a smoother workstream. We must remember that training, by itself, is not enough if the jobs themselves are not being redesigned. Skills training must match work, how work is actually being organised in the real world. When merging these agencies, we ensure that training is always tied to real industry needs. Mr Speaker, the anxieties in the workplace are also changing. Many workers are not only worried about losing their jobs, they are worried about falling behind. They are worried that the skills they have today may not be enough for tomorrow. When workers make the effort to upskill but cannot see how that leads to better jobs or real mobility, confidence in the system starts to weaken. And when effort no longer appears to lead to opportunity, the issue is not just economic, it is social as well. One area that deserves close attention is what some have called the broken rung, something I spoke about during my Budget speech. Many academics and researchers have also spoken up on this matter, and you will find increasing literature on this topic.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of the SWDA Bill. When the Workforce Development Agency was split in 2016 to form the SSG and WSG, it was the right move for that time. Each agency had a clear mission. SSG focused on kickstarting and building lifelong learning and continuing education among Singaporeans. WSG focused on job matching and employment support. Both agencies have made real contributions over the past decade. The question before us today is whether our institutions are still suited to the labour market that Singaporeans now face. This Bill is a timely and necessary response to a changed world of work. In the past, we could treat skills and employment as two separate journeys. You went to school to get skills and then you went to the job market to find work. But today, skills and work are tied together in an ongoing journey. Based on an NTUC survey, more than three in four workers expect to make career changes in their lifetime. They see a winding path due to change, new responsibilities and the need to be ready for what the future holds – and that is why the merger matters. It recognises that career security is the new social compact. It does not mean workers expect the Government to guarantee every job. Singaporeans understand that change and disruption are part of modern working life, but they do expect something fair and fundamental. If you work hard, learnt and adapt, they should have a fair chance to progress, to move into new opportunities and to provide for their families with dignity and confidence. Career security is not the promise of no disruption. It is a promise that workers will not be left alone to navigate disruption. Back in 2016, I argued that training and job outcomes must stay connected. I still believe in that today.”
“Thank you to Member Melvin Yong. He will also be invited for our version of Hyrox. [Laughter.] Indeed, the value of SAFRA is not only in these clubhouses; it is not only the physical amenities. It runs very good amenities too, but the core of it is the people who run the programmes. In fact, at EnergyOne, the people running our gym, they are very capable people who have served before and who understood the requirements of military training and incorporated training to suit the people joining in. It is our vision that we will extend and move the clubhouse to where the people are. It is no longer enough or prudent for us to keep building clubhouses, so we must make sure that our programmes can travel. And we can imagine ourselves working with partners at People's Association, NTUC and like-minded partners to bring the programmes where our enlistees might be or whereby NSmen can work out together with their children. So, what is the end result that we want? What we want is a whole-of-Singapore effort, partnering different associations, institutions, whether it is People's Association, NTUC, SAFRA coming together and, of course, not forgetting our HomeTeamNS partners, providing the best platform whereby NSmen can find it easy for them to get ready, whereby everyone, as they come in contact with us, feel a stronger sense of defence; and at the end, we are stronger for it. So, for all our Members here, those of you have been quite excited by my Hyrox thing, you are also invited for NS experience camps. You can bring your children to come along too and indeed, we are looking for constituency partners to roll out these camps, making sure they are accessible. NSmen can go into camp with their children, inculcating defence right from a very early age.”
“Through these expanded volunteer networks, we are building something more than a collection of programmes. We are strengthening a culture, a culture where service is valued, where sacrifice is understood and where defence is embraced as a shared mission. We are strengthening the very foundation of our national defence. In the face of new and evolving security challenges, NS is vital to our nation’s survival. SAFRA’s evolution is about helping every Singaporean understand their stake in our nation’s defence. We will achieve this with SAFRA serving as a bridge connecting our citizen soldiers with the wider community. When NSmen volunteer in their communities, when families participate in defence activities, when businesses support our servicemen, we create a nation where defence truly becomes everyone’s mission. Mr Chairman, this is how we strengthen the bonds between NSmen and their communities, building a more resilient Singapore. I am confident that together, we can and will succeed in this vital defence movement that our nation’s security depends on.”
“To be held at multiple sites across Singapore, this Festival will feature defence-themed activities for the masses, engaging up to 80,000 participants. This will be accompanied by showcases of military equipment from the SAF and include exhibits where the community can learn more about our defence capabilities. For the fitness enthusiasts – and there are many in this Chamber – you can look forward to an NS-inspired Fitness Festival in the later part of this year, complete with NS-themed obstacle courses. It is our version of Hyrox. It will comprise a fitness race for 3,000 participants, as well as a series of programmes in the lead up to the race. These programmes will be co-organised with the People’s Association and NTUC, and we expect this to reach another 27,000 participants across the island. We will be mindful to invite Mr Alex Yeo, Mr Alex Yam and Mr Patrick Tay to join us in our version of Hyrox. Of course, all Members are welcome too. They are very fit, by the way. We know that, ultimately, building community support for defence requires leadership from those who have served. Today, NSmen volunteer across SAFRA’s steering committees and regional initiatives. They shape programmes, organise outreach and build partnerships with grassroots organisations, schools and local businesses. SAFRA will expand opportunities for NSmen to lead regional engagement efforts, strengthening ties between defence and community networks. In partnership with Nexus’ Engagement and Volunteer Office and as part of the broader SG Defence Volunteers Network which Senior Minister of State Zaqy had mentioned earlier, SAFRA will also create pathways for youths, women and other members of the community to contribute to defence-related initiatives.”
“SAFRA will continue to enhance the way we serve the NS community by delivering good, accessible and quality lifestyle offerings and recreational facilities. The upcoming SAFRA Bayshore is an example of this commitment. Next, let me turn to how SAFRA will deepen community engagement through NSmen. We will be taking two approaches. First, SAFRA will go beyond lifestyle offerings to bridge defence and community. While access to military camps must understandably remain controlled, we can bring defence closer to the community. 4.15 pm Mr Alex Yeo asked about MINDEF’s plans to leverage SAFRA's network to raise defence awareness in the community. In the coming years, SAFRA clubhouses will house defence heritage galleries that will tell the stories of our Services and Formations through its walls and spaces. Our NSmen and their contributions will not be forgotten. It will also engage club tenants as partners, inviting them to become defence advocates through partnership programmes and exclusive promotions that celebrate our defence heritage. Our goal is simple: everyone who visits a SAFRA clubhouse in future should leave feeling more connected with Singapore’s defence story. SAFRA will also work with community and defence partners to organise road shows for the public to learn more about the various aspects of defence. This will include supporting the SAF in scaling up its SAF-School Partnership Programme (SSPP). SSPP was started in the 2000s to deepen students’ understanding of the SAF through interactions at school visits or experiential learning by visiting camps. The public can look forward to the inaugural SAFRA Community Defence and Resilience Festival in early 2027.”
