PM Wong celebrates Chinese New Year with workers at Changi Airport
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Prime Minister Lawrence Wong presenting red packets, mandarin oranges and gift bags to workers at Changi Airport Terminal 3 on Jan 28.
ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO
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SINGAPORE – Meeting Prime Minister Lawrence Wong at the check-in rows of Changi Airport Terminal 3 on the eve of Chinese New Year felt “very comforting” for Sergeant Stacia Lim, a Certis auxiliary police officer who will be on duty over the festive period.
PM Wong handed her a gift bag with a pair of mandarin oranges, a red packet from the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) containing $10, an NTUC tote bag and a pouch designed by an artist on the autism spectrum.
Sgt Lim was among the 150 Changi Airport workers who received a gift bag from PM Wong when he visited front-line workers at the airport on Chinese New Year Eve on Jan 28.
“I appreciate the effort PM Wong took to come down to the airport to greet and thank us. It makes me feel like our work is appreciated,” said Sgt Lim.
The 31-year-old will be working the night shift on Jan 30, the second day of Chinese New Year. She plans to visit relatives in the day before heading to the airport to conduct patrols at night.
PM Wong was accompanied by Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat, Senior Minister of State for Transport Amy Khor and union leaders, including NTUC president K. Thanaletchimi and NTUC secretary-general Ng Chee Meng.
On Jan 28, NTUC also gave an update on the OneAviation Careers Hub job resource portal that it launched in 2022 together with the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and Employment and Employability Institute when the industry was recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic.
In a statement, NTUC said more than 1,400 Singaporeans and permanent residents have found jobs in the aerospace and aviation sectors through the portal. It has also assisted 3,800 locals with their career and training needs.
NTUC noted that to date, its funded training programmes have provided more than 38,000 training places to the 56,000 workers in the aerospace and aviation sectors.
Mr Ng pointed out that with global passenger traffic expected to double over the next two decades, NTUC will be working closely with its tripartite partners including CAAS and Changi Airport Group to attract more workers to the sector.
He also thanked workers for working “tirelessly throughout this festive season”.
“Lunar New Year is a time for family, and while many of us gather with our loved ones, our airport workers, taxi drivers and private-hire vehicle drivers are working hard to keep our Changi air hub running,” said Mr Ng.
PM Lawrence Wong, together with invited guests and workers at the airport, tossing yusheng during his visit to Changi Airport on Jan 28.
ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO
At the airport on Jan 28, PM Wong and union leaders met close to 10 different groups of workers, including some from ground handling company Sats, Immigration and Checkpoints Authority officers, private-hire vehicle and taxi drivers, and housekeeping staff.
In his conversations with the workers, PM Wong asked about their daily work and the difficulties they face, and thanked them for their hard work.
He ended his visit with a mass lohei (tossing of yusheng) with 68 workers.
Private-hire driver Joseph Chung, 43, was another worker who received a gift bag from PM Wong.
He described meeting the Prime Minister as a rare opportunity and said he was “very happy” to see him. “I appreciate him making the effort to reach out to us,” he said.
Mr Chung added that he intends to work throughout the festive season, pointing out that the slightly higher fares over the next few days will be worth sacrificing his time with his family over the Chinese New Year period.
