SINGAPORE: Red Dot United (RDU) member Kala Manickam has raised concerns about deep-rooted flaws in Singapore’s employment landscape, focusing on job mismatches and the ineffectiveness of current career support frameworks.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday (16 April), Kala responded to remarks made by NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng, who had spoken about job security for residents of Jalan Kayu in a recent media interview.
While acknowledging that job security is a deeply felt issue among Singaporeans, Kala said the conversation must move beyond general assurances to confront the harsh realities faced by local professionals.
“Today, I’m sharing a video with the public that highlights real stories about competency mismatches in our workforce — stories of individuals whose skills and qualifications don’t align with the jobs available or evolving demands of the economy,” she wrote.
In the video, which included a clip of her own media interview, Kala addressed the challenges faced by experienced and qualified Singaporeans who continue to be sidelined despite efforts to retrain and upskill.
“We have very hardworking and capable Singaporeans who go through all the retraining and skills development,” she said.
“But apparently, they don’t seem to get job opportunities. There’s stagnation in wages, no recognition for the value of their work — and these are very experienced people.”
Kala stressed that behind every statistic is a personal story and argued that resilience alone cannot compensate for systemic failings.
“Singaporeans are resilient people with stories that inspire — bold breakthroughs, quiet victories, but also tough setbacks, deep sacrifice, and simple hope for just one chance to rise,” she said.
“Singaporeans are not just numbers — these are real stories that matter.”
One case she highlighted involved an IT professional with two decades of experience who, after nine months of career coaching, was asked to consider becoming an animal caretaker at Mandai Zoo.
While she emphasised that the job itself is respectable, she called the suggestion a clear mismatch of competencies.
“Let’s be honest. There’s no logical match,” she said. “This isn’t just one man’s story. It’s a reflection of a deeper systemic issue.”
She questioned whether institutions are doing enough to “respect and reposition our professionals” and whether career coaching has become “a routine checkbox” rather than a meaningful tool for transformation.
Kala also pointed to a disconnect between the government’s stated demand for roles in areas such as data analytics, cybersecurity, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence, and the failure to bridge qualified locals into these sectors.
She went on to challenge the longstanding claim that Singaporeans are given first priority for jobs. “But where are these jobs, and who is getting them?” she asked.
Kala expressed doubt that current career support schemes are truly serving Singaporeans, suggesting instead that they may simply be managing employment statistics.
“The stories shared with me are not isolated,” she said. “Citizens are struggling. They are qualified for jobs they cannot secure. How is this fair?”
In a pointed closing remark, she added, “Mr Ng can wax lyrical about job security, but talk is cheap. Perhaps he should stick to his job as NTUC Sec-Gen and serve citizens through the labour movement, rather than get distracted with politics.”
Her latest comments come after earlier criticism of Ng’s expressed desire to return to Parliament “on his own merits.”
Kala challenged him to prove his sincerity by walking the ground in Jalan Kayu Single Member Constituency (SMC) independently, without the backing of top PAP leaders.
She argued that voters in Jalan Kayu are more concerned about bread-and-butter issues such as wage stagnation and access to stable jobs than about political comebacks.
Calling for leadership grounded in service rather than entitlement, Kala wrote, “Jalan Kayu needs someone who has always been on the ground — not just during elections.”
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