MERITOCRACY A “PRINCIPLE OF FAIRNESS”
MP Mariam Jaafar (PAP-Sembawang), who spoke about inequality, described the cycle of disadvantage as “brutal” and called on Singapore to break this cycle. She proposed three pathways: through education, health, and career.
Towards the end of her speech, Ms Jaafar also rebutted MP Fadli Fawzi (WP-Aljunied), saying that the opposition member had painted meritocracy as “corrosive” and an “ideological belief to justify and explain away inequality and the lot of those left behind”.
“Meritocracy in Singapore is not an ideology; it is a principle of fairness. The danger is not in practising meritocracy but in abandoning it, because success … dependent not on effort or talent, but on connections and privilege, that is not a ‘we first’ society. That is a ‘some first’ society,” Ms Jaafar said.
She said the system still had room for improvement and was a progressive one.
“And while we must keep improving our system, I hope we remember, both Fadli and I are ourselves beneficiaries of Singapore’s meritocracy. It is this system that enabled us – children from ordinary families – to study, to work, and now to serve in this House,” Ms Jaafar said, adding that there was no need to “disparage” or “dismiss” the system.
In response, Mr Fadli said Ms Jaafar had mischaracterised his speech and that he did not call for abandoning meritocracy.
“What I was saying was that meritocracy, when it’s taken to the extreme – it discourages our solidarity with the vulnerable. And I believe even in her speech … she gave a lot of examples of the people who are falling through the cracks of the system. And I think ultimately these are the people who … we both are advocating for,” he said.
Ms Jaafar replied that taking meritocracy to the extreme was “precisely the problem” of Mr Fadli’s argument.
She said that Singapore did not take meritocracy to the extreme, but adapted it and was practical with its application.
“I do not discount that there are people who are really struggling, and I meet them every day, and I try my best to help them every day, but you cannot blame them on meritocracy,” she said.
IMPACT OF AI
Several MPs continued Monday’s debate on how AI is reshaping the labour market.
Non-Constituency MP Andre Low (WP) proposed a “redundancy insurance for the AI age” on top of the existing Jobseeker Support scheme.
Under his proposal, affected workers would receive 40 per cent of their last drawn salary – capped at 40 per cent of the prevailing median income – for up to six months.
The scheme will be funded by “small equal contributions” from employers and employees, which at 0.1 per cent of their monthly salary, would amount to over S$5 (USD$3.90) a month for the median income earner, of which half is paid by the worker.
Mr Shawn Loh (PAP-Jalan Besar) said he supported the intent of the proposal but questioned if the numbers added up. Such a scheme would collect S$150 million a year from 2.5 million workers, while the Ministry of Manpower has already set aside S$200 million just for the Jobseeker Support scheme.
