The NTUC has put forward union leader Abdul Samad Abdul Wahab as its choice to be the next Labour Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP).
Mr Samad’s name was submitted on 19 November 2020 to the Special Select Committee of Parliament. The committee is responsible for nominating NMPs for appointment by the Singapore President.
Mr Samad, 48, is currently NTUC vice-president and general secretary of the Union of Power and Gas Employees (UPAGE). He has been a union leader since 2006.
In a statement on 20 November 2020, NTUC said: “Mr Samad’s unwavering dedication to champion the interests of workers has earned him the respect of not only his union members and peers but also the management as he led UPAGE to forge a strong a labour-management relations over the years which is crucial in resolving ground issues concerning workers.”
NTUC also called Mr Samad a selfless leader who puts the interests of others over his own and a strong advocate for workers’ training and skills upgrading.
In 2018, Mr Samad played a crucial role in securing bonuses, increments as well as training funds for workers in the power and gas industry when the Energy Market Authority formed the Market Development and Resilience Scheme.
He worked with employers to set up company training committees and implement training plans for workers across the industry.
Within the Labour Movement, Mr Samad sits on various NTUC committees. He chairs the NTUC Membership Committee and is also a member of the NTUC Membership Council, Training Council, Industrial Relations Council, NTUC Endowment Fund Management Committee and NTUC50 Development Fund Committee.
In response to his nomination, Mr Samad said: “I am humbled and honoured for this opportunity to be an additional voice for the Labour Movement who will speak up for workers in Parliament. Should I be appointed as a Labour NMP, I would leverage my unionist experience and push for changes and improvements based on the real needs of workers on the ground.
“Among the issues I would address are strengthening the Singaporean core, preserving jobs and expanding the Progressive Wage Model to more sectors. With the pandemic affecting lives and livelihoods, I would also focus on providing much-needed help for our workers especially the middle-income sandwiched group, be it in areas of employment, training or coping with the cost of living.”
He added that he would do his best to serve in the new role and contribute to the shaping of policies to improve workers’ lives if appointed.
NTUC President Mary Liew endorsed the nomination, adding that the Labour Movement believes he will serve workers and Singaporeans to his best ability as an NMP as he is “someone who truly embraces the principles of servant leadership.”
“His inputs in Parliament would be valuable in shaping policies that would benefit our workers. Coming from a union that has harmonious labour-management relations with management and someone who has worked closely with tripartite partners, Brother Samad understands the importance of tripartism in Singapore. We believe he will continue to strengthen the tripartite relationship to create a win-win-win scenario for our workers, employers and Singapore as a whole,” she said.
If appointed, Mr Samad will be the 13th person since 1992 to represent the unions as NMP.
