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“You’re too old, you cannot work!”

Published

14 years ago

on

by Joshua Chiang

” You’ve reached the maximum you can do at your age in that position, you move sideways and you take less pay and you move gradually to less and less pay because you are moving slower and slower, especially if you are doing physical work.” Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, when asked for his comments on how an ageing population might affect the push for higher productivity

When Lau (not his real name) was retrenched from his job of 13 –and-a-half-years, the only reason given was that he was ‘not suitable’.

Lau, 56, worked as a storeman in a warehouse. Starting from an initial $1,200 a month, he saw his salary rise to about $1,600 a month. Things started changing when his employer’s daughter took over the company he was working for. Lau found himself working with a new ‘assistant’ from an Asian country.

“When they started employing foreign workers, I know my day will come,” Lau tells The Online CItizen.

In August this year, Lau was retrenched. His employer told him was ‘not suitable’ for the job, but Lau suspects the real reason was that the assistant was cheaper. The assistant was paid $1050 a month, and his employer didn’t need to contribute to his CPF.

“I left,” Lau says. “What’s the point of arguing?”

“In the cases we have intercepted, employers say this is based on the qualifications of the person and not nationalities.” Mdm Halimah Yacob, co-chairman of the Tripartite Alliance for Fair Employment Practices (Tafep) saying that it’s not true employers favor foreign workers over locals.

“I will call you in two weeks.”

Lau next went to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and was recommended to sign up for courses at E2i, an ‘employabilty institute’ started by NTUC. Lau took up two English enrichment courses and also one on retail, for which he received a certificate.

Lau also went to his district’s CDC (Community Development Council) for help in finding jobs. He could not apply for financial assistance as the combined income of his wife and son, at $2000,  exceeded the eligibility criteria. Over the next three months, the CDC sent him to three job fairs.

The list of jobs at the job fair. The ticks indicate the jobs which Lau interviewed for - and failed to get

According to Lau, most of the people at the fairs were around his age, some even older. The few young people who went got jobs almost immediately. But it was much harder for older applicants.

“They (the employers) tell you they will call in two weeks,” he says. “When they tell you that, you know you got no chance.”

Lau applied for a total of 20-over jobs at the fairs. All were unsuccessful.

He also went for a few job interviews which he found out about through the classified ads. At one of the walk-in interviews for a job at a shoe shop, the employer told him bluntly, “You are too old, you cannot work.”

“Employees must not conveniently use the excuse of perceived discriminatory work practices to cover up for their own work inadequacies.” DPM Teo Chee Hian

Cheaper, Better, Faster

Finally, in mid-November, Lau got a break. He was recommended a retail assistant job by E2i.

The new job required him to work 9 hours a day for six days a week for $1100 a month. (Lau worked 8 hours a day, five and a half days a week in his previous job) . He was also expected to stand throughout most of the working hours.

Lau accepted the offer.

“I still have to pay for the loan for my flat, what to do?” he says. His three-month retrenchment compensation was also running out fast. The combined income of his wife and son were only enough to cover the bills and daily expenses.

Lau has been working at his new job for two weeks. He admits that is tough standing for hours at a stretch. Since he started work, Lau has been taking painkillers everyday and has also started wearing elastic bandages around his knees to relieve the pain in his legs.

Nonetheless, Lau considers himself lucky. At least he doesn’t have to worry about losing his flat for now.

“I know a friend who is 62 years old and attends the E2i courses as well,” he says. “Up till now, he still can’t find a job.”

Cheaper, better, faster. Slogan on an NTUC staff's namecard. Lau approached NTUC - he's a union member - for help in claiming compensation owed to him by his previous employer

————————–

Lau is a actually a classmate of regular TOC contributor Mr Leong Sze Hian. After speaking to Lau, we asked Mr Leong to write a related article. The following is Mr Leong’s contribution.

Job Assistance Scheme a waste of time?

By Leong Sze Hian

In connection with The Online Citizen’s article above, I would like to add the following-

Given the experience of my classmate, I find it rather strange that the latest available labour statistics say that “1,320 or 52.1 per cent of vacancies for Sales Assistant with a median salary of $1,630 were unfilled for at least six months. For Receptionist and Information Clerk with a median salary of $1,871, and Waiter (median salary $1,200), the vacancies were 580 (20.1 per cent) and 1,190 (51.1 per cent), respectively.

