A) SPEECH IN MALAY 

UCAPAN PERDANA MENTERI DI RAPAT HARI BURUH 2008

1.         Kita telah menikmati tahun yang baik pada 2007.  Tetapi pada tahun ini, kita menyambut Hari Buruh dalam suasana yang tidak menentu.  Keadaan ekonomi Amerika Syarikat dan suasana ekonomi dunia pasti akan memberi kesan ke atas Singapura.  Sejauh ini kita tidak mengalami sebarang masalah, tetapi kita mesti tetap berwaspada sekiranya keadaan menjadi lebih buruk.

2.         Suatu lagi perkara yang menjadi perhatinan orang ramai ialah kos kehidupan, terutama sekali kenaikan harga makanan.  Pemerintah sedang melakukan segala yang terdaya untuk membantu rakyat Singapura menampung harga makanan yang kian meningkat, misalnya menerusi skim Dividen Pertumbuhan yang anda baru terima semalam.  Pasaraya-pasaraya setempat menyediakan barangan berjenama sendiri yang lebih murah.  Syarikat FairPrice pula memberi tambahan potongan harga dengan baucar-baucar NTUC.  Saya harap rakyat Singapura akan menggunakan bantuan-bantuan ini dengan baik, dan berbelanja dengan cermat, sama ada untuk membeli makanan, atau menggunakannya untuk membayar bil air api, atau membeli barang hiasan rumah.  Dengan cara ini, kita akan lebih berupaya menampung kesan inflasi, dan memenuhi keperluan keluarga kita.

3.         Walaupun kita mempunyai keprihatinan-keprihatinan ini, ekonomi kita pada keseluruhannya telah menunjukkan banyak kemajuan.  Kita mewujudkan banyak peluang pekerjaan, dan memperbaiki kehidupan semua pekerja.  Kita juga melengkapkan anak-anak kita dan pekerja-pekerja kita dengan kemahiran untuk memanfaatkan pekerjaan-pekerjaan ada.  Masyarakat Melayu sendiri telah membuat kemajuan yang baik dalam bidang ini.  Lebih ramai anak Melayu/Islam lulus daripada politeknik dan universiti, dan mempunyai kerjaya yang berjaya dalam industri-industri pertumbuhan baru, seperti sains bioperubatan dan media digital.

4.         Walaupun kita berdepan dengan keadaan-keadaan yang tidak menentu ini, kita mampu hadapi cabaran-cabaran ini dengan yakin.  Kita bekerja rapat, berjuang sebagai satu pasukan, dan memupuk keyakinan dan kepercayaan antara satu sama lain.  Marilah kita manfaatkan kejayaan yang lalu untuk menambah kemajuan kita, dan mencapai yang terbaik untuk Singapura.  Dengan itu, kita akan terus memperbaiki kehidupan kita, dan menjamin masa depan yang lebih cerah untuk semua.    

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B) ENGLISH TEXT OF SPEECH IN MALAY 

1.             We have had a good year in 2007.  But this year, we are celebrating May Day in more uncertain circumstances.  The problems in the US and world economy are bound to impact Singapore.  We are still doing alright so far, but we must watch carefully, in case the situation takes a turn for the worse.

2.             Another major concern is the cost of living, especially rising food prices.  We are doing our best to help Singa­poreans cope with higher food prices such as through the Growth Dividends which you received yesterday.  Our local supermarkets carry house brands which are cheaper.  FairPrice is giving further discounts with the NTUC U Stretch vouchers.  I hope Singa­poreans will make good use of this help, and spend carefully.

3.             Despite these immediate concerns, overall our economy is making a lot of progress.  We are creating many jobs and opportunities, and improving the lives of all workers.  We are also equipping our children and adult workers with the skills to take up these jobs.  The Malay community itself has made steady progress on this front.  More Malay/Muslims are doing well in the polytechnics and universities, and pursuing successful careers in new growth industries, like biomedical science and digital media.

4.             Despite the uncertainties, we can meet the challenges ahead with confidence.  We have worked together, fought as a team, and developed confidence and trust in one another.  Let us build on our success, and achieve the best for Singapore.  Then we can continue to improve our lives, and secure a brighter future for all.

