For Mr Ho Tzong Ming, 64, the raising of the re-employment age cap from July 1 next year will be an early birthday present.

Mr Ho, a production planner at packaging company TCG Rengo, was born on July 19, 1952 - making him eligible for re-hiring for two more years.

"It is a relief," he tells The Straits Times. "It makes me happy to hear this confirmed."

He has worked at TCG Rengo, where he oversees the production of cardboard packaging, for over 30 years. He hopes to continue doing so for "as long as my body says yes".

He added: "A man must work to be useful. I don't want to be a burden to my children."

He has two sons, one, 27, working in marketing, and the other, 24, still in university.

He is one of 17 re-employed workers at TCG Rengo, which has been investing in equipment such as automatic stacking machines and devices to push paper rolls weighing a tonne or more.

He is now undergoing a two-week training programme to get up to speed with a new software that renders the process of putting in job orders paperless.

"I have no idea what I would do if I had to retire from this job.

"I am Cantonese, and we have this saying - it is better to do what you are familiar with than to do what you are fresh at," he added.

"I would still try to do something - but I wouldn't be happy if it was not my work here."

Olivia Ho