“These NS Experience camps foster deeper understanding of an NSman’s contributions, and will strengthen the community's appreciation of the values of service and sacrifice that underpin our defence. Even when NSmen complete their ORNS training, their journey with SAFRA continues. For these former NSmen or "NS alumni", as we call them, SAFRA is developing an initiative that goes beyond simply providing event spaces. It will partner with the SAF to create meaningful sessions where senior commanders share the latest developments in defence and strategic insights. These cohesions will serve a dual purpose: maintaining the social bonds forged during service, while strengthening our broader defence network by keeping NS alumni informed and connected to the current defence issues. This ensures that the bonds and commitment forged during NS remain a vital part of our national defence fabric long after active duty ends. We also know some of the most meaningful support from the NS community does not come from just programmes alone. It comes from peers. NSmen bring with them diverse professional experience, such as finance, technology, healthcare and education. For example, since 2023, one NSman, LTC(NS) William Koh, has volunteered his expertise in financial planning, benefiting over 650 fellow NSmen through workshops and one-on-one coaching. This is defence in action – servicemen supporting servicemen. SAFRA will expand such peer-to-peer platforms, encouraging more NSmen to step forward as mentors, facilitators and industry connectors. In doing so, we strengthen not only individual livelihoods, but also the bonds that underpin our defence community. I have spoken about how SAFRA will strengthen its support for the NS community by curating engagements across life stages.”
“Moving forward, SAFRA will deepen and enhance partnership with agencies, such as the National Trades Union Congress' (NTUC's) Employment and Employability Institute to strengthen career support for NSmen. For NSmen with young families, we recognise the unique opportunity to connect generations through shared understanding of NS. Many of us in this Chamber know the reality of the work cadence today, missing the occasional full-day family outing, or coming home late from camp. It is this quiet, steadfast support at home that keeps our servicemen and women going. To bridge this gap, SAFRA currently runs two types of NS Experience camps: the BMT Kids Camp and the NS Family Experience Camp. These camps provide families with a meaningful glimpse into NS experience while introducing the concept of Total Defence to children from an early age. These camps also create valuable opportunities for NSmen fathers to share their NS journey with the next generation, explaining not just what they do in NS, but why they serve, and who they serve. What started out as pilots in 2023 have now become heavily demanded. Many participating families have expressed their appreciation, with some even becoming "repeat customers". Building on this success, SAFRA will expand its partnership with the SAF and other organisations to develop new variants of the NS Experience camp. This includes a one-day NS for Everyone programme and a two-day Empowering NS for Women camp. When these programmes are ready, SAFRA will also invite NSmen and other volunteers to support as facilitators, ambassadors and storytellers.”
“This is where SAFRA's role becomes even more critical. It must become an organisation that empowers NSmen to build trust and community-wide support for defence. What sets SAFRA apart from the other social clubs is its deep association with NS. It draws upon bonds forged in uniform – bonds of shared hardship, shared responsibility and shared pride. Today, SAFRA's clubhouses are vibrant community spaces. But as our operating environment evolves, SAFRA too must evolve. It cannot remain only a provider of lifestyle and recreational facilities. It must become a bridge, connecting our citizen soldiers with the broader community they protect. It must help every Singaporean understand that defence is not the responsibility of a few. It is the mission of all. Mr Alex Yam also asked how MINDEF can work with organisations like SAFRA to ensure that defence remains a shared national commitment for the whole-of-society. SAFRA has always been dedicated to serving the NS community. It will do more and differently by strengthening support for NSmen across every stage of their life. Its programmes and engagement will serve NSmen for each stage of their lives as they progress. For pre-enlistees, the transition into NS can be daunting. It marks a significant milestone, one that demands maturity, resilience and sacrifice. SAFRA will continue to support this transition through pre-NS engagement programmes and initiatives, such as water confidence courses and pre-NS talks, helping young men build familiarity and confidence before enlistment. For those transitioning after full-time NS, SAFRA hosts quarterly SkillsFuture@NS Fairs that connect them with career and education opportunities. These fairs also serve NSmen who are seeking new employment.”
“When then-Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew opened the first clubhouse, he shared his vision for SAFRA. He stated that more clubhouses would be established in key residential areas because "the well-being of the SAF reservist includes the well-being of his family". That insight remains as relevant today as it was then. By the mid-1970s, membership quickly pushed to 10,000. Over the following decades, SAFRA expanded to increase accessibility, increasing its network of seven clubhouses across Singapore to now serving more than 400,000 members, including NSFs. SAFRA has adapted and innovated with each new clubhouse, ensuring that it stayed true to its mission by providing relevant, affordable and accessible offerings. Each clubhouse has developed amenities and programmes to suit the region it serves. But buildings and membership numbers are not and should not be the true measure of SAFRA's success and performance. The true measure lies in whether our servicemen feel supported, whether their families feel appreciated, whether Singaporeans understand and believe that NS is not an abstract policy, but a shared responsibility. The security landscape around us is changing rapidly. Threats are no longer confined to conventional battlefields. We face cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns, and attempts by foreign actors to exploit social divisions and erode trust in public institutions. These threats are designed not only to weaken our capabilities, but to weaken our cohesion. And in such an environment, the strength of our defence depends not only on the SAF's operational readiness. It depends on trust, between servicemen and society, between institutions and citizens. Mr Alex Yam asked how we can ensure defence remains a shared national commitment across generations.”
“Mr. Chairman, when we discuss national security in this Chamber, we often focus on the hardware. We talk about the next-generation platforms, digital threats, and shifting geopolitical tides. But the true foundation of our defence does not lie in our armouries, and as our security landscape transforms, the institutions that connect our NS community with the broader society must transform as well. Mr Patrick Tay asked about plans for SAFRA to better engage our wider Singaporean public. Today, I will outline SAFRA's evolving role in strengthening Singapore's defence ecosystem, transforming from what was once seen primarily as a social club into a part of a vital, nation-wide defence movement. The strength of NS as an institution has always rested on the contributions of our national servicemen and the unwavering support of their families. NS is a compact of our society. It is the worker who puts down his tools, the teacher who leaves his classroom and the father in the heartlands who trades his weekends for a uniform. That is why SAFRA was built in 1972, not just as a collection of buildings for social purposes, but as a testimony to our shared recognition and support, and a place to celebrate the enduring bonds forged through service to Singapore. After operating out of a temporary space in Prince Edward Lane, SAFRA's first purpose-built clubhouse opened in Toa Payoh in 1975. This was during the formative years of Singapore, when social amenities remained modest and country club memberships were exclusive, expensive and out of reach for most Singaporeans. From the very beginning, SAFRA has made its membership accessible to every national serviceman, a recognition of our fundamental belief that service to nation deserves recognition.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, some may ask, can Singapore manage the sweeping changes AI will bring? Our history says yes. Each time our economy evolved, we did not retreat. We responded with policy creativity and tripartite partnership. The question before us is not whether AI will transform work. It will. The question is whether transformation strengthens or weakens the Singaporean promise. The broken rung is a structural shift, but it need not be a structural failure. If we do not innovate ahead of time, we risk a missing middle crisis, a hollowed out workforce. We risk discouraging our youths and weakening our social compact. But if we act now to recreate the entry level job, we can turn this disruption into opportunity. We can build a workforce where every entry level worker is an architect of their own future, supported by technology, rather than by being replaced by it. We ensure that the Singaporean promise remains unbroken for the next generation – that if you work hard and master your craft, there is a ladder for you to climb. And NTUC will do its utmost to support our workers. Let us build this new ladder together. Mr Speaker, Sir, I support the Budget.”