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C) SPEECH IN MANDARIN

李显龙总理劳动节群众大会华语演讲

2008年5月1日

各位工友，各位同胞

大家早上好

1.        我很高兴能够再次跟大家一起庆祝劳动节

a)       对新加坡人来说，2007年是个风调雨顺的好年头

b)       今年则没这么顺利，出现了一些有待克服的问题

2.        第一个问题是经济前景不明朗

a)       美国金融系统出现了严重问题

                        i.              幸好，美国政府采取了果断措施，缓和了这场金融风暴，现在局势开始稳定下来

                      ii.              虽然如此，美国经济很可能已经陷入衰退的状况

                    iii.              目前的问题是：这场风暴对我们的影响会有多大？会持续多久？

b)       新加坡的情况还相当稳定。我们应该能够在今年取得4%到6%之间的增长

c)        但是，我们应该保持警惕，以便在情况恶化的时候迅速作出反应

3.        第二个问题是生活费的提高

a)       能源，白米，很多日用品的价格都涨价了。我知道大家都很关注这个问题

b)       政府正在帮助新加坡人应付通货膨胀

                        i.              政府在今年的财政预算案提出额外的援助配套，从国库中拨出数目相当大的一笔钱帮助人民。譬如，昨天刚分发第一部分的“增长分红”，到了今年10月分发第二部分

                ii.              此外，职总最近分发了总值四百万元的职总U惠券

                    iii.              我相信，低收入家庭所获得的各项直接援助，足以抵消通货膨胀带来的额外生活负担

4.        第三个问题是低薪工友的收入

a)       我知道很多工会领袖为这些工友感到担心，因为他们的薪金增加不多，甚至停滞不前

b)       政府也十分关注低薪工友的福利。我们已经通过各种途经帮助他们。这包括

                        i.              提供大量的训练机会， 协助工友自我提升。为此，政府增加了在“延续教育及训练”计划的投资。这是大规模、持续性的计划

                      ii.              此外，政府分发了就业奖励补贴，增加工友的收入，鼓励雇主聘用他们

1.        30万名低薪工友今年获得总值3亿元的就业奖励补贴

c)        职总也和政府一起努力，帮助低薪工友

                        i.              提升技能，职总贡献不小

                      ii.              同时，职总也帮助散工和短期合约的工人争取公积金，医药福利和训练机会

                    iii.              林瑞生秘书长亲自负责这些计划

                     iv.              这些措施不会立竿见影，但长远来说，是帮助低薪工友最有效的办法

5.        一些新加坡人认为外国工人是问题的根源，因为外国工人的工资低，损害了本地人的利益

a)   本地报章最近报道了关于咖啡店聘请外地工人的新闻和读者来信

b)       林文兴部长针对一位居民的投诉发表了自己的看法

                        i.              这位阿嫂告诉林文兴说，一些咖啡店和卖饮料的摊位聘请了年轻漂亮、来自中国的啤酒女郎，抢了本地人的工作

                      ii.              林文兴半开玩笑的回答说，也许这是卖饮料的老板吸引顾客的办法。有了更多顾客，本地工人也保得住工作。也就是说，那位啤酒女郎间接的帮了那位新加坡阿嫂。

c)        一些人不赞同部长的谈话

                        i.              我也觉得，如果有了更多漂亮的啤酒女郎，人们变得更爱喝酒，不一定是好事

                      ii.              但是林文兴的谈话点出一些重要的事实：

1.        第一，一般外国工人都很勤奋，不计较工作时间长

2.        聘请了他们，咖啡店可以延长营业时间，甚至采用24小时的营业方式，为居民提供更好的服务

3.        第二，许多本地中小型企业的利润不高，特别是邻里商店

4.        如果他们雇用本地人之余，也可聘请外地人，就可减低营业成本。否则，他们可能就得关门大吉

5.        他们结束营业，本地工人也会遭殃

6.        第三，更重要的是，除了中小型企业，我们的机场，海港，工厂，办公室，餐馆和商店，有了外国工人助阵，便可采用更灵活的服务和营业时间：一年365天，一天24小时，都可以做生意，可以为顾客服务，进而加强新加坡整体的竞争力

