(TL;DR) 5 points for you to look smart in front of your friends.
1) Who is Melvin Yong?
• First-time Labour MP & MP for Tanjong Pagar GRC
• Director of Industrial Relations at NTUC
• Married to his childhood friend Connie and they have two children
2) What makes him tick?
Tripartism in Singapore’s context and its future.
3) So what does he think about tripatism and its future?
Our dynamic brand of tripartism was put into action during the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis, and more recently, the 2009 global economic downturn. Then, while many countries were cutting jobs to save costs, the tripartite partners in Singapore had a different approach in managing the downturn. Together, we cut costs to save jobs.
The lifespan of tripartism depends on whether the strong tripartite relationships are sustained. The current leaders from MOM, NTUC and SNEF have built the reservoir of trust over a period of time, from working with one another. Once these leaders flow on from their positions and their successors take over, would the tripartite relationship be the same if they do not have the platform to engage with one another and build the mutual trust.
Enhancement of the tripartite relationships has to be deliberate. If it is left on auto-pilot and if complacency sets in, the strong tripartism that we have today would disappear tomorrow.
4) What did he wear for his debut in Parliament?
8.5/10 – Channeling a little bit of Harvey Specter in that jacket!
5) What is his outlook for Singapore’s economy in 2016?
It seems that the downturn will be particularly hard, especially since our economy is maturing and our productivity levels are stagnant.
This is why he has been emphasising the importance of tripartism in Singapore. More so as we restructure our economy with an impending downturn in the horizon. As long as the government, the labour movement and the employers are united in one common goal and work closely together, we can overcome the downturn.
(BONUS!) Bet you didn’t know this about him:
He is an avid football fan – Everton and Germany!
Connect with Melvin Yong on Facebook here!