“As machines take on routine tasks, uniquely human capabilities become more valuable – communication, partnership, leadership and ethical reasoning. Initiatives, such as NTUC's Youth Excel programme, one of the few programmes out there and youth-led policy platforms are important, because they do more than train for employment. They cultivate agency. They signal to young Singaporeans that they are not passive recipients of change, but participants in shaping it. Allow me to share an example. I look at our latest cohort of NTUC Starter Awards participants. The winning team presented on the idea of cross sector internships. One of the core team members and a student at Temasek Polytechnic, Valerie, shared that the experience showed her how youth-led insights can meaningfully contribute to broader policy discussions and hopefully, industry changes. Our young people have the ideas; we need to give them the platform. Third, accelerate reskilling timelines. Under current arrangements, SkillsFuture credits are accessible later in a worker's career, but AI compresses learning and skill cycles. A diploma holder entering the workforce at, say, 21 years old, may find within a few years that additional credentials are necessary. In fact, many of our current graduates might already need to complement their academic training while in school to be ready for the new workforce demands. We should examine whether early access to training support might be needed in this new environment. At the same time, we must expand Place and Train opportunities and career bridges models. Reskilling is hardest when there are bills to pay. Structured pathways that combine employment and training reduce risk and increase participation.”
“We can incentivise some to convert traditional execution roles into structured apprenticeships with core elements of AI oversight or AI integration. For example, if a law firm hires a graduate to audit AI-generated contracts or just draft from scratch, that firm may face an initial efficiency gap. The AI is just faster. Government can co-fund part of that gap for a defined period, de-risking the hiring decision while building national capability. Over time, we can also formalise AI's oversight as a recognised skill within industry frameworks, portable, certified and valued across employers. It is an investment in the next generation of Singaporean middle managers. We will also need to identify queen bees industry leaders to lead such transformation in the workforce. Denmark offers a promising initiative to its National AI Skills Pact. It is committed to strengthen AI capabilities among one million citizens by 2028, positioning itself as a leading human-centred AI nation. The approach is deliberate – joint flagship projects, employer led commitment and coordinated capability building across sectors. The state sets direction. Industry and unions lead execution. We can think about this as an investment for future generation of middle managers. Second, equip our students for semi senior entry responsibilities from day one of their working lives. We must accept that routine tasks might no longer be guaranteed training grounds. AI literacy cannot be optional. It must be foundational. Every graduate should be proficient, not only in theory, but in practical AI usage. Prompt Engineering could be a thing of the past now, but output verification, ethical evaluation and knowing when human judgement must override machine recommendations. But technical skill is not enough.”
“Instead, the solution to the broken rung is not to repair the old one, it is to create a new one. We need a new industrial policy for entry level jobs. We must fundamentally redefine what it means to be entry level in the Singaporean economy of the future. In the past, workers value was production – write this memo, draft this code, compile this report. In the future, entry level workers value must be increasingly supervision, integration and judgement: audit the AI's output for truth and bias, integrate system securely and provide context, empathy and machines that machines cannot replicate. This is a higher value role, but it is also a harder role because it assumes a level of maturity and skill early in one's career. And here is why we need a new industrial policy for entry level jobs to prepare for the new frontier. Singapore has never been passive in the face of structural change. When we industrialised, we did not wait for jobs to appear. We built the ecosystem. When computerisation emerge, we trained workers. When low wage stagnation threatens dignity, we implemented the Progressive Wage Model to redesign jobs. We have similar conviction for the AI era as expounded by many of our Members today. We can put in place a policy framework ahead of the potential change. Allow me now to outline a possible three-pronged approach. We often admire the apprenticeship systems of Germany and Switzerland. Apprenticeships there are not confined to trades. They expand into banking, insurance and advance services. The state and industry partner are to standardise training, so that apprentices contribute proactively from the start. Why should we not adopt this approach to our economy on a larger scale?”
“Powerful algorithms, a thin layer of senior experts and too few local managers and specialists in between. This will not just be an economic problem. This would be a social one too. Our youths are looking at this landscape and asking, if the AI can do the junior entry level work. How can it ever progress further? The crux is not whether the job exists, but whether the human can adopt and adapt to AI in his or her work. As Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng had shared earlier and Senior Minister of State Desmond Tan in his early public speeches. The nature of work is changing, but the need for the human work remains and can be enhanced by AI. Our economy continues to attract new investments. However, each dollar of new investment now generates fewer jobs than before. This is different from earlier decades when industrial growth naturally produced many manufacturing jobs and clear entry points. But this is natural and to be expected as the global economic structure changes. According to economist Dani Rodrik, the future of jobs will rely largely in services. Last year, job creation in Singapore was driven mainly by investment in services, particularly in financial, health and social services. However, as globalisation has made outsourcing of services increasingly pervasive, this is also the sector where it is increasingly difficult to keep entry level roles in the same numbers and scope. So, Mr Speaker, Sir, the question is not how do we stop the AI disruption? The questions are: how do we keep the entry pathways open while we transform; how do we prepare for this possible new future of entry level work? We cannot save the old rung. It is probably gone in some industries or going through overtime in others. We should not try to preserve the routine work in the age of AI.”
