2020 National Day Award Winners

The National Day Awards honour and recognise individuals who have made significant contributions to Singapore. This year, 5,472 outstanding men and women in 24 award categories were conferred National Day honours by President Halimah Yacob.

Over 200 individuals were awarded the Public Service Medal. Among this distinguished group were five leaders from the Labour Movement.

They shared with us their thoughts on serving with the Labour Movement and what this award means to them.

Abdul Samad Abdul Wahab: Public Service Medal 

As vice-president of the NTUC Central Committee, Samad provides leadership and guidance to NTUC committees and represents NTUC in various internal and external forums.

He is known for speaking up on workers’ concerns and is never shy in advocating for their welfare. Samad feels that winning this award adds to the weight of his responsibility. 

“I take it with pride because when someone trusts you, you have to get the job done. And that is my mantra, whether at my own union or even with the Labour Movement because there is trust in me to deliver on the assignment, whatever projects given to me,” he said.

Elson Koh: Public Service Medal

Elson has been a union leader for more than a decade and is extremely dedicated in his work and displays a strong passion for union work.

“I was inspired by our former secretary-general Lim Swee Say. He taught us about servant leadership. I think that is something that I value – to just serve and keep serving and not asking for rewards or recognition.

“Being a leader, usually people may think you are someone high up. But for me, I think the greatest is the one who is the least and having the attitude, and humble willingness to serve is something that people will see and appreciate in the long term,” said Elson.

Tan Richard: Public Service Medal

Being a veteran trade unionist with over 30 years of experience in the electronics industry and trade union movement, Richard has been a strong advocate of workers’ training and career progression.

“I always believe that there are no stop signs. As we always tell ourselves, ‘Never stop learning’. Things keep growing, changing. I always push workers to move on and upgrade themselves.

“This award is an honour. Most of the union leaders don’t expect anything in return. Our concern, our objective is to help every worker whenever we can,” said Richard.

Rosmani Juraini: Public Service Medal

Rosmani has been a union leader since 2002, and the president of the National Transport Workers’ Union since 2013.

He has always been generous in sharing his industry and technical knowledge and commands the respect of members for his wealth of experience and selflessness. This award is a bonus.

“People come and serve the union, not because of the accolades, but rather because of their passion. When that is recognised, it gives them the motivation to serve better.

“I can contribute, we can contribute, leaders can contribute, but it depends whether they are given the right chance. They must be given the right opportunity to excel, to perform and to be trained to be the best,” said Rosmani.

Steve Tan: Public Service Medal

Steve started his career with the NTUC in 2001 as a senior marketing executive. Over the years, he rose through the ranks and held various appointments in membership, industrial relations, youth development, corporate planning and leadership training.

He shared: “I’ve had the good fortune to serve in different departments and different portfolios. I think as long as we are willing to serve, and we serve with the right mindset, be it one worker helped, or 1,000 workers helped, I think that is one member, one family, who we have actually helped to change their lives for the better.

“This award is an affirmation of the efforts of everyone in the Labour Movement, from our unions, our union leaders, our social enterprises, and all of us in HQ. And I think we have all been striving to help better wages, welfare, and the work prospects of all our workers in Singapore."

Awardees from NTUC Social Enterprises

Eugene Wong: Public Service Medal

Eugene is the founder and managing director of Sirius Venture Capital (SVC), a Singapore venture investment firm.

He is also currently the chairman of NTUC LearningHub, a leading Continuing Education and Training provider with the mission of providing learning that transforms employability and creates a better life for all working people.

“It is truly an honour for me to receive the Public Service Medal. I am deeply humbled and grateful for the opportunities to serve Singapore in the public sector and NTUC and look forward to continued contributions to our society together with colleagues in the organisations I serve.”

Willie Cheng: Public Service Star

Willie is a former managing partner of Accenture. Since his retirement in 2003, he has stayed involved with the business community but spends the greater part of his time working with non-profit organisations.

He is the immediate past chairman of the Singapore Institute of Directors, and a board member on several commercial and nonprofit organisations. He is currently a director of NTUC Health and formerly of NTUC FairPrice.

Willie is also an accomplished author, having written extensively on corporate governance and non-profit issues. His books include Doing Good Well, Doing Good Great, and The World that Changes the World.

He shared: “Ten years ago, I was asked to help with the governance of IT initiatives in SingHealth and IHiS. In the process, I learnt a great deal more about healthcare and the workings of our public healthcare system. I also made many good friends along the way. It’s a pleasant surprise to be honoured for such a fulfilling journey.”