1 The Labour Movement expressed its appreciation to Mr Mah Bow Tan for his astute leadership this evening, as he steps down as Chairman of the Singapore Labour Foundation (SLF). Key members of the Labour Movement including key union leaders, Chairmen of the NTUC Group of Social Enterprises and SLF directors, gathered to honour Mr Mah at an appreciation dinner held immediately after the SLF’s Annual General Meeting, at the Orchid Country Club today. Also present at the dinner were Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Manpower, Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, and Minister for Health Mr Gan Kim Yong, who will be taking over the reins from Mr Mah as new Chairman of SLF with effect from 3 September 2011. (Please refer to MOM’s press statement ` Minister Gan Kim Yong succeeds Mr Mah Bow Tan as SLF Chairman’ issued at 2pm today)
2 Said NTUC President, Mr John De Payva, “Brother Bow Tan is SLF’s longest serving chairman, for almost a decade. Under his stewardship, the partnership between SLF and the Labour Movement flourished and scaled new heights.” Mr Mah served as a member of the SLF Board of Directors from December 2001, and assumed the role of Chairman of SLF in February 2002.
3 The Labour Movement especially appreciates the partnership of the SLF in three key areas:
Workers’ employability
4 Under Mr Mah’s leadership, SLF gradually stepped up its support of programs that enhanced workers’ employability. SLF lent generous support to the NTUC-led Job Re-creation Program which also received support from WDA. More recently, SLF also helped set up e2i (Employment & Employability Institute) at its Redhill premises. Through this effort, many workers, including lower wage, older, and back-to-work women have received help to secure new jobs, receive training and earn higher wages. E2i now serves 40-50,000 workers a year.
Union leadership development
5 SLF, under Mr Mah’s leadership, has also been a committed partner of the Ong Teng Cheong Institute, co-funding union leaders to attend training programs. In fact, Mr Mah was the first Chairman of the Ong Teng Cheong Institute of Labour Studies (previously known as the Singapore Institute of Labour Studies), and served for 12 years in this capacity from 1990.
Support for lower-income workers
6 The Labour Movement is particularly appreciative of SLF’s generous support to the U Care Fund, which benefits lower-income and less privileged union members. During the recent recession, the SLF doubled its usual contribution to the U Care Fund to Upturn the Downturn. Over the last 5 years, SLF contributed a total of $31 million to the U Care Fund.
7 Over the years, Mr Mah has played a key role in the Labour Movement; beginning from the 1970s where he worked closely with the National Transport Worker’ Union in his first job in Singapore Bus Services (SBS). In subsequent years, Mr Mah also served as Chairman of the then NTUC Comfort. Mr Mah is also currently Advisor to the Singapore Airport Terminal Services Workers Union.