d)       实际上，政府对外国工人是有管制的

                        i.              雇主聘请外国工人的时候面对限制，不能超过所规定的比例。

                      ii.              此外，政府也征收外国劳工税

                    iii.              这些措施间接但有效地鼓励雇主优先考虑聘请本地工人

                     iv.              我希望新加坡人客观看待外国工人的贡献：他们不是在抢饭碗，而是能够帮我们做大, 经济的蛋糕

e)       总的来说，我们的各种政策，为人民制造了许多就业机会

                        i.              我们的就业率上升了(上一季的失业率稍微上升，但是我们所增加的新工作创下新高，整体的就业展望十分良好）

                      ii.              年长新加坡人的就业率也提高了。也就是说，越来越多年长工人投入就业市场，找到工作了

                    iii.              滨海城南的综合渡假胜地需要一万名工人。它明年底才开张营业，现在已经如火如荼的展开招聘活动

                     iv.              因此，我们现在面对的问题不是人浮于事，而是劳工短缺

                       v.              只要你肯学肯拼，愿意适应新经济的需求，就不愁找不到工作

6.        结论：尽管面对困难，长远的前景良好

a)       我国成功的提升和重组经济，吸引了很多投资，经济一片兴旺，使我们有资源和能力应付美国金融风暴所带来的冲击

b)       通货膨胀在一些邻国引起动乱，这很不幸。我们能够冷静的应付这个棘手的问题，是因为我们拥有较健全的社会安全网，使低收入家庭得到妥善的照顾

c)         充满朝气的经济，安定团结的社会，是政府和人民多年来一起努力的结果

d)       让我们继续同心协力，力争上游，为所有同胞争取更好的生活

D) ENGLISH TEXT OF SPEECH IN MANDARIN

1.            I am happy to join you for this May Day gathering

a.             2007 was a good year for all of us

b.             But this year will not be as smooth, because of several challenging issues

2.             The first issue is the state of the economy

a.             Financial troubles in the US

i.               Fortunately, the US Government has taken bold action, and the situation is now stabilising

ii.             Nevertheless, US economy is probably already in a recession

iii.           Question is: how the turbulence will impact us, and for how long?

b.             We are still doing alright so far, and should be able to achieve 4-6% growth this year

c.             But must watch carefully, in case the situation takes a turn for the worse

3.             The second issue is the rising cost of living

a.             Prices of energy, rice and other essentials have become more expensive – understandably, Singaporeans are very worried

b.             Government is helping Singaporeans cope with the higher inflation

i.               We have distributed substantial assistance in this year’s Budget, e.g. Singaporeans received their first portion of Growth Dividends yesterday, and will get their section portion in October this year

ii.             In addition, NTUC has given out $4 million of NTUC U Stretch vouchers

iii.           For lower-income families, the total benefits they receive this year should be sufficient to offset the increase in their spending due to higher inflation

4.             The third issue is low-wage workers

a.             I know many unionists are concerned about these workers, because their incomes have not increased as much as others, or may even have stagnated

b.             This is a top priority for the Government; in fact, we are doing many things to help them

i.               Provide more opportunities for training and upgrading; hence we are investing more in Continuing Education and Training (CET) 

ii.             Workfare Income Supplement – increase workers’ income, and encourage employers to hire them

(1)          300,000 low-wage workers have received $300 million this year 

c.             NTUC also doing its part

i.               Helping workers to upgrade their skills 

ii.             Helping casual and contract workers to secure CPF, medical benefits and training 

iii.           Lim Swee Say is personally leading many of these efforts,

iv.           These measures may not have instant results, but in the long-term, they are the most effective ways to help low-wage workers

5.             Some people think that foreign workers are the problem because they are under-cutting the wages of locals  

a.             e.g. recent reports in newspaper and letters from readers about coffee-shops employing foreign workers

b.             Lim Boon Heng recently responded to a complaint from a resident 

i.               This older Singaporean woman said that several drinks stores and coffee shops were hiring pretty young ladies from China to sell beer, and they were taking jobs away from locals 

ii.             Boon Heng replied, half joking, that maybe this was how the drinks stores attracted more customers; with more business, locals will be able to keep their jobs, and so the PRC young lady was indirectly helping the Singaporean woman 

c.             Some people disagreed with Boon Heng’s answer

i.               I also think it may not be a good thing to have more pretty beer ladies who encourage people to drink more

ii.             But he had a serious point

(1)          First, foreign workers are hardworking and willing to work long hours

(2)          By hiring them, coffee shops can open late, or even 24 hours, round the clock

(3)          Second, many of our SMEs do not make good profits, especially the neighbourhood shops

(4)          If they can hire some foreign workers in addition to the locals, they can reduce their business costs; otherwise, they may have to go out of business

