by Augustine Low
If you haven’t encountered a jobless elite, you are not alone.
At a time when jobs are so hard to come by, and people literally send out hundreds of resumes with no results, elites have no need to get into a flap. Even when they lose a job, it’s only temporary because opportunities come knocking.
Three political office holders from the People’s Action Party lost their jobs when Sengkang GRC fell to the Workers’ Party in GE2020. But not for long.
Ng Chee Meng lost his job as Minister but retained his other job as secretary-general of the National Trades Union Congress. A part-time job essentially turned into a full-time job. How convenient for him. It is a luxury afforded only to elites.
The second political office holder was without a job for only over a month. Lam Pin Min had to relinquish his post as Senior Minister of State for Health and Transport. But since 1 September, he has been chief executive officer of Eagle Eye Centre which operates several clinics specialising in eye care services and ophthalmology.
The third political office holder who got booted out of Sengkang GRC was Amrin Amin, who lost his job as Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Home Affairs and Health. But he is quickly back in business, having snared not one but two jobs.
Amrin announced on Facebook that from 14 September, he will be strategy director at robotics and automation firm Platform for Bots and Automation (PBA) and non-executive adviser at ADERA Global, a data-security and artificial intelligence firm.
Impressive! A lawyer landing two jobs in the tech sector, at a time when many out-of-job Singaporeans struggle to find employment in their area of expertise.
Last week in Parliament, Manpower Minister Josephine Teo pledged to Singaporeans: “However long this storm lasts, MOM will walk the journey with you. However tough it may be, we will help you bounce back.”
No matter what happens, the last thing the elites need is any help to bounce back. One of the great luxuries that elites enjoy in this country is that jobs come looking for them.
