SINGAPORE: Workers’ Party Member of Parliament Associate Professor Jamus Lim has highlighted the struggles of elderly Singaporeans who remain in the workforce despite being past retirement age.
In a Facebook post on 1 October 2025, Lim recounted recent conversations with residents in their late 60s and 70s, noting how living costs continue to affect their ability to rest.
One pair of residents told him it was “hard to take time off”, as working had become essential for survival in modern Singapore.
Lim reflected that such stories underscored the cost of living challenges facing older citizens.
Stories of contrasting realities
During his house visit, Lim met a resident in her 70s who shared memories of “Old Singapore”.
She remained lively and positive, saying she spent much of her time with her daughter’s family in Jalan Kayu.
However, she also expressed disappointment over the size of her current flat, which she and her family had downgraded to in recent years.
While she felt life was “pretty good”, the smaller living space was a continuing issue.
In contrast, at a local coffeeshop, Lim encountered another group of elderly residents who described a different reality.
They explained that they could not afford leisure weekends because employment remained necessary for them.
A growing concern in ageing society
Lim noted that such contrasting situations are not unusual in society, but stressed that these cases carried significance because they involved older individuals.
“In most advanced countries—and even a few developing ones—most in their 70s would be enjoying retirement, doing things like gardening, exercise, or travel,” he wrote.
While this does occur in Singapore, he observed, many residents still feel compelled to work due to financial need.
Calls for support for the elderly
Lim argued that it is not inherently negative for people in their 70s to continue working, particularly in professions where individuals find meaning and choice in their employment.
However, he drew a distinction between voluntary work and work driven by necessity, especially among seniors who might otherwise prefer to retire.
He stated that Singapore, as a wealthy nation, “can, and should, fully take care of those who have already contributed their lot in life”.
Workers’ Party advocates structural reforms amid cost-of-living concerns
The Workers’ Party MP’s comments align with growing public discourse around Singapore’s ageing population and financial security among seniors.
Concerns have been raised over retirement adequacy, healthcare affordability, and inflationary pressures on basic needs.
According to official statistics, more than one in four Singaporeans will be aged 65 and above by 2030, raising questions on how the state, community, and families can collectively support older citizens.
WP has consistently argued for structural reforms to address the rising cost of living faced by Singaporeans, contrasting its stance with the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP), which has emphasised targeted one-time aid measures.
In November 2023, WP Members of Parliament filed a motion to debate the matter during a Parliamentary sitting.
The motion, titled “Cost of Living Crisis: That this House calls on the Government to review its policies so as to lower cost of living pressures on Singaporeans and their families,” reflected concerns raised by residents during grassroots engagements, where cost of living remained a recurring theme.
During the debate, PAP MP Liang Eng Hwa proposed amendments to the WP motion.
He urged the House to acknowledge the global nature of the issue and called on the Government to continue policies aimed at easing financial pressures, while ensuring fiscal prudence and protecting future generations. Liang stressed that high costs could persist globally and that sustainable measures were essential.
The amended motion, eventually adopted by the PAP-majority Parliament, read that the House “acknowledges the cost of living as a global concern, and call on the Government to continue pursuing policies that together lower cost-of-living pressures on Singaporeans and their families, without undermining fiscal sustainability and burdening future generations.”
WP chief and Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh strongly opposed the amendments.
He argued that framing the cost of living as a global issue risked downplaying the Government’s responsibility to alleviate local burdens. He further contended that the phrase “continue pursuing policies” suggested satisfaction with the status quo, which the WP rejected.
All eight WP MPs, together with two Non-Constituency MPs from the Progress Singapore Party, voted against the amendment, affirming their call for systemic changes to better support Singaporean households.
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