Singaporeans push back after David Neo says ‘protecting every job’ would be a ‘disservice’

SINGAPORE: Yet another newly minted People’s Action Party (PAP) minister has found himself at the centre of online criticism after comments he made about jobs and employment sparked accusations that he is out of touch with the realities faced by ordinary Singaporean workers.

The latest minister to draw fire is Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth David Neo, who recently said that it would be a “disservice” to protect every job as Singapore navigates the impact of artificial intelligence and rapid technological change.

Mr Neo, who also serves as co-chair of the Government’s Economic Strategy Review (ESR) committee on human capital, made the remarks in an interview with CNA while discussing how Singapore should respond to technological disruptions and the changing nature of work.

According to Mr Neo, Singapore cannot afford to slow the adoption of AI simply to preserve existing jobs, as doing so would weaken the country’s competitiveness and risk driving businesses elsewhere.

“We want to protect every worker, but we don’t want to do that through protecting every job,” he said, “If we were to just protect jobs in the short term, we’ll be doing our workers a disservice in the long term. Because if we are not competitive, then (businesses) will move out of Singapore.”

Mr Neo added that countries that fail to adapt could lose industries and investments to more competitive economies. Instead of preserving jobs indefinitely, he argued that Singapore should focus on helping workers reskill and upskill while strengthening support for career transitions.

The acting minister also outlined his view of what constitutes a good job.

“A good job is not just a job that offers a good paycheck,” he said, “A good job should be one that offers good dignity, stability, as well as social mobility.”

The ESR has therefore emphasised expanding the range of quality jobs available across the economy for workers at different stages of their careers, he added.

“Ultimately, that’s going to be what provides good jobs, not just today but tomorrow for all our workers.”

However, the comments were met with a wave of criticism online, with many Singaporeans questioning whether Mr Neo is in a position to understand the anxieties faced by workers worried about layoffs and unemployment.

Much of the criticism centred on Mr Neo’s career history.

Mr Neo enlisted in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) at the age of 19 and spent his entire professional career in the military before entering politics. During his military career, he held several senior appointments and obtained degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University under Government scholarship.

In 2022, he was appointed Chief of Army and promoted to the rank of Major-General.

In March 2025, he resigned from the SAF. Days later, he was spotted at a PAP walkabout in Tampines GRC alongside Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli. He was subsequently introduced as a PAP candidate for the 2025 General Election and entered Parliament as part of Mr Masagos’ team.

As a minister, Mr Neo is now part of a political leadership that receives some of the highest salaries among elected office holders globally.

For many critics, this background makes his comments on job insecurity difficult to accept.

One netizen wrote: “A paper general will never understand the pain of losing a job because he has never had to live through it himself.

“Every morning, unemployed Singaporeans wake up to the same harsh reality: no job, no certainty, and no clear answers. They face the stress of supporting their families, paying their bills, and wondering when their next opportunity will come.

“While some people discuss unemployment as a statistic or policy issue, those affected are living it every single day. Until you have experienced that struggle firsthand, it is difficult to truly appreciate the fear, frustration, and helplessness that many job seekers endure.”

Another commenter sarcastically suggested that ministers should volunteer for token salaries if they believed pay was not the most important aspect of work, saying, “Volunteer at $1 paycheck lah. Since they are already millionaires or multi-millionaires, serve the country with your passion loh… Just do it.”

Others compared Mr Neo’s remarks to previous controversies involving ministers commenting on issues that critics felt they lacked personal experience with.

“First was a Minister who does not live in an HDB advising about small spaces, then another minister not married to advise on fertility and family planning measures, a minister with no medical knowledge as health minister, and now this bozo of a clown to talk about protecting jobs.

“We really have incompetent ministers who are not even on the ground level to take charge of our livelihoods. All of them are living in castles in the air to understand the plight of common folks.”

Several netizens also focused on the contrast between ministerial salaries and Mr Neo’s remarks about good jobs being about more than pay.

One commenter said: “So long as the people feel that the appointment holders are paid too high and not helpful (contributing), whatever they said would not be well taken.

“In this case, the Minister with a very good paycheck advises Singaporeans that good jobs are about more than a good paycheck.

“The government has to win over the Singaporeans first. Come down to our level first. Leadership by example that they are willing to work with lower paychecks.”

Another netizen remarked that Mr Neo appeared to be describing his own career when defining a good job.

“He’s just describing himself having a good job, on top of a good paycheck. His job offer dignity, stability (won’t be sack unless you decide to resign), and social mobility (will be moved to be some CEO of some company in the event they decide to leave or lose an election)…”

Others were more blunt in their criticism.

“What kind of stupid statement is that, especially when our ministers are all overpaid?” one commenter said, while another netizen said, “David Neo’s job protection plan: protect my job, not yours.”

One netizen quipped sarcastically, “He wakes up every morning because his job is protected.”

Another commenter suggested that public office holders should experience the same competitive pressures faced by workers: “Maybe we need to replace our MPs, Ministers and judges with AI. Then they will know what real competition is.”