(5)          Then even their Singa­porean employees will lose their jobs

(6)          Third and more importantly besides the SMEs, our airport, seaport, factories, offices, hotels, restaurants and retail outlets can tap on foreign workers to offer better service and business hours: 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, they can run their operations, service their customers, and so strengthen Singapore’s overall competitiveness

d.             In fact, the Govern­ment is controlling the inflow of foreign workers

i.               We set limits on the proportion of foreign workers they can hire

ii.             We impose a foreign worker levy

iii.           This gives Singa­porean workers the edge in competing for jobs

iv.           Hence I hope Singaporeans will look at the contributions of foreign workers objectively – they are not here to steal our jobs, but to help us enlarge the economic pie

e.             Overall, our policies are creating many job opportunities for Singaporeans

i.               Our employment rate is going up (the unemployment rate has increased slightly in the first quarter, but the number of jobs created has reached a record high, and the overall employment prospects remain positive)

ii.             Especially for older workers, which means that many more older workers are getting employed and finding jobs

iii.           The Marina South IR will need 10,000 workers, and are ramping up active recruitment

iv.           Hence the problem now is not that we have too many workers, but too few

v.             Singa­poreans who are willing to work should be able to find jobs, even older workers

6.             While we tackle these challenges, the longer term future remains bright 

a.             Our ability to restructure and upgrade the economy has attracted many new investments; with a thriving economy, we will have the ability and resources to deal with the impact of a US downturn 

b.             In some of the countries around us, rising inflation has unfortunately resulted in riots and unrests; in Singapore, we can tackle this difficult problem calmly, because we have a more comprehensive social safety net to take care of low-income families, and give them the help they need

c.             A vibrant economy and cohesive society – this is the result of the combined efforts of the Government and the people over the years

d.             Let us continue to work together, maintain a steady course forward, and secure a brighter future for all.

E) SPEECH IN ENGLISH

1.       Friends, brothers and sisters, I’m very happy to be here today with you for this May Day Rally.  Last year, 2007, was a good year for all of us.  The economy did very well, the mood was upbeat, there were many reasons for unionists and workers to cheer.  This year, it’s going to be more challenging.  In my May Day Message, I highlighted two immediate challenges, economic uncertainties and rising cost of living.  So, today, I will talk about these two important items and one more – elaborate on our longer-term plans to improve the lives of Singaporeans. 

2.       One of our immediate concerns is the economy.  Storm clouds have gathered around us, especially in America.  We saw the first signs of trouble last July with the sub-prime mortgage loans.  We had to learn new vocabulary to understand what was happening, what was going wrong.  Since then, the problems have spread throughout the US banking system and beyond the US and the US Government and the Fed, the Federal Reserve Board, have had to take bold action to prevent a financial meltdown, a disaster.  The general view now, after seven, eight months is that the immediate crisis has passed, the situation has stabilized and gradually, confidence is coming back.  The question we have to ask ourselves is, and you have to ask yourself is, how is this going to affect us? 

3.       So far, Singapore has been all right.  First quarter, our economy has done very well, but looking forward, a lot will depend on the US and the global economy.  The US economy is probably bordering on a recession.  Their first quarter numbers were just out yesterday, 0.6 per cent, barely positive, but waiting to see how the second quarter turns out and every sign that things are getting somewhat gloomier.  So, the question is what is the shape of the US downturn?  There are three possibilities – V-shaped, U-shaped or L-shaped.  V-shaped is what you hope for, mild recession in the first half, second half bounce back, growth back on track later this year.  It’s what the US Federal Reserve Board is projecting.  It’s the best scenario for the US, also for Singapore.  But it is hoping for the best.  It could easily become U-shaped; not this NTUC “U” but a gloomy “U” because the underlying problems in the US housing market haven’t been solved.  Property prices have to go down further.  When they go down, the banks will have more problems.  When the banks have problems, they shrink. 

4.       That will cause the economy to have more problems. Then consumers have less money to spend, house prices go down further, you have more serious difficulties emerging.  And it can happen because the actions which have been taken have been bold, but they haven’t solved the fundamental problems.  They have only postponed these problems into the future, to give more time to manage it and massage it away.  And so, in that scenario, it would not be a V-shaped, it will be a U-shape and the bottom of the “U” will be longer and the US economy will take some time to sort out maybe into next year.  This could well happen and then Singapore too will be slowed down significantly. 

