During the debate on the motion of thanks for the President’s Address on 23 September 2025, Workers’ Party Non-Constituency Member of Parliament Andre Low proposed a three-pillar strategy aimed at ensuring Singaporeans can thrive in an era of disruption and uncertainty.
Low said the country must respond to two converging forces reshaping the world: the shifting balance of global power and the accelerating impact of artificial intelligence (AI). He noted that these forces threaten to displace jobs and unsettle traditional economic strategies, requiring new thinking in governance and policy.
Citing projections from the World Economic Forum that 22 per cent of jobs worldwide will face structural change by 2030, Low warned that Singapore’s exposure is likely higher given that two-thirds of its workforce are professionals, managers, executives, and technicians (PMETs). While some jobs will benefit from AI-driven productivity, others face automation and wage suppression, he said.
To address these challenges, Low proposed a three-pillar strategy: security, investment, and trust.
The first pillar, security, focuses on creating robust safety nets for workers and families. Low proposed a redundancy insurance scheme tailored for the AI age, providing 40 per cent of a worker’s last drawn salary (capped at 40 per cent of the median income) for up to six months, funded by small contributions from both employers and employees. He argued that such protection would give workers the confidence to retrain or transition without fear of destitution.
On housing, Low suggested pegging Build-To-Order (BTO) flats to a price-to-income ratio of three for first-time buyers, offering 70-year lease flats at lower costs, lowering the BTO eligibility age for singles to 28, and equalising grants for single parents. He described housing as “dignity and stability,” not merely a financial asset.
He also warned against the unchecked power of “digital bosses” in platform work, where algorithmic management determines assignments, pricing, and even discipline. Low urged stronger safeguards, including the right to human review of AI-driven decisions affecting livelihoods.
The second pillar, investment, focuses on empowering Singaporeans with relevant skills. While praising SkillsFuture and its new mid-career schemes, Low highlighted a persistent gap between training and actual employability. He proposed accelerating the development of stackable micro-credentials across all Institutes of Higher Learning, building towards recognised qualifications.
He also called for expanding work-integrated learning opportunities in universities and polytechnics, supported by grants to help small and medium-sized enterprises provide placements. To democratise the benefits of AI, Low suggested weaving AI literacy into the school curriculum, subsidising access to AI tools through SkillsFuture credits, and ensuring adoption benefits workers and not only corporations.
The third pillar, trust, was described as the foundation of a thriving society. Low emphasised that trust must be reciprocal—between government and citizens. He called for greater transparency, including consideration of a Freedom of Information Act, stronger parliamentary oversight through standing select committees, and judicial oversight in disputes over falsehoods.
He argued that genuine trust requires open dialogue, transparency in data and evidence-based policymaking, and tolerance of differing views in society. Only by doing so, he said, could Singapore strengthen its democratic foundations while navigating rapid change.
Concluding his speech, Low said that if “We-First” means a secure society with affordable housing, investments in people’s potential, and trust in citizens’ participation, then the Workers’ Party stands ready to work towards that vision.
“These three pillars—security, investment, and trust—form the compass for our next chapter, a promise of the society we can become,” he said.
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