Dr Ho Ting Fei: Give Dignity And Respect To Workers Earning Less Than $1300

Clinical physician and ex-NUS professor Dr Ho Ting Fei recently wrote in to The Straits Times over the whole minimum wage saga. The PAP stubbornly remains opposed to the idea of implementing a minimum wage of $1,300 as proposed by The Workers’ Party (WP) MPs. The PAP argues that only 32,000 full-time workers work less than $1,300 monthly and they have already implemented measures like the Progressive Wage Model (PWM).

However as a slap to remind how detached the PAP are from reality, renowned Dr Ho Ting Fei has spoken up for these low-wage workers. She says the PAP should not prioritise their efforts into defending against a minimum wage using statistics and policies. She tells the PAP to consider how any person or family hope to survive on anything less than $1,300 a month due to Singapore’s high cost of living.

She correctly points out that these low-wage workers urgently need help and not be treated as mere numbers in the PAP’s statistics. These workers need to have their daily needs solved to some extent, before they can even think about upgrading their skills or increasing productivity.

Dr Ho Ting Fei pleads that these workers are our fellow citizens and the PAP should not let them fall between the cracks. A minimum wage should not be denied to these people as they struggle need to put food on their tables. Dr Ho believes they need to have their dignity and respect restored.