5.       The third scenario is L-shaped.  This is the gloomiest.  L means go down, down- stroke and horizontal, no up-stroke and there is an example of this, like Japan in the 1990s, extended severe downturn.  In the 1990s, their stock market crashed, they had the wrong policies.  For ten years, they did not come back and if that happens to America, then America is in trouble, so too Europe, so too Japan and Singapore will be caught up in this and we will be in serious difficulties too.  But fortunately, most analysts don’t think this is in on the cards and they believe, the experts believe, that America today is different from Japan in 1990.   But whatever it is, we have to stay on our guard and stay prepared.  Overall, I would expect V-shape, if we’re lucky; U-shaped downturn in the US, better plan on that.  For this year, we can still achieve four to six per cent growth which MTI has projected, but remember, four to six per cent is for the whole year.  The first quarter is good, second, third, fourth quarters, prepare ourselves that we’ll slow down and the slowdown may last into next year. 

6.       How will it affect the different industries?  I think some will be all right.  Construction will be okay because we have so many things building in Singapore.  Marine engineering will be okay because the shipyards are doing well.  I think the ports will be okay because the port is highly-competitive and bringing in a lot of business.  But other sectors will be more seriously affected by the US economy.  Tourism, maybe some, financial services maybe, IT.  It will not be even, but there will be impact.  So, this is one major uncertainty affecting our economy and employers and workers have to bear this in mind when you negotiate your Collective Agreements (CAs) this year.  You have to ensure that any built-in wage increases are sustainable and if the companies are still doing well, reward the workers with higher variable bonuses, keep it flexible, so just in case things turn wrong, you don’t have to disappoint the workers and take back something which has already been given away.  This is one major issue. 

7.       Another major concern is the rising cost of living.  First, the energy prices went up, now food prices too and, in particular, essential food products like rice have become more expensive and understandably, Singaporeans are very worried.  It’s a worldwide problem.  You look at the countries around us.  Even the countries which are exporting rice, the housewives and the households are worried and they’re buying more rice and the price has shot up and the Government has to come in and reassure them.  And there have been riots and protests over rice shortages and poor families in these countries face real hardship of not having enough to eat and maybe starvation. 

8.       We are facing the problem, but I think we’re doing all right.  We have ample supplies of rice.  We have a stockpile, our importers have been building up the stockpiles.  FairPrice has got rice too, plenty of it and their shelves are full of rice, all kinds.  I told them why not bring one whole container load, 40-foot truck, park outside, show everybody, which we did in 1990 when there was the Gulf War and there was a worry about not having enough rice in Singapore.  So, Lim Swee Say says people have confidence in FairPrice, no need to do this wayang.  But we don’t do wayang.  We need to help Singaporeans cope with higher food prices and we’re doing that.  So, FairPrice has four million of NTUC U Stretch vouchers and the Government is also distributing substantial benefits to Singaporeans.   So, last year we had benefits; this year, we’ve got Growth Dividends and yesterday was the first payout of the Growth Dividends and 2.4 million Singaporeans got their payouts.  It’s a lot of money.  For a low-income family living in a three-room HDB flat, you can perhaps get $800 from the Growth Dividends now and in October, second payment, another half and the total benefits from the Growth Dividends, the ‘U Save’ discounts, the GST Offsets, Medisave top-ups, and all the different schemes which the Government has, it adds up to about $5,000 for one low-income household, which is a lot of money.  And this $5,000 for this year is much larger than any increase in the cost of living due to higher food prices. 

9.       So, anybody asks you or anybody asks me what has the Government done to help Singaporeans when the cost of living goes up, this is a good answer and this is an honest answer of what we have done in a focused, directed, effective way to give the most help to the lowest income and those who most need help.  And, in fact, the lowest income, we’re helping them not just by these Budget special measures but systematically paying attention to their welfare.  We are focused on it and NTUC is also focused on it. 

10.     Recently, I had a dialogue with the NTUC Central Committee.  We spent about two hours.  I went down to OMB, One Marina Boulevard, and in closed doors, they spoke frankly, no holds barred.  The Central Committee members were very seized with this issue.  For two hours, we spoke about nothing else except low-income workers, what can we do, what can we not do, what more can we decide on and carry out to address this problem?  So, I spoke to the Central Committee members very frankly.  I said this is not an easy problem to solve.  Countries around the world are grappling with it and there are no short cuts.  You can pass laws, you can have a minimum wage.  By law, employers must pay workers so much money, or you can shut out foreign workers and say they are taking away my jobs, kick them out.  It will not solve the problem.  But there are things which we can do to tackle this and all those things which are sensible, we are doing them.  All those things which are promising, we will try them out and if they work, we will put more resources and build on them. 