“It allowed them to punch above their weight almost immediately. This is not replacement. This is augmentation. It may be what economists called a rebound effect too. If AI allows us to build software faster, we may build more software; if it lowers the cost of service delivery, demand may expand. This expands the economic pie. But here is also the uncomfortable truth. Even if AI raises overall productivity, it can still shrink traditional entry level roles. Why? Because of incentives. Entry level workers have historically been hired not because they were immediately productive, but because firms invested in their future productivity. Companies paid a premium today to build capability tomorrow. If AI can perform the training task, the learning task faster and cheaper, the short-term economic incentive to hire juniors weakens. This can be a market failure. Left entirely to market forces, firms may rationally choose fewer juniors and more AIs in the short term that boost margins. In the long term, it can hollow out the pipeline of middle-level Singaporean talent. Compounding this, our higher cost structure and manpower tightness in Singapore have prompted some companies to site teams of knowledge, entry level workers in the region; while retaining the quality control and supervisory roles here. This is understandable as companies seek to control cost while retaining quality. In isolation, this is not a bad situation for Singapore as we retain higher value work. However, this also means that entry level jobs might not be available in the same number over time and this might worsen the hollowing out of the Singaporean middle management. We risk, what I call a missing middle.”
“And 53% of younger workers, more than any other age group, recognise the need to upskill to stay relevant even if they could keep their job. For them, AI is not just a tool, it is an immediate disruptor that is already reshaping some entry level jobs. What they are worried about is the focus of my speech today. It is a critical structural challenge facing our workforce. It is a challenge that might threaten to change the social compact for an entire generation of Singaporeans in the years to come. I call it the broken rung. In the past, a fresh graduate enter the workforce and learn by doing. The junior accountant drafted working papers. The junior lawyer review documents. The junior coder does code maintenance, fixes some minor bugs. These were not glamorous tasks. They were routine. We have all done it before in our careers. They were formative. They were the training ground. Today, GenAI performs or could perform many of these routine cognitive task in seconds. What once took a week now takes an hour. What once required many juniors to do, require a somewhat a more senior person armed with some AI tools. But let us be clear, AI does not spell the end of work as we know them today. Many jobs would not be adversely impacted. In fact, many might still be boosted by AI. Research from a 2023/2024 National Bureau of Economic Research, studying 5,000 customer support agents found that AI assistance significantly boosted productivity, especially for less experienced workers. In some cases, a two-month old employee perform like someone with six months of experience. This means the learning curve has been shortened. The barrier to competence has been lowered. The AI did not replace the entry level worker, buy it empowered them.”
“There were the Nanobanana-generated Lunar New Year family portraits and video greetings. We joked about how AI could never replace the traditional "lohei", the human spirit of tossing to prosperity. But there were also conversations that were far more serious. We talked about the impact of AI on work, especially on entry level jobs. I heard concerned parents speak about how much harder it was for the children to get jobs after school. I heard of some young Singaporeans admit quietly, often with a sense of frustration about sending out hundreds of job applications before they got an interview and I heard the other side too. I heard bosses steering about how they could deploy AI faster in their companies to overcome the manpower crunch. I heard supervisors wondering how to get how they could get their juniors to compliment and supervise AI in the daily work. Everyone is trying to grapple with how AI should work for them. Our fresh graduates are capable. They are hungry, but yet, many are not fully confident they are equipped for this new job market. This is not just anecdotal. Last year, a quarter of our youths from our IHLs, polled in NTUC's Youth Employment Outlook, expressed worries about finding a job within six months of graduation. They asked: would there be enough entry level jobs for me? When these youths enter the workforce, they do face competition and a narrowing of good entry level jobs. They asked: will the skills that I have acquired be relevant, especially in this age of AI? Their concern is also sharpened by technological change. From the NTUC Survey on Economic Sentiments in 2025, the perception that technology or AI will be the greatest risk to their jobs in the next year was highest among younger workers – 19% compared to the average of 16%.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to begin by thanking the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance for setting up a clear plan for Singapore in an uncertain world. The Budget speaks not only to today's pressures, the costs of living, which is the immediate anxieties of our constituents, but also to tomorrow's transitions. Over the years, I have had the privilege of working closely for youths and young workers in my various roles. Their hopes, their aspirations and their quiet concerns have always stayed through to my heart. Today, our young Singaporeans are entering the workforce at the moment of profound historical inflection. It is a time of rapid change. AI is shaping the very definition of a job or a good job. Economic restructuring is creating pockets of uncertainty, and the traditional pathway from school to work, once a relatively straight, well-lit expressway, might no longer be so straightforward. If we look at the macro data, the picture is indeed reassuring. In Singapore, education, employment outcomes for youths remain strong. Our students continue to excel consistently in international assessments, such as the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Youth unemployment has remained stable in recent years. But, Sir, numbers alone might not always tell the full story. We hear on the ground worries for the pathways into the workforce. We hear of concerns over entry level opportunities and career progression. Their reservations about whether hard work would still translate into advancement in a fast moving economy shaped by technological changes, cost pressures and global volatility. As a case in point, this year's Lunar New Year conversations took on a different texture. We saw the modern touches, of course.”
“I thank the Member for her question, and her care and concern for our NSFs. Today, the medical examination of pre-enlistees already includes screening for mental health conditions. Those with mental health conditions will be reviewed by our in-house psychiatrists. If it is assessed that they may pose harm to themselves or others, they will be deferred from NS until their conditions have improved and they pose no other risk to themselves or to their fellow NSFs. These assessments are made by our in-house professionals, guided by our SAF Psychiatry Specialist Advisory Board. They are made up of experts from our hospitals. NSFs with mental health issues who are able to serve will receive additional monitoring while in service. We recognise that mental health issues can surface later after the pre-enlistment stage. The SAF has a mental health support system in place to detect and support service personnel with mental health issues. This may include psychological first aid training for recruits to provide support for their buddies and training for our commanders. Likewise, the Home Team has a similar system.”
“It is the belief, passed down through generations, that we can adapt, we can transform and we can emerge stronger, so long as we do it together as one united people. Mr Speaker, I support the Motion.”
“Past lessons, such as the Public Transport Tripartite Committee's approach during the bus contracting model, show how deep engagement safeguards jobs while enabling transformation. For example, in the transition to the bus contracting model, the Public Transport Tripartite Committee developed a "two-envelope" bidding system that ensured operators bidding for routes commit to consulting unions and safeguarding workers' well-being as part of their proposals. In addition, the Land Transport Authority and National Transport Workers Union engaged extensively with 5,000 workers then. We look forward to renewing this to better our workers' livelihoods and welfare, 10 years into the bus contracting model. Thus, in managing the impact of economic restructuring, we must make it a priority to take care of workers who will be impacted and ensure sufficient lead time for planning and outreach to assure workers on their concerns. Today, as co-chair of the Economic Strategies Review Committee No 5, I am working with Minister of State Goh Pei Ming and our tripartite partners to ensure workers receive sufficient lead time, planning and support in every restructuring process. Mr Speaker, Sir, the world will not get any calmer. The forces of disruption will not slow down, but we have something special here. Something tested in crisis and renewed with purpose. A belief that we are all in this together. So, this is our common path. In a world that is dividing, we will choose to unite. In a world of gridlock, we will choose to build. In a world of anxiety, we will choose to create hope. Our model of tripartism is not just an asset, it is our identity.”
