Introduction
Mr Speaker, I rise in support of the Motion.
The President called on us to build a “We First” society, where growth uplifts everyone, and trust remains the foundation of our nation. This message resonates deeply with the Labour Movement. For me, as a representative of workers and families, this means that no family is left unsupported, and no individual is left to struggle alone, because Every Worker Matters.
Today, I will speak on three areas: supporting our lower-wage workers, strengthening employability in the Malay/Muslim community, and finally, addressing the issue closest to my heart: mental health.
Uplifting Lower-Wage Workers
Mr Speaker, I begin with our lower-wage workers, the backbone of our society. They are the quiet hands and steady feet that keep Singapore moving each day. Over the past decade, we have made substantial progress. The wage gap between lower-wage workers and the median worker has narrowed. Real incomes of workers at the 20th percentile rose cumulatively by 30% from 2013 to 2023, faster than the median worker’s 22%.
Today, more than 155,000 lower-wage workers across nine sectors and occupations are covered by the Progressive Wage Model (PWM). This is progress we can take pride in. It shows that when we walk together, government, employers, and unions, we can shift the escalator of social mobility upwards.
But we must not stop here. Allow me to make three calls.
First, enhance funding for PWM and the Progressive Wage Credit Scheme, or PWCS.
The PWCS has been instrumental in helping employers support wage increases. Over $2.7 billion in PWCS was disbursed in 2022 and 2023, benefitting more than 520,000 employees.
I urge the Government to extend these enhancements until Singapore reaches the OECD benchmark of the 20th percentile being two-thirds of the median income. I also call for the wage ceiling to be raised beyond $3,000, so that as wages rise, PWM workers in sectors like security, waste management, and lift and escalator maintenance remain covered.
Second, address how wage increases can lead to a loss of social assistance.
Sir, on the ground, we heard from workers who hesitated to accept wage increases, fearing they will lose eligibility for Workfare or ComCare. This is troubling. Workers should never be penalised for progress. I call for a comprehensive review of our wage support and social assistance schemes, so that no one is forced to choose between a higher salary and essential aid.
Third, future-proof upskilling of our lower-wage workers, including training in Artificial Intelligence. I call for AI training to be extended to PWM workers, such as administrators who can leverage AI to optimise workflows. NTUC LearningHub already offers an AI learning ecosystem, covering skills across different proficiency levels. So let us make this accessible to all workers, including our lower-wage workers, so that they, too, can benefit from the AI economy.
Mr Speaker, let me share the story of Ms Nur Shafiqah, a 24-year-old lift supervisor at Fujitec.
Starting from ITE, she pursued a Work-Study Diploma while working, overcoming challenges in a male-dominated industry. Today, she leads a team maintaining 600 lifts across Sengkang and Punggol. The Progressive Wage Model has transformed her career. Before PWM, lift maintenance was low-paying, but today, she earns a stable income that supports her family and future.
Mr Speaker, her story shows why PWM matters, not just for wages, but for dignity, skills, and opportunity.
Sir, when the lowest-wage worker progresses, Singapore progresses. This is how we build inclusive growth.
Strengthening Malay/Muslim Employability (M3 FA4)
Mr Speaker, in Malay please.
Tuan, dengan AI mengubah industri dan pekerjaan, kita tidak boleh membiarkan pekerja Melayu/Islam ketinggalan, dan mesti menyokong mereka untuk berjaya. Menerusi M Kuasa Tiga (M3), Tumpuan Bidang Empat atau FA4 kami memberi perhatian khusus kepada meningkatkan ke-boleh-pasaran pekerja Melayu/Islam. Melalui kerjasama erat antara NTUC dan MENDAKI, kita akan membina satu ekosistem sokongan yang kukuh untuk membantu pekerja menyesuaikan diri dengan pasaran kerja yang semakin berubah.
Kita akan terus memperkukuhkan sokongan, khususnya bagi golongan PME matang serta belia Melayu yang bakal mewarisi cabaran dan peluang ekonomi masa hadapan.
Bagi PME matang, sokongan akan memberi tumpuan kepada pemerkasaan kemahiran baru, termasuk kemahiran digital dan kepimpinan, supaya mereka dapat terus relevan dan diyakini oleh industri. Kita juga perlu memperluaskan rangkaian penasihat kerjaya untuk membantu mereka menyesuaikan diri dengan perubahan pasaran dan membuka jalan ke arah kerjaya kedua yang bermakna.
Bagi belia Melayu, kita perlu menyediakan laluan yang lebih pelbagai. Termasuk program perantisan, skim kerja-belajar, serta peluang pembangunan dalam bidang baru seperti teknologi hijau, kecerdasan buatan, dan ekonomi penjagaan.
Bulan hadapan, e2i akan menganjurkan Youth Skills & Career Fair @ SCAPE pada 6 dan 7 Oktober. Acara ini akan menjadi peluang besar untuk belia meneroka laluan kerjaya, mendapatkan nasihat pakar, dan membina kemahiran yang diperlukan untuk berjaya dalam pasaran kerja yang semakin mencabar.
Selain itu, e2i bersama Happiness Initiative, akan melancarkan satu bengkel khas untuk belia dan profesional muda berumur 18 hingga 35 tahun.
Fokus bengkel ini adalah untuk membina daya tahan minda; membekalkan peserta dengan kemahiran untuk mengurus tekanandan membina keyakinan ketika mencari pekerjaan atau memulakan kerjaya mereka.