11.     So, the Government is investing and continuing education and training.  Lim Swee Say gave you many acronyms and initials just now.  I’ll just add one more – CET, Continuing Education and Training.  That’s what the Employment and Employability Institute (E2I) is about.  That’s what the courses which we run, the job upgrading, the job restructuring, redesigning are about.  That’s what the Workforce Development Agency is about in a very large part, making sure that there is continuing education and training, and equipping workers to be able to benefit from this so that they can become self-sustaining and can work.  And if we have to do it worker by worker, one by one, retail, not just as a government department, but in the CDCs, with social workers, with counsellors, with advisers to hold their hand, we will do that and it can be simple things. 

12.     I didn’t bring slides to show you like Swee Say just now, but I was talking to Matthias Yao a few days ago and he was telling me some of the things which he did in Southeast CDC. He said, worker comes in – she was fainting on the job, couldn’t hold her job.  So, they talked to her, turned out she was poor, her fact chart said she was supporting her child, so she ate rice and soya sauce, was malnourished, no energy, so couldn’t hold the job down.  So, the counsellor took her down to FairPrice, showed her what was there and advised her, gave her a $50 voucher and said, well, you see this $50 voucher, you can buy this, this, this and it’s affordable.  Turned out she was a good cook.  So, when she cooked it, it’s palatable.  So, her nutrition improved, she was able to hold down her job.  Now, she’s okay. 

13.     Another person came in, couldn’t get a job, they looked at him up and down, and said, you need to spruce yourself up a little bit.  So, they helped him buy a pair of more presentable shoes to present himself well -- E2I also does this, helping workers to present themselves – and he found a job.  Another lady came in, senior citizen, wanting a job, but couldn’t find a job.  So, they encouraged her to get a bottle of hair dye, dyed her hair, gave her self-confidence, she worked and the employer was happy with her.  So, these are things which are laborious, take time, one by one, but if we need to do it one by one, we will do that and we will get the organization to do it like this all over Singapore, all the CDCs, all the advisers and we will reach as many of the workers as we can. 

14.     We also have Workfare, or officially called Workfare Income Supplement for low- income workers up to $1,500 salary.  So far, 300,000 low-wage workers have received this and they’ve got $300 million paid out this year, an average of $1,000 per person.   It’s a very big help to supplement the income and the CPF savings and also, it’s a way to encourage employers to hire locals because if you hire a foreign workers, you don’t get the Workfare. If you hire the foreign worker, you pay the Government foreign worker levy, but if you hire a Singaporean, you get the Workfare.  So, the difference between not paying $200 of foreign worker levy and receiving $200 of Workfare, altogether, it’s $400 of difference, biased incentive for employers to hire Singaporean workers. That's a lot of money and I think that's a big help to workers.

15.     The NTUC is also doing many things -- job re-creations, skills upgrading, helping contract workers to secure their CPF, medical benefits and training -- and I've encouraged NTUC to pay attention to these contract workers because they are often non-unionized and, in fact, they are the most vulnerable and most in need of somebody to represent them and find a way to speak for them and bargain for them so that they can get a fairer deal when they work.  Swee Say is personally leading many of these efforts and he and the NTUC have the Government's full backing and support.  So, we will work harder and he will work even harder still -- better, better-er, better-est. 

16.     So, our combined efforts are showing results.  Swee Say showed you many examples just now.  I’ll just give you one more success story which is Mdm Koh Hwee Koon, who's in her 40s and she used to work as a part-time assistant fish seller, earning $40 to $50 a day, no CPF.  Then, she became a clerk part-time at Mee Toh Primary School and the Principal noticed that she was committed, and did good work.  So, the Principal sent her for training and upgrading and now she has become a teaching assistant at the school and she earns $1350 with full CPF benefits plus Workfare.  And I think that's the way you want to go.  Mdm Koh is here with us today, I think.  So, I think we should give her a hand.  Come, take your bow. 

17.     I cite Mdm Koh, but there are many others like her who learn new skills and upgrade themselves and we’ll continue to work at this patiently, do more, but do it right.  Don’t go for wayang, grandstanding, issuing statements but not accountable for results.  Show the results and what we do will speak for themselves. 