“In past economic crises, we chose to put "country before self", which brought us today's stability and prosperity. Facing the transformation brought by AI, unions will not leave workers to fight alone. NTUC will continue to accompany every worker, upgrading skills together, protecting employment and sharing benefits fairly. As long as we uphold the spirit of "greater good" and stand shoulder to shoulder, Singapore workers will surely weather the storm and welcome a brighter tomorrow. (In English): Mr Speaker, Sir, my fellow labour MPs have also shared the various concerns about the key issues that must be dealt with to support workers in this term of Government. Let me highlight two other areas of focus. First, supporting our youth and future workforce. Our unionists have gone down to many campuses to meet with our young Singaporeans. Just between April and July alone, the NTUC engaged 12,000 youths across our Institutes of Higher Learning. We heard their anxieties about skills gaps, weaker hiring sentiment and AI’s impact on entry-level roles. Their anxieties are real and we must double down to support them. To complement the Government's GRIT programme, NTUC Youth is equipping young jobseekers with job search skills, networking and mentorship, while e2i expands targeted career fairs. We must also consider expanding our SkillsFuture Mid-Career Training Allowances to younger workers. In addition, we must broaden and expand upon Career Conversion Programmes to equip them for AI and sustainability-related roles. Second, managing economic restructuring. Restructuring must always prioritise workers' well-being.”
“Today, Mohamed Rahaizad is an Operations Supervisor with better working life and wages. And AVs are making our ports more productive than ever. We turned a story of fear into a story of opportunity. This is the power of our partnership. The power of tripartism and trust. Thus, we have clear principles to follow in the incorporation of AI and automation. It is to be transparent, be fair, be worker-centric. First, tripartite partners must work closely together to chart a common path. That means being transparent in the transformation and involving the unions and workers to forge a transition pathway. Second, workers must be given fair gains from improvements in productivity. Quite frankly, a world in which only shareholders and a select few benefit from economic transformation is neither desirable nor sustainable. Third, we must be worker-centric to adopt a just transition for Singapore and the Singaporean worker. This embraces a "we first" mentality and culture and put it to work. At the heart of this AI transformation are our people. Let us commit together to building a future where technology serves humanity, where our companies thrive and where every worker can look ahead with confidence and dignity. Mr Speaker, in Chinese, please. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] In today's turbulent world, AI brings many impacts and concerns. Singapore's ability to survive and thrive depends on our unique tripartism between labour, management and Government: the Government, employers and unions working hand in hand to overcome difficulties together. As Mr Lee Kuan Yew said, unions are not here to fight management, but to work together with management to ensure that we survive, grow and prosper together.”
“For employers, it means shifting focus from paper qualifications to practical capabilities. It is about hiring, rewarding and promoting based on what an individual can do and learn, not just what their qualification says. It is about being intentional in our training. Workers such as Alex should not have to train fruitlessly. It is about involving the worker in building the transformation plan together. For workers, it means taking ownership of your career health, continuously building new competencies and staying agile enough to pivot to new roles. The Labour Movement is fully committed to working on this approach with our tripartite partners. Our mission has always been to protect our workers through every economic wave, and the age of AI is no different. We do have a successful Singaporean model to follow. Imagine being a prime mover driver at our port for over 20 years. You take pride in your job. Then one day, you hear that this thing called the automated guided vehicle (AGV), a robot, is coming to do what you do. Mohamed Rahaizad Bin Hassan, a prime mover driver was one of those faced with this reality. In many places around the world, that is where the story ends – in conflict, strikes and lost livelihoods, like the paralysing port strikes we saw in the US in 2024. There, the International Longshoremen's Association saw automation as a threat to be fought. They launched a strike across US East and Gulf Coast ports. But in Singapore, because of the deep trust between our Singapore Port Workers Union (SPWU) and PSA, we chose to write a different ending. Years before the first AGV was put in operation in Tuas, they sat down together. They mapped out every affected job. They planned a journey of reskilling. The driver was not replaced. He was upskilled.”
“Alex is in his early 50s, but he has got the energy of someone half his age. I spoke to him. He told me his story, which I cannot shake. He said, "I knew this day was coming." For 10 years, he saw the world changing. So, he did what he was supposed to do. He took courses. He earned diplomas on his own time. Certificates. After long days at work. He tried to get ahead of the curve. He played by all the rules. But it was not enough. He still could not find a safer job, a growth job in the company. He did everything we ask of our workers, yet he felt like he was running in place, on a treadmill. And as he spoke, I could hear the one thing that chips away at a person's soul – the feeling that your hard work does not count anymore. Alex's story is not just one man's story. It can be the tripartite story. It can be the Singapore story. It is the story we have to write the next chapter for, right now. Because this wave of AI is not just another technology. It is a force that is asking us a fundamental question: what kind of economy or country do we want to be? Do we want to be a place where technology creates a world of winners and losers, where hardworking people like Alex get left behind? Or do we want to build a future where technology serves all of us, where innovation lifts everyone up? I think the answer is clear. But it will not happen on its own. It requires a choice. It requires a new commitment. That commitment must start with a skills-first approach. It is a promise that what you do matters more than the piece of paper you hold, that your potential to learn is more valuable than the credential you have. It is a promise that if you put in the work, like Alex did, it will lead to somewhere real – a better job, a better wage, a better life.”
“We were heartened when then-Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong joined NTUC to launch our Workers' Compact in 2023, declaring that NTUC is the most important partner of the Government. That statement touched the hearts of our unionists and signaled clearly the 4G leadership's commitment to this partnership. [Mr Speaker in the Chair] NTUC will continue to support the PAP Government in securing growth, futureproofing our workforce and addressing new needs that arise. Our support must be anchored in a shared commitment to the welfare of our workers. We treasure our duty as our workers' keeper. This means there will be times we disagree on the path forward. It means having the courage to tell the Government when a policy, however well-intentioned, will hurt our workers on the ground. We will continue to be unabashed in our feedback, because true partnership is not defined by the absence of disagreement, but by the strength to work through it to find the best outcome for Singapore and Singaporeans. And the challenges will be tough. The President outlined the immense change brought about by AI. In some countries, this has predictably caused deep anxiety as workers see jobs being shed almost daily. Mr Speaker, our hallmark tripartism is what enables us to face the great challenge of our time – the transformative impact of AI. Let me take some time to share about a man I met recently at a job fair. This job fair happened after a retrenchment. We will call him Alex. He was at a job fair and I was there to see how I can help them find a job. At the scene, you could see good people wrestling with uncertainty and disappointment. Alex was retrenched after the wave of digitisation and AI changed the business landscape.”
