Over his 27 years in the Amalgamated Union of Public Daily Rated Workers (AUPDRW), the late G Muthukumarasamy earned respect and love from many in the Labour Movement. He was affectionately known as Brother Kumar.
As AUPDRW’s general secretary, he showed how to serve workers with heart. Brother Kumar’s commitment to the welfare of daily rated workers was unwavering, even in his last days.
He passed away on 29 November 2019, aged 68. He is survived by his wife and four children.
Brother Kumar joined the union as a member when it was formed in 1992. He was then a daily rated wireman.
He became a senior electrician after upgrading and upskilling himself over the years. In the union, Brother Kumar rose through the ranks and became its general secretary in 2002. He passed on while still in office.
Brother Kumar had always believed that training is the key to bettering the lives of workers.
When the Government launched the National Skills Recognition System in 2000, he persuaded the daily rated workers to upgrade themselves.
When his members found attending classes a challenge as many of them were not highly educated, Brother Kumar remained unfazed. He worked with companies to provide incentives to workers who underwent and completed training, which resulted in a win-win outcome for both workers and companies.
In 2008, he worked with the National Environment Agency to implement a job redesign effort for cleaners. These workers saw sustained wage increases of more than 20 per cent after going for a Workforce Skills Qualifications course in Environmental Services, improving their soft and technical skills.
Before his passing, Brother Kumar shared his hope for daily rated workers to one day become monthly-rated workers for them to progress further in their careers. According to Brother Kumar, these workers should be looked after in their times of need as they have dedicated more than half their lives to building Singapore.
In a condolence letter to Brother Kumar’s widow, Mdm Raja Mani S Manickam, NTUC President Mary Liew and NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng said: “In spite of health issues, Brother Kumar continued to fight for matters concerning daily rated workers. He made sure that they were not left behind, and their needs were not neglected. As their voice, he was relentless in championing for their interests.
“His tenacity and selflessness will be remembered for many generations, and we are honoured to have worked alongside him. Brother Kumar will be missed by all in the Labour Movement.”
(Read the condolence letter at the end of this article.)
The news of Brother Kumar’s passing was keenly felt by those who knew him. Many went to his wake on 30 November and on to social media to pay tribute.
Among them were Singapore President Halimah Yacob and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
“He was a passionate and dedicated leader, working tirelessly for the lower-income workers. Through his work, he had raised the profile of the union and introduced benefits such as bursaries for his members’ children to help uplift their lives.
“Brother Kumar had been unwell for some time, but he still plodded on with his union work. The Labour Movement has lost a strong and dedicated leader, but his contributions will be remembered. Rest in peace Brother Kumar. You’ve done well for the workers. It’s time for you to rest,” said Mdm Halimah in her Facebook post.
Mdm Halimah had known Brother Kumar since her days serving in the Labour Movement.
Mr Lee, who also attended the wake, said that he was deeply saddened to hear of Brother Kumar's passing. The last time the two met was at the NTUC Delegates Conference in October.
“He was in a wheelchair, but cheerful and smiling as usual … We have lost one of the heroes of the Labour Movement, but I am confident that the leadership of AUPDRW will continue his good work,” added Mr Lee.
Former NTUC Secretary-General Chan Chun Sing wrote in his post that he was saddened by Brother Kumar’s passing, which came as a shock to him.
“I had met him just three weeks ago at Redhill Market and Food Centre. He was zesty and chatty, as always … As a former labour chief and now Minister-in-charge of the public service, I have benefited greatly from his counsel and, above all, knowing him first and foremost as an exceptional individual,” said Mr Chan.
Tommy Lin, a deputy director in NTUC’s Membership Services Division, recalled how Brother Kumar took care of him when he first joined NTUC as a junior officer.
Mr Lin said: “My first learning journey overseas was with Brother Kumar where we visited the city council of Kuala Lumpur and met with the union leaders there and the mayor. Even though I was a junior officer then, Brother Kumar took extremely good care of us, often checking in if we were tired, whether we had enough food, did we need more water. That’s the soft side of Brother Kumar.
“But when union members’ well-being was at stake, Brother Kumar put on the tough front and stood firm to champion for the workers. He often shared with me his stories working at the Istana and how he had refused promotions to remain as a union leader. Despite his ill health lately, he had been very positive and continued to fight for workers' welfare. His passion for workers can be easily felt when you are with him. That’s the kind of man I knew of Brother Kumar, soft-hearted yet tough.
“Today, we not only lost a good man, but we also lost a good leader, a good mentor and a good brother. Rest in peace, Brother Kumar.”