18.     I think it's right that the unionists are concerned with low-wage workers, but we should see this problem in context. The majority of Singaporeans are doing well.  Household incomes have increased across the board for many, many Singapore households.  The unemployment rate is very low -- it's two per cent overall.  Even if you look at residents, it's still 2.9 per cent.  And employment rate is at record highs.  We've never had so many Singaporeans working than ever before despite all the foreign workers here.  In fact, I would say it is because we have the foreign workers here, that's why our economy has grown, that's why the employers are here, the companies are here, that's why Singaporeans have jobs in such big numbers.  You send away the foreign workers, one third of them, few hundred thousand, Singaporeans cannot go into those jobs, their companies will close or leave, and I think the Singaporeans’ unemployment will go up, certainly, hardship will go up.  But the way we have done it, we've pushed up employment rate, we've given, created many jobs for all levels and I'm especially happy that the efforts in the last few years have made good progress amongst older workers, those 55 to 64 years old. 

19.     Swee Say just now said it's not bad but could do better. But if you drill down and look at it carefully, actually, what we need to do better are the older women workers, because the women, many of them became housewives, had children and after that, when the children grew up, didn’t come back to work and remained housewives.  But if you look at the older workers, men, in fact, three-quarters of the men in this age group, 55 to 64, are working and that's one of the highest employment rates for male workers of this age group in the world.  So, I think that we have a good chance to push it up further for women because if we can get them back working after their children are born – please have the children first – but after the children are born, please come back to work.  We can bring them back and if we can keep them fit and working well, then I think they can continue working to 65 and beyond.

20.     These are very important achievements.  We should take pride in our success and work hard to build upon it.  How do we do that?  I would give you three things.  Start with our people, develop their abilities and talents to the full.  Secondly, complement this by building new capabilities in the economy.  That means make us capable of doing more interesting new productive things through R&D.  And then thirdly, attract new activities, new projects and so we can upgrade and transform our economy.  But let me talk about it one by one.

21.     First, if we invest in education, which we are doing, I think the next generation will be alright.  We are stressing quality education for every child because in the long term, we want every child to grow up with skills and not to become a low-wage worker.  So, he goes to ITE, he goes to a poly, he goes to the university, he graduates, he's in demand, he can look after himself and his family.  And I think the ITE graduates are doing well, as are the poly and university graduates.  But just look at the ITE -- the kids who come out from ITE, within six months, they all found jobs, 93 per cent, and their starting salaries are not bad, averaging $1400 and if you add up the ITE with the poly and university students, 85 per cent of our students are getting proper education, able to come out and get good jobs.  We have to push it higher, but 85 per cent is already very high.  And we will continue to invest in the ITE, the polys and the universities so as to make sure that our young people are equipped with relevant skills for the future and will be able to find good work for themselves.

22.     Secondly, we need to build capabilities for the future by investing in R&D.  R&D is not normally a subject which we talk about at May Day Rally, not even at National Day Rally. It's the subject you talk about when you have an academic seminar or when you are addressing a university audience, maybe they are interested in it.  But I'm talking about it here because it is relevant to workers and workers need to know why we are spending large amounts of money, large amounts of effort and energy to pursue R&D in Singapore.  We are attracting top scientists here.  Some are moving here from top universities in America and Europe to set up labs here and bring their whole entourage -- the researchers, the post-doctoral researchers, their team -- to come to Singapore and set up here. They come from Harvard, they come from top British universities, they come from top Japanese universities.  They take us seriously, they are coming here. They serve on our international advisory panels or in the Research, Innovation and Enterprise Council which I chair, RIEC.  So, once a year, I meet them, I talk to them and they spend a lot of time reading stacks of papers, giving us the benefit of their considered views. They've done their homework.  When they speak, it's with experience and we follow up and we pick up on what they tell us because there's value in what they say.

23.     Why is there value in it to our economy and to Singaporeans?  Because from R&D, many things flow after that.  With R&D, you get investments which are linked to R&D.  So biotech projects, pharmaceutical companies, solar energy companies.  Last year, we had REC, one very large Norwegian company came here.  Because we have the R&D base, so, they have the confidence to come to Singapore.  They do research here, they do production here, they employ workers here. Existing companies which might otherwise have moved elsewhere because it may be cheaper, also choose to stay here, like our chemical industries, electronics industries, They employ Singaporeans because here, they can connect their R&D work with their production work, move upstream and become competitive.  So, because of this, we get jobs all the way down the line, from research scientists and PhDs to programmers, engineers, lab assistants, technicians. 