“They mobilise the ground in support of national strategies, thereby increasing our chances of success. In difficult conversations like the annual National Wages Council negotiations, our union leaders keep us honest by reflecting workers' anxieties about the cost of living, and by advocating for fair gains-sharing and just transitions. This insider role allows unionists to shape policy for the better, not just criticise from the sidelines. Every time a unionist helps a retrenched worker find a new job, they are not just finding a salary, they are restoring a person's dignity. Every time they ensure fair gains-sharing, they are strengthening our social fabric. They are the guardians of fairness, the champions of opportunity. They are the ones on the ground, every single day, building the "we first" society the President spoke about, one worker at a time. This reflects what Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong once said, "Our unions are not afraid to speak up for workers, but they do so in a constructive spirit, with the long-term interest of workers and the nation at heart." We have seen this in practice. Earlier this year, the Union of Security Employees (USE), which I advise, weighed in on Certis' policy requiring its frontline workforce on medical leave to share their live location. Following our engagement, Certis agreed to stop the practice and brought in USE to strengthen communications and workplace practices. At the same time, the union supported Certis' technological transformation through the CTC Grant, enhancing both company productivity and workers' wages above the PWM increases. As each new generation of leaders emerges, so must new understandings of how we work together to bring Singapore forward.”
“From the 1985 recession, when unions accepted wage cuts that were later restored, to the 2008 Global Financial Crisis, with its "cut costs to save jobs" philosophy. During COVID-19, our tripartite partners showed they were willing to make difficult decisions for the greater good. For example, instead of implementing layoffs, DBS Bank worked closely with DBS Staff Union to assure workers, to sustain business continuity and career resilience, hiring more than 2,000 people, including 1,000 new roles for fresh graduates and mid-career PMEs pivoting into technology roles. This spirit of "we first" is the bedrock that allows us to face today's challenges with unity and confidence. Mr Goh Chok Tong once said, "We can never take tripartism for granted. It is a precious asset that has taken years of trust-building." This reservoir of trust is what enables us to face new challenges today – global instability, trade wars and the transformative impact of AI. In a turbulent world, Singapore's stability and predictability are rare advantages. Our unionists are at the core of this effort. The 1969 Modernisation Seminar set aside confrontation for collaboration, a turning point that enabled decades of progress. Likewise, today, union leaders prepare the way for transformation by serving on the boards of economic agencies, on national task forces, and in Company Training Committees, aligning workers' training with business transformation. When they walk into those tough negotiations, they do not just bring charts and figures. They bring the stories of our people with them. They are the ones who can look a CEO in the eye and say, "Let me tell you about the family that is struggling to keep up with their bills." They bring the reality of the coffeeshop into the conference room.”
“Mr Lee Kuan Yew said in 1969 that "the unions of Singapore are not here to fight against management. They are here to work with management, to ensure that we survive, grow, and prosper together." Tripartism is not a zero-sum game. We believe in being partners of progress, not partisans in conflict. This philosophy of fair play and gain-sharing remains our compass – pro-worker, pro-business and pro-future. This partnership is built on more than just economic pragmatism. It is built on a shared moral conviction. Mr Deputy Speaker, the President challenged us to question deep-seated assumptions about what constitutes valuable work. This speaks to the very soul of our Labour Movement. It is a promise we keep towards our lower-wage workers, from our cleaners to our security officers, like what labour MP Melvin Yong had said too. For years, these workers had worked hard but saw their wages stagnate. They worried about their families' future. Today, because of the Progressive Wage Model (PWM), they are not just earning a better wage. They have been trained to be more productive and could take on better jobs – a team supervisor, for example. The PWM did not just give them a bigger paycheck, it gave them a new sense of pride, a new set of skills and a new answer to their worries about the future. That is the soul of our movement. We do not just talk about dignity. We build pathways to it, one worker at a time. The success of this model hinges on mutual trust and respect fostered through consistent engagement and a shared commitment to national interests. Our reservoir of trust was not built in times of ease. It was forged in the crucible of crisis.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I rise today in support of the Motion of Thanks to our President. Every one of us knows a family sitting around their dining table, talking about the future. They see the headlines about global instability, about AI changing the world, and they worry. They ask the quiet questions we all ask. In a world of such turmoil, is my family's future secure? In an age of disruption, is there still a place for me? These are not abstract questions, Mr Deputy Speaker. They are real. They are heartfelt. The President's address gave us an answer. It was a confident, resounding "yes". And the reason for that answer is the very anchor of my speech today. It is our nation's secret weapon – our unique ability to pull together when the world is pulling apart. Tripartism, our model of unity, is more than just tradition, it is our answer to the future. Singapore's unique brand of tripartism – the collaboration among the Government, employers and unions – has long been the bedrock of our industrial relations and a key competitive advantage. At its core, tripartism is founded on a shared conviction to strive for industrial peace with justice. In the early days, our founding leaders stood at a crossroads. The world told them that for a union to be effective, it must be adversarial, locked in a perpetual struggle with employers and the government. It must at least be seen to be independent. They saw other nations crippled by this very conflict, caught in a zero-sum game of strikes and standoffs, where for one side to win, the other had to lose. In such a game, they knew a small nation like ours could never win. Our Pioneers chose a different path. A harder path, but a better path.”
“Mr Speaker, I would like to thank Prime Minister for his Ministerial Statement. The Labour Movement has surveyed our unionists. They are rightly worried about growth issues, loss of jobs and cost of living, but they have also expressed confidence that the People's Action Party Government will stay us through these difficult times. I would like to ask the Prime Minister how should the tripartite partners conduct themselves during this period of time to prepare themselves in both the short and medium term for impact that will certainly hit them in terms of jobs, lower wage growth and in fact, some of them might lose their jobs. How can we continue to prevent anti-foreigner sentiments from setting in, especially during such times?”
“Chairman, I would like to thank Minister Tan See Leng, Senior Minister of State Koh Poh Koon, Senior Minister of State Zaqy and Minister of State Gan Siow Huang for their comprehensive responses and driving policy changes; and also Permanent Secretaries Ng Chee Khern, Jeffrey Siow, and their team of MOM officers, for their dedication in building a great workforce and workplace for Singapore and Singaporeans. On that note, Chairman, I seek leave to withdraw my amendment. [(proc text) Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. (proc text)] [(proc text) The sum of $3,584,806,700 for Head S ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. (proc text)] [(proc text) The sum of $119,216,800 for Head S ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. (proc text)]”
“Mr Chairman, just two clarifications. One, why is the Ministry raising the S Pass qualifying salary despite the labour market being already quite tight and the potential economic headwinds? What is the expected impact on the local workforce's wages? Second, MOM is raising the maximum employment age for Work Permit holders and aligning it to the local retirement age. Would the increase in the maximum employment age of Work Permit holders result in increased healthcare and insurance costs borne by the employers and also increase the competition for jobs with senior workers?”
