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Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew says there should be no retirement age for workers in Singapore.
He made the suggestion on Wednesday at a dialogue session in conjunction with the 30th anniversary of the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) attended by over 900 senior managers, government officials and unionists.
According to a Channel NewsAsia report, he said: “You work as long as you can work and you will be healthier and happier for it. If you ask me to stop working all of a sudden, I think I’ll just shrivel up, face the wall and just that.”
Responding to a question on challenges Singapore may face with an aging population, MM Lee said old people should be more productive.
The 86-year-old added that at his age, he may have aches and pains but he can keep going.
From 2012, workers who hit the retirement age of 62 in Singapore will be offered re-employment by their employers.
MM Lee said older workers will need to come to terms with the psychological switch – that is, working for less pay and very likely for a younger boss.
Another hot topic discussed at the dialogue was foreign talent. MM Lee said foreign talents come to Singapore because of the opportunities it offers.
He said that their numbers will add to a growing “intellectual class”.
MM Lee added: “We are going to have an intellectual class, about maybe three times as big as what you have now and that will give us the dynamism, the powerful engine to carry us forward faster.”
He made the suggestion on Wednesday at a dialogue session in conjunction with the 30th anniversary of the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) attended by over 900 senior managers, government officials and unionists.
According to a Channel NewsAsia report, he said: “You work as long as you can work and you will be healthier and happier for it. If you ask me to stop working all of a sudden, I think I’ll just shrivel up, face the wall and just that.”
Responding to a question on challenges Singapore may face with an aging population, MM Lee said old people should be more productive.
The 86-year-old added that at his age, he may have aches and pains but he can keep going.
From 2012, workers who hit the retirement age of 62 in Singapore will be offered re-employment by their employers.
MM Lee said older workers will need to come to terms with the psychological switch – that is, working for less pay and very likely for a younger boss.
Another hot topic discussed at the dialogue was foreign talent. MM Lee said foreign talents come to Singapore because of the opportunities it offers.
He said that their numbers will add to a growing “intellectual class”.
MM Lee added: “We are going to have an intellectual class, about maybe three times as big as what you have now and that will give us the dynamism, the powerful engine to carry us forward faster.”