Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced on April 15 that Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will become Singapore’s next Prime Minister on May 15. In the first part of a six-part tribute series honouring PM Lee, Petir spoke to former Cabinet Minister and Labour Chief Lim Boon Heng about his experience working with Mr Lee.
FORMER CHAIRMAN of the People’s Action Party and Labour Chief Lim Boon Heng said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong prioritises the welfare of Singaporean workers. This is how initiatives like the Workfare Income Supplement scheme came about to better support lower-waged workers.
Mr Lim, 76, served as Secretary-General of the National Trade Union Congress (NTUC) for half of his 26 years in Singapore’s labour movement. In an email interview with Petir.sg, Mr Lim said the welfare of workers has a prime place in PM’s heart.
“Everything he did to develop and grow the economy has been to provide Singaporeans with jobs and better jobs. This stems from his deep purpose.”
He told Petir.sg in several discussions with the Prime Minister, he had brought up the situation facing lower-income workers in Singapore. With billions of low-wage workers in the emerging economies entering the labour market, pay for low-skilled jobs had been pushed down.
Mr Lim argued the government should protect these workers. However, PM Lee countered that it was impossible to “ring-fence jobs to ensure higher wages”.
“But he took my message to heart,” Mr Lim said. “He got civil servants to put their minds to bear, and out came the Workfare Income Supplement. Employers need not pay more than market rates as the government tops up low wages.”
The Workfare Income Supplement, launched in 2007, provides income supplements and increases Central Provident Fund savings for lower-wage Singaporean workers to encourage regular employment. Eligibility is automatically determined based on CPF contributions. As of February 2024, over $10.5 billion in Workfare has been disbursed, benefitting 1,035,000 lower-income workers.
Mr Lim also noted how PM Lee had supported the development of tripartism, which has been and continues to be one of Singapore’s main foundations for economic, social and political advancement and success so far.
Under PM Lee’s leadership, Singapore has one of the best education systems in the world: Lim Boon Heng
Mr Lim believes Singapore has developed one of the best education systems in the world under PM Lee’s leadership. He noted that Singapore’s education system aims for “high achievement at all levels”, not just academically. Mr Lim thinks the PM is especially proud of the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) in Singapore, and rightfully so.
He added: “Under his leadership, we have maintained harmony within a multi-racial and multi-religious society. It is not an easy task, as we can see sectional pulls tear apart societies elsewhere.”
PM Lee dedicated his life to Singapore and Singaporeans: Lim Boon Heng
Mr Lim said PM Lee has dedicated his life and efforts to Singapore and Singaporeans, sharing a similar single-minded purpose as his father, founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.
“That pursuit of purpose was underpinned by a deep sense of values – (doing) what was right, what was honest.”
He added: “We have seen over the past 20 years of his stewardship that he has done his best to give Singaporeans a better life, maintaining high standards of integrity, (and) doing what is right while acknowledging when we came up short.”
| PM worked long and hard: Lim Boon Heng Former Cabinet Minister Lim Boon Heng described PM Lee as one who works “long and hard”. Mr Lim entered politics in 1980 and served in the Cabinet between 2001 and 2011. He first started as Senior Minister of State under PM Lee at the Ministry of Trade and Industry in 1991. Back then, Mr Lim would typically respond to all files that came in by the end of the day so that he could rest easy. However, he found that PM Lee, then the Minister, had dealt with the same files after he had finished. “When we used email, I would do the same, clearing emails at the end of a long day, which may be close to midnight. The next morning, I would find he had answered the emails during the night,” he added. “He likely slept only around five hours each night. He was certainly sharp and thorough in his work!” |