“Senior leaders, often C-suite executives, and especially men need to actively champion women for promotions, high visibility projects and leadership roles. This is especially important for men to lean in because they occupy the lion's share of senior positions now. Fifth, as a labour Member of Parliament, I would also like to encourage people to support union membership. Unions can help to advocate for better wages, training and benefits. At least data from the US shows that a woman with a union behind her on average makes 22% more than a woman fending for herself. Sustained progress demands moving beyond voluntary targets to structural reforms that address caregiving inequities, redefine leadership paradigms and institutionalise accountability mechanisms across all sectors. I am hopeful that the day shall come when we no longer ask about men and women leaders. There would only be leaders. But until that day comes, we shall have to ceaselessly strive for gender equality for our workers. And when we can improve the senior workers and female workforce participation rates, we can have a reasonable chance at starving the silver tsunami and give rise to a new dawn of continued economic growth. [(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)] Human Capital Capability Development”
“I have spoken to quite a few female leaders and I understand the misgivings about quotas. Our female counterparts want women to be in those positions due to their own merits. However, having a quota does not mean being appointed is not by merits. I think there are many meritorious women who did not get their chances because companies do not look hard enough. European Union (EU)-mandated 40% female board representation by 2026 has already increased women's share of board seats in France from 22% to 46%. It can work. Second, we need to address the "broken rung". Women are 21% less likely than men to receive their first managerial promotion. This creates a “broken rung” in the leadership pipeline. To address this, we need to have companies to audit promotion metrics to identify and remedy disparities in promotion rates between the genders. Today, this is not widely practised. Third, we need to seed and incentivise companies to introduce returnship programmes. Many women leave the workforce for caregiving needs and never return because of skills and experience gaps. We need to normalise career breaks through targeted recruitment messaging that values lived experience over linear career paths. For example, Goldman Sachs' returnship programme explicitly welcomes applicants with more than two years away from work, reframing gaps as periods of skill diversification. The Government can provide incentives for returnships for companies that meet their diversity quota. Fourth, we need to complement mentorship with sponsorship. While mentorship focuses on skill building and career advice, sponsorship centres on power dynamics and advocacy.”
“5% recorded in 2013 and exceeds the global average of 23.3%. Our Statutory Boards do even better. They have 34.2% female representation while our Institutions of a Public Character reported 31.5%. Despite these gains, sectoral imbalances persist. Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) industries lag significantly, with women holding only 14.5% of C-suite positions in medium-sized firms. Financial services show stronger performance. One good example is DBS Bank, where women constitute 40% of senior management, nearly double the 2021 industry average of 24.5%. However, in Singapore, at the CEO level, only 9% of Singaporean companies have female CEOs as of 2024, lagging behind even our Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) peers, who clock in at 21%. Human resources (HR) remains the most gender-balanced function, with 41% of HR director roles held by women, whereas operational and technical leadership roles show slower diversification. We have clearly made progress but we need to move even faster. Gender equality in our workplaces is no longer a moral imperative, but also an economic imperative in Singapore's case. Empowering our women and ensuring equity in compensation are all vital factors in building a productive and sustainable workforce. At current growth rates, gender parity in senior management will not materialise before 2050s. Accelerating progress requires a multi-pronged approach from various stakeholders. Could the Ministry share its current initiatives to promote gender equality at the workplace? I have a few suggestions for the Ministry to consider to improve our female workforce participation rates. First, it might be worthwhile for us to consider following the Norwegian way – mandating a 40% quota for women on company boards.”
“In fact, quite aptly put across by President Obama of the United States (US) in 2019 and delivered in Singapore, and I quote him, "Now women, I just want you to know, you are not perfect. But what I can say pretty indisputably is that you're better than us men. I'm absolutely confident that for two years, if every nation on earth was run by women, you would see a significant improvement across the board on just about everything…living standards and outcomes." Over my career, I have had the opportunity to work for many female leaders, all of whom I hold in high regard. From the Singapore Police Force to the private sector and the NTUC, I had worked for female leaders who played an indispensable role in shaping my career. They have different leadership styles, adding to and enriching the prevailing male-dominated leadership models. Unfortunately, I was somewhat the exception rather than the norm. Many of our counterparts do not have such opportunities to work for that many female bosses. We still have too few women at the senior management levels. The truth is also that Singapore has demonstrated measurable progress in having more women across corporate leadership structures over the past decade. 5.30 pm The share of females in the resident labour force has increased to 47.6% over the past decade. In 2023, the adjusted gender pay gap in Singapore narrowed to 6%. The proportion of residents outside the workforce due to familial obligations dropped to 21.5% in 2024. As of 2024, women occupy 42% of senior management roles in mid-market businesses. The proportion of women on boards for the top 100 Singapore Exchange-listed firms reached 25.1% by December 2024, surpassing the interim target of 25% set for 2025 by the Council for Board Diversity. This triples the 7.”
“The National Trades Union Congress' (NTUC's) Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) has already facilitated success stories like Mr Tay, a retrenched chief operations officer, who transitioned into the healthcare sector. We need more of such successes and we need them at scale. Finally, we must foster age-inclusive workplaces. The newly-announced Tripartite Workgroup on Senior Employment must tackle not just skills redundancy, but also workplace cultural shifts. Senior-friendly human resource policies should be the norm, not the exception. NTUC will support such important work. Next, we will also need to do more to improve our female workforce participation rates, if we are to solve our ageing workforce challenge. Already debated extensively in this House, improving our health caregiving support is critical to helping our women workers to stay in or return to the workforce. Our women still carry the bulk of the caregiving load. Having a good caregiving infrastructure, including more generous childcare leave, is the foundation stone to improve our female labour force participation rates. We have introduced many forms of subsidies but subsidies cannot replace the need for our women workers to care for their children when they are sick and need help. I believe strongly, too, that having more women in senior and middle ranks would also improve our female labour force participation rates. It would introduce new leadership styles, ample examples for younger women to follow and change our workplaces to play to the strengths of our women workers. It can introduce new ways to think and support women in their careers, especially when we need to change age-old workplace practices, probably set in place by men.”
