Singapore Government

Press Release

Media Division, Ministry of Information & The Arts, #36-00, PSA Building, 460 Alexandra Road, Singapore 119963, Tel: 3757794/5

SPEECH BY MR WONG KAN SENG, MINISTER FOR HOME AFFAIRS AT THE NTUC CHARITY DINNER ON SUNDAY, 12 JANUARY 1997 AT

7.30 PM AT THE NEPTUNE THEATRE RESTAURANT

Mr Zulkifli Mohammed

Chairman of the NTUC Community Services Committee

Mr Cyrille Tan

Chairman of the Charity Dinner Organising Committee

Ladies and Gentlemen

I am happy to join you at the Charity Dinner organised by the NTUC Community Services Committee.

This is the third year that the NTUC and its affiliates have pooled their resources to help the less fortunate. The first two NTUC Community Service Projects raised $1.75 million to set up the NTUC-Singapore Pools Dialysis Centre and another $1 million for the Bizlink Centre. I understand that this year, the NTUC has pledged to raise $1.05 million for the building funds of the Asian Women's Welfare Association Special School, Towner Gardens School and The Spastic Children's Association of Singapore. The Charity Golf held last month raised $250,000. I also understand that this Dinner has raised another $160,000. I commend your effort and success.

I am heartened to see so many of you coming forward to contribute to this good cause. Indeed, for Singapore is becoming a more gracious nation, we must develop in our people a sense of genuine concern for fellow citizens.

This concern can be manifested in being courteous and considerate to others, keeping public places clean and helping the less fortunate in our society.

Singapore has always advocated a 'many helping hand' approach to welfare. The less fortunate are not just the responsibility of the Government and a few rich or extraordinary people. We can do a lot more as a nation if every one of us is willing to contribute according to his abilities. In the process, we will also be strengthening the bond among our people and creating a closer-knit community. I commend the NTUC for creating opportunities for workers to lend a helping hand and instiling in them a sense of caring and sharing.

Singapore workers' quality of life has been improving steadily.

Over the last ten years, workers' average nominal monthly wage has doubled. Real purchasing power grew by an average of about 5% per year for the last five years.

How did we achieve this happy state of affairs? Singapore is a small, young, multi-racial nation with no natural resources. We have succeeded only because we were determined to succeed. Our people are united behind a strong and farsighted leadership. We have built an efficient civil service and developed good infrastructure. We have a disciplined and able workforce.

Singapore's workforce has been ranked world number one. But we must not allow such accolades to lull ourselves into complacency. The economy in the 21st century will be based on knowledge and skills. The increasingly sophisticated industries will need well-educated workers. We have invested much in education. However, we still have almost half (43%) of our workforce who did not complete secondary education. One in three of our workers are aged above 40 and 44% of them have only primary education or never attended school.

In the Information Age, the shelf life of knowledge and skills will be increasingly limited. Older workers will be the hardest hit if they have not picked up new skills that would meet the new demands of the economy in their working life. It is not just the blue collar workers who risk being phased out. Even professionals with degrees can suddenly find themselves without marketable skills if they did not bother to upgrade.

About 43% of Singapore's workers will be above 40 years of age by the year 2000. Their willingness to undergo periodic re-training will have a significant impact on the productivity of our workforce and in turn, our attractiveness to investors. If we keep reinforcing this culture of lifelong training and re-training, our workforce will continue to be the world number one. Our workers and their families will also have a significant share of the growing economic pie.

The NTUC has worked closely with the Government and employers to foster industrial harmony. It has advanced workers' interests over the years by taking a long term view and not going for short term immediate gains. It has organised cooperatives to stabilise the prices of consumer goods and developed resort and clubs to meet workers' recreational needs. The NTUC has also tirelessly promoted training and re-training among workers. The Community Services Committee complements the full range of programmes the NTUC has in promoting the economic and social well being of workers.

I congratulate the Organising Committee for successfully organising tonight's Charity Dinner and wish all of you an enjoyable evening.

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