Since employers who participate in job assistance schemes may never inform the job assistance agencies that they discriminate against older workers due to their job requirements, job seekers like my classmate may simply be wasting their time, effort and money to travel to such interviews. In this regard, the human resource department may also be wasting their time, as they can’t turn away applicants that they don’t want in the first place.

Also, the median salaries appear to be rather high, as I understand that the market starting salary for Sales Assistant and Receptionist/Information Clerk are only about $1,200.

In the light of my friend’s experience, I looked up the MOM statistics and found that Real Wages declined by about 12 per cent in the second quarter, and the number of unemployed locals increased by about 33 per cent from 63,300 to 84,400 in June.

If jobs are indeed “bursting at the seams“, it would seem strange that it still took my classmate three months to find a job, and one that pays considerable lower than the median salary in the latest statistics.

Read also “Tripartite panel contradicts Government on employment practices?”

and “The final nail in the HDB affordability coffin”

If you know of anyone who has been unemployed for long despite actively looking for jobs, do write to us at [email protected]

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Current Affairs

Hotel Properties Limited suspends trading ahead of Ong Beng Seng’s court hearing

Hotel Properties Limited (HPL), co-founded by Mr Ong Beng Seng, has halted trading ahead of his court appearance today (4 October). The announcement was made by HPL’s company secretary at about 7.45am, citing a pending release of an announcement. Mr Ong faces one charge of abetting a public servant in obtaining gifts and another charge of obstruction of justice. He is due in court at 2.30pm.

Published

1 hour ago

on

4 October 2024

By

SINGAPORE: Hotel Properties Limited (HPL), the property and hotel developer co-founded by Mr Ong Beng Seng, has requested a trading halt ahead of the Singapore tycoon’s scheduled court appearance today (4 October) afternoon.

This announcement was made by HPL’s company secretary at approximately 7.45am, stating that the halt was due to a pending release of an announcement.

Mr Ong, who serves as HPL’s managing director and controlling shareholder, faces one charge under Section 165, accused of abetting a public servant in obtaining gifts, as well as one charge of obstruction of justice.

He is set to appear in court at 2.30pm on 4 October.

Ong’s charges stem from his involvement in a high-profile corruption case linked to former Singaporean transport minister S Iswaran.

The 80-year-old businessman was named in Iswaran’s initial graft charges earlier this year.

These charges alleged that Iswaran had corruptly received valuable gifts from Ong, including tickets to the 2022 Singapore Formula 1 Grand Prix, flights, and a hotel stay in Doha.

These gifts were allegedly provided to advance Ong’s business interests, particularly in securing contracts with the Singapore Tourism Board for the Singapore GP and the ABBA Voyage virtual concert.

Although Iswaran no longer faces the original corruption charges, the prosecution amended them to lesser charges under Section 165.

Iswaran pleaded guilty on 24 September, 2024, to four counts under this section, which covered over S$400,000 worth of gifts, including flight tickets, sports event access, and luxury items like whisky and wines.

Additionally, he faced one count of obstructing justice for repaying Ong for a Doha-Singapore flight shortly before the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) became involved.

On 3 October, Iswaran was sentenced to one year in jail by presiding judge Justice Vincent Hoong.

The prosecution had sought a sentence of six to seven months for all charges, while the defence had asked for a significantly reduced sentence of no more than eight weeks.

Ong, a Malaysian national based in Singapore, was arrested by CPIB in July 2023 and released on bail shortly thereafter. Although no charges were initially filed against him, Ong’s involvement in the case intensified following Iswaran’s guilty plea.

The Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) had earlier indicated that it would soon make a decision regarding Ong’s legal standing, which has now led to the current charges.

According to the statement of facts read during Iswaran’s conviction, Ong’s case came to light as part of a broader investigation into his associates, which revealed Iswaran’s use of Ong’s private jet for a flight from Singapore to Doha in December 2022.

CPIB investigators uncovered the flight manifest and seized the document.

Upon learning that the flight records had been obtained, Ong contacted Iswaran, advising him to arrange for Singapore GP to bill him for the flight.