“If we can raise this figure, we can mitigate the labour shortfall and sustain our economic dynamism. To do so, first, we must reimagine jobs for seniors. Many leave the workforce not because they want to, but because they can no longer meet physical demands or find suitable alternatives. We need to accelerate job redesign, incorporating assistive technologies, like exoskeletons for labour-intensive roles. There are already healthcare institutions worldwide introducing exoskeletons for healthcare assistants. We must adopt such innovations widely. Singapore can, and should, become a hub for such innovations. We can turn our vulnerability into our strength, as we have done for water. Second, we must provide tailored support for senior jobseekers. We have done well to develop a robust training and placement capability in Singapore. The next bound of this development would be to have one-stop dedicated training and jobs placement centres for our senior workers. We can establish these centres around the nation and there are good reasons to do so. Senior workers have quite different priorities. While earning an income is clearly still important, many of them want to balance other life and care needs. Many of them have been in the same jobs or functions for most of their working lives. They might not know how to manoeuvre to adjacent industries. Our colleagues from the Centre for Seniors have also shared that senior jobseekers do need more handholding and dedicated support. Third, unlike younger workers who very adept at searching for jobs online, seniors need dedicated retraining pathways and placement services.”
“Mr Chairman, I move, "That the total sum to be allocated for Head S of the Estimates be reduced by $100." Over the current term of Government, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has undertaken bold reforms to steer our workforce from crisis to recovery, from downturn to growth. We introduced the Complementarity Assessment (COMPASS) framework to ensure foreign talent complements and never displaces our Singaporean core. We legislated the world's first Platform Workers Act to protect more than 70,000 workers who have been under-protected for too long. And we championed workplace fairness and flexible work arrangements (FWAs), because a progressive workforce is a competitive workforce. These are, but some of the many policies that the Ministry have introduced to do right by our workers and ensure that #EveryWorkerMatters. As this Parliamentary term nears its close, can the Minister share: (a) have our policies strengthened retirement adequacy; (b) have they elevated the quality of our workforce; and (c) have they built more inclusive, progressive workplaces? Next, let me turn to a central problem of this generation and beyond. Singapore's workforce is ageing. The proportion of seniors in our workforce has risen from 12.3% in 2014 to 16.9% in 2024. Our old-age support ratio has worsened from 6:1 in 2014 to 3.5:1 today; and by 2030, it will drop to 2.7:1. These numbers are not just statistics. They tell a story of impending workforce shortages, rising tax burdens on younger Singaporeans and economic stagnation if we do nothing now. We must act decisively. First, we must tap into the untapped. Senior workforce participation in Singapore stands at 72.6%, trailing behind cities like Stockholm and Tokyo. There is room to grow.”
“Chairman, with more than 80% of Singaporeans residing in the heartlands, our heartlands are not just merely residential zones, but the essence of our nation’s identity. Last year, we saw the introduction of the Heartland Enterprise Placemaking Grant (HEPG). Since its announcement, it is heartening to know that about 40 heartland merchants have expressed intent to leverage on this scheme as of September 2024. For example, Quan Shui Wet Market received the HEPG. It is a third-generation wet market business that has expanded into a fresh food grocer and now serves over 500 households daily. The company, which currently does not have presence in the east of Singapore, tapped on the scheme to gain exposure and market insights on residents in the east at the Marine Parade’s Easty Breezy Bazaar. It is a success. Considering the sheer number of heartland merchants in Singapore, it might seem that 40 expressions of interest for the scheme might need further enhancements. Could the Ministry share how many heartland merchants have successfully secured the HEPG as of date, and what outcomes might be observed in terms of business growth and community engagement for these merchants? Has there also been feedback from stakeholders on how the scheme can be enhanced? Could the Ministry also provide an update on the effectiveness and outreach of its initiatives promoting the vibrancy of heartland businesses? As we commemorate SG60 this year, let us restate our commitment to ensuring our heartlands remain dynamic, vibrant and reflective of the Singaporean spirit. Singaporeans are ever ready to support local. Hence, we must provide our local businesses with the help they need to enable them to help themselves ensure the viability and sustainability of their trades.”
“Mr Chairman, our economy has long thrived on our ability to remain open, connected and deeply integrated into the global trade networks. However, the international order has been weakening. In recent years and, in fact, weeks and days, protectionist measures and escalating geopolitical conflicts across major nations have become the norm. We are at a precarious crossroads as a small, open economy where commerce accounts for over three times our GDP. The ongoing US-China trade tensions which have seen both nations imposing trade tariffs against each other will cause supply chain shifts and trickle-down effects on our economy. We have also seen first-hand how conflicts, such as the Russian-Ukraine war, have caused inflationary pressures on the cost of living globally. Could the Ministry share the impact of global geopolitical tensions on Singapore's trade relations with other countries and our strategy for navigating this? What strategies will the Ministry utilise to ensure that we can adeptly navigate an increasingly fragmented global economy? Concurrently, we remain committed to our resolve to strengthen global trade relations. For example, participation in platforms, such as the ASEAN's Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership is vital in our mission to encourage closer regional cooperation. Could the Ministry share our efforts in working with our global neighbours or, in fact, regional ones, to avoid the fragmentation of the global economy? Sustained economic success is dependent on our ability to remain nimble, adjusting our trade strategies in tandem with the ever-changing geopolitical landscape. It is hence imperative for us to ensure our trade strategies are resilient and responsive to opportunities and uncertainties to ensure our economic success beyond SG60.”
“Chairman, we have seen a surge in overseas travel as Singaporeans continue to embrace travelling in the new post-pandemic norm. Singaporeans are no longer sticking to the usual destinations but, increasingly, also to less-travelled destinations. We have over 50 overseas missions worldwide, and these missions serve as a critical point of contact for Singaporeans in distress abroad. But what happens when help is needed in places where we lack consular presence? Plagued by heightened global tensions, we must remember that conflicts can happen in any country, unprovoked and unexpectedly. It is, hence, imperative that our consular efforts can promise operational capabilities in which country Singaporeans might find themselves in. Other than contacting the 24-hour MFA Duty Office hotline in times of need, could the MFA share how it ensures that Singaporeans in need, even in countries without an on-ground diplomatic mission, can still access prompt and effective consular support?”
“Since our Independence, Singapore has maintained the importance of capacity-building as a pillar of regional cooperation. In 1992, the Singapore Cooperation Programme (SCP) was established in our effort to pay forward the help we received in our formative years. It serves as a platform to provide technical assistance to the world. At the same time, the SCP's initiatives are equally beneficial to us. We get to share and also learn about best practices in various areas, from public governance to global sustainability. As we celebrate SG60, global challenges remain uncertain whether in the realm of climate change, sustainability or cybersecurity. There is an ever-growing need to gather our efforts towards deeper and more targeted technical assistance to areas where our counterparts need our expertise the most. Could MFA share how Singapore intends to enhance its capacity-building efforts to address these emerging challenges? Singapore Cooperation Programme”