Apabila setiap masyarakat dapat berkembang maju bersama, Singapura secara keseluruhannya akan menjadi lebih kukuh dan berdaya tahan.
Mental Health Across Life Stages
Mr Speaker, I now turn to an issue that I have been championing throughout my stint in Parliament. An issue that cuts across workers, families, and communities. The President reminded us that our responsibility is to give Singaporeans assurance at every stage of life. Mental health is that assurance.
The statistics tell a sobering story: Nearly 47% of workers in Singapore report feeling exhausted after work (TELUS Mental Health Index, 2024). The prevalence of poor mental health remains at 15% in 2023, higher than pre-pandemic levels.The economic cost of mental health conditions is estimated at $15.7 billion annually, or 2.9% of the GDP.
Behind each statistic is a worker, a family and a community.
Their struggles with stress and burnout remind us that productivity cannot come at the expense of health.
As co-chair of the PAP Mental Health group, I have continually engaged stakeholders from the healthcare professionals, community partners, to employers, and workers. And together, with my colleagues, we tabled a motion of Mental Health in the last term to place these firmly on the national agenda.
But that motion was not the end. It was the beginning. In this new term, we intend to move forward, further, to ensure that mental health remains a sustained national priority.
Youth and Students
Sir, international studies show that young people are especially vulnerable during school-to-work transitions. Locally, nearly half of workers already report exhaustion at the start of their careers.
In my Malay speech earlier, I had spoken about employability initiatives for our youths and young professionals under the FA4 initiative. Employability must go hand in hand with resilience. Skills will get our youths a job. Resilience will help them to keep it. Grow in it and thrive in the long run.
Sir, our youths today also live in a digital-first world. We must strengthen their healthy digital habits and deepen our understanding of the impact of social media on mental well-being. We must build emotional resilience in our schools and Institutes of Higher Learning, alongside academic skills. Our youth should not only survive the pressures of school and work, but thrive with confidence and hope.
I continue to call for Mental Health and Wellbeing literacy to be embedded within the curriculum so that everyone is equipped with the skills as we progress as a nation, everyone can play their part better.
Young Parents / Sandwiched Generation
Sir, many young parents juggle work, childcare, and caring for ageing parents. NTUC hears their concerns about long hours and blurred work-life boundaries. To protect their well-being, we must strengthen safeguards for rest, expand flexible work arrangements as a norm, and enhance community support for caregivers. But beyond that, we must call for stronger workplace mental well-being initiatives, so that employers build cultures where mental wellness is part of daily practice, not an afterthought.
Seniors / Ageing Population
For our seniors, dignity is not just about medical care, but also about connection, purpose and being seen. As seniors age, they may face loneliness and other mental health concerns. But it can also be a stage of renewed contribution if the right support is given. We must also continue to expand community facilities, so that help is never too far away.
Workers
Finally, I turn to our workers, who cut across the different ages and I have a few calls to make.
First, stronger rest protections. The “always-on” culture must be challenged. Workers need adequate rest between shifts and more explicit guidance on after-hours communication. Otherwise, exhaustion will erode both well-being and long-term safety.
Second, preventive approaches. Employers should go beyond ad-hoc wellness talks and make mental wellness training a mandatory part of management development.
Leaders must be equipped not only to deliver results, but also to recognise early signs of stress, to intervene with empathy, and to create psychologically safe workplaces.
At the same time, companies should tap into the Company Training Committee (CTC) Grant, not only to invest in new technology and upskill their workforce, but also to redesign jobs and workflows with workers productivity, dignity and wellbeing at the centre. Too often, innovation is seen as a way to squeeze more output from the same worker. But that cannot be our approach.
Instead, we must harness innovation to ease the pressures of long hours, to streamline repetitive tasks, and to allow workers to focus on higher-value and more meaningful work. When we do this, productivity gains will be matched by healthier, more motivated teams, and by workplaces where people feel proud to contribute and confident about their future.
Third, inclusive return-to-work practices. Returning to work after a period of illness, injury, or a mental health challenge is never easy.
Many workers tell us they feel anxious, worried that their colleagues may see them as less capable, or that their employers may judge them for needing more time to recover.
That is why the return-to-work journey must not add to their stress. Instead, it should be a bridge of support, where adjustments are made to help them regain confidence at their own pace. Employers can and should tap into resources from the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) and the Workplace Safety and Health Council (WSHC) to implement Return-to-Work policies, policies that ensure workplace safety while also fostering understanding and compassion.
When a worker is supported in this way, they are more likely to bounce back stronger, to contribute meaningfully, and to inspire others. And when we care for our workers in their most vulnerable moments, we strengthen not just productivity, but the bonds of trust in our workplaces.
Conclusion
Mr Speaker, our nation’s strength has never come from size or resources that we have.
It comes from trust, trust between people and government, between employers and workers, with the unions at the centre of everything, and among citizens themselves.
As we turn the page after SG60, let us reaffirm that trust by standing with our workers, uplifting every community, and safeguarding the mental health and wellbeing of every Singaporean.
Let us show that in Singapore, progress is not for the few, but for all. This is how we will build not only a stronger economy, but also a stronger society. One where every worker has dignity, every family has assurance, and every community has hope.
Mr Speaker, I support the motion.