Iswaran subsequently paid Singapore GP S$5,700 for the Doha-Singapore business class flight in May 2023, forming the basis of his obstruction of justice charge.

Mr Ong is recognised as the figure who brought Formula One to Singapore in 2008, marking the first night race in the sport’s history.

He holds the rights to the Singapore Grand Prix. Iswaran was the chairman of the F1 steering committee and acted as the chief negotiator with Singapore GP on business matters concerning the race.

 

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Current Affairs

Chee Soon Juan questions Shanmugam’s $88 million property sale amid silence from Mainstream Media

Dr Chee Soon Juan of the SDP raised concerns about the S$88 million sale of Mr K Shanmugam’s Good Class Bungalow at Astrid Hill, questioning transparency and the lack of mainstream media coverage. He called for clarity on the buyer, valuation, and potential conflicts of interest.

Published

2 weeks ago

on

23 September 2024

By

On Sunday (22 Sep), Dr Chee Soon Juan, Secretary General of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP), issued a public statement on Facebook, expressing concerns regarding the sale of Minister for Home Affairs and Law, Mr K Shanmugam’s Good Class Bungalow (GCB) at Astrid Hill.

Dr Chee questioned the transparency of the S$88 million transaction and the absence of mainstream media coverage despite widespread discussion online.

According to multiple reports cited by Dr Chee, Mr Shanmugam’s property was transferred in August 2023 to UBS Trustees (Singapore) Pte Ltd, which holds the property in trust under the Jasmine Villa Settlement.

Dr Chee’s statement focused on two primary concerns: the lack of response from Mr Shanmugam regarding the transaction and the silence of major media outlets, including Singapore Press Holdings and Mediacorp.

He argued that, given the ongoing public discourse and the relevance of property prices in Singapore, the sale of a high-value asset by a public official warranted further scrutiny.

In his Facebook post, Dr Chee posed several questions directed at Mr Shanmugam and the government:

  1. Who purchased the property, and is the buyer a Singaporean citizen?
  2. Who owns Jasmine Villa Settlement?
  3. Were former Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and current Prime Minister Lawrence Wong informed of the transaction, and what were their responses?
  4. How was it ensured that the funds were not linked to money laundering?
  5. How was the property’s valuation determined, and by whom?

The Astrid Hill property, originally purchased by Mr Shanmugam in 2003 for S$7.95 million, saw a significant increase in value, aligning with the high-end status of District 10, where it is located. The 3,170.7 square-meter property was sold for S$88 million in August 2023.

Dr Chee highlighted that, despite Mr Shanmugam’s detailed responses regarding the Ridout Road property, no such transparency had been offered in relation to the Astrid Hill sale.

He argued that the lack of mainstream media coverage was particularly concerning, as public interest in the sale is high. Dr Chee emphasized that property prices and housing affordability are critical issues in Singapore, and transparency from public officials is essential to maintain trust.

Dr Chee emphasized that the Ministerial Code of Conduct unambiguously states: “A Minister must scrupulously avoid any actual or apparent conflict of interest between his office and his private financial interests.”

He concluded his statement by reiterating the need for Mr Shanmugam to address the questions raised, as the matter involves not only the Minister himself but also the integrity of the government and its responsibility to the public.

The supposed sale of Mr Shamugam’s Astrid Hill property took place just a month after Mr Shanmugam spoke in Parliament over his rental of a state-owned bungalow at Ridout Road via a ministerial statement addressing potential conflicts of interest.

At that time, Mr Shanmugam explained that his decision to sell his home was due to concerns about over-investment in a single asset, noting that his financial planning prompted him to sell the property and move into rental accommodation.

The Ridout Road saga last year centred on concerns about Mr Shanmugam’s rental of a sprawling black-and-white colonial bungalow, occupying a massive plot of land, managed by the Singapore Land Authority (SLA), which he oversees in his capacity as Minister for Law. Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, also rented a similarly expansive property nearby.

Mr Shanmugam is said to have recused himself from the decision-making process, and a subsequent investigation by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) found no wrongdoing while Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean confirmed in Parliament that Mr Shanmugam had removed himself from any decisions involving the property.

As of now, Mr Shanmugam has not commented publicly on the sale of his Astrid Hill property.

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