24.     Our polys, our ITEs are training people for these jobs.  Biotech, chemical processing, engineering – skills which are in great demand and which our people can learn to do. And for the mature workers too, there are jobs for them if they can adapt, if they are prepared to go for conversion, learn new skills, they can make it.  And so, it keeps on moving and so we keep on generating jobs throughout the economy because at the top, we have this research and development which is succeeding. 

25.     Not all of the projects are connected with research and development.  Some of them, we promote because we are Singapore and they come to Singapore because there's the environment, the excitement, the buzz and we are special.  The IR is one of these projects.  There's a lot of buzz and excitement about the IR, but it's not just buzz.  It's also substantial benefits for us.  The Marina Bay IR is going to create 10,000 jobs eventually, for a start, maybe 8,000 and that's not counting Sentosa IR, which probably is going to be the same size.  They need so many workers and they need them so fast because they are going to start operating next year that they've asked NTUC for help, to help them find workers.  NTUC says I'm not a labour contractor, but I will introduce you to some.

26.     What are they looking for?  People who are courteous and conscientious, prepared to adapt and learn; people with a good service mindset, who can smile, who can take care of the customers, who can make sure that people who visit the IRs get a good experience.  You visit the IR, you see one sour face, suay ah.  So, it is very important -- you must learn to smile properly and take care of the customers.  Then they will come back. Even if they were not so lucky the first time, maybe next time better luck.  So, there are all kinds of jobs waiting for Singaporeans if you have the right attitude.

27.     Of course, upgrading also means disruptions because existing jobs turnover, there is some retrenchment.  Last year, a few, this year maybe a bit more, but it's a continuing process and if it happens, we have to let the jobs go and we have to get new jobs to replace them and stay competitive.  But most important, we must help the people who lose the old jobs adapt and get into the new jobs and move into new areas. 

28.     I have used this example before, but I will give you an update because this is an interesting update.  ST Microelectronics, they had an assembly and test operation here, assembling microchips and they are moving it overseas because they get cheaper workers.  But in Singapore, they were building a wafer fab and they needed workers.  So, we put the two together and said, how about retraining the assembly and test workers, put them into the wafer fab, get them to work there; not the same work because assembly and tests is on the production line, you have a bit more flexibility.  In the wafer fab, you are suited up in the bunny suit, very strict discipline.  You drop one chip, you can pick it up; you drop one stack of wafers, $100,000 gone.  So, when people go into the wafer fab on their own, their success rate is not so high because they are not psychologically prepared, they are not trained, they don’t know how to respond, it doesn’t work out.  But NTUC worked with a company to retrain the affected workers and to redeploy them at the wafer fab and the last time I had asked NTUC, they said, not bad, the first few workers have passed the course, started working already.  So, when we came for the launch of NTUC U, I asked Halimah, what's happened?  And I was very happy to hear from Halimah that the majority of the workers have now been successfully deployed working in the wafer fab. I said, are you sure?  Bunny suit and all? She said, yes.  Three hundred have made the transition.  So, it's not just one or two, but en masse, systematically, made the transition, new job, higher salary, averaging $1,350.  Not bad.  So, I asked who was the oldest who attended the course.  She says, the oldest is now 59 years old -- a lady, when she attended the course was 58, now she’s 59, launched into a new second career.  So, if people say I'm too old, I can't find work, they are wrong.  Never too old to learn.

29.     So, this is the way to grow our economy, create more jobs and more opportunities and improve the lives of all our workers and when I say all our workers, that means all of them.  Not just the highly qualified and educated ones, but all collars, from cleaners and security guards, to technical and professional staff.  Not just young workers but all ages, from new job entrants to mid-career and mature workers and not just local workers but all nationalities, from Singaporeans to others who are here, to work here and to help us reach our goals for Singapore. 

30.             There are challenges ahead -- the US economy, higher food prices, cost of living, low wage workers and so on -- and there will be more challenges to come.  But our approach is working, so we have to persevere and press on, because we are heading in the right direction.  Build our tripartite partnerships, educate and train our people, help our industries to innovate, upgrade, build social safety nets to assist needy Singaporeans.  Then, however choppy the waters, we can maintain a steady course, sail ahead and secure a brighter future and a better life for all of you and us.  Thank you.