I joined NTUC Income as a full-time adviser on 1st March 04. A colleague by the name of David Lam joined on the same day. We were quite close in our work. We went Army Camps for talks and he was my room-mate during one of the company retreat. He was diagnosed with nose cancer around Oct05 and passed away around Dec07. I was quite sad over his death at that time but I managed to meet him before he die and have a very long chat.
David Lam on the extreme left during a Company Retreat
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Today. I get to know of another good friend, David Chew, passed away. He joined NTUC Income Business Centre on 1st Feb06 together with me. We worked quite closely together and he was my usual lunch and dinner kaki. I fought for him when I felt he was unfairly dismissed by our manager in Feb07. He was actually a very nice and polite fellow but not well liked by our immediate managers because of his out-spoken nature and he, being not so well groomed.
David's mother called me today. She thanked me for the Christmas card that I sent David. She told me that he will no longer be able to receive my cards anymore because he passed away on 9th Dec. I tried to asked how he passed away but his mum just told me that he was down with depression. She said that he suffered a lot and asked me why people in Singapore are so wicked. I was stunned for words and my mind was totally blank. I suspect that he had ended his own life. I did not probe further.
David Chew on the extreme right during a New Year party.
I am very sad, even till now. Tears did appear in my eyes but it was well controlled and I was confused if I should cry at all because we are actually not that closely related. Did David try to seek my help when he called in October. Was he already in depression then? He was in Peoples Association then and probably under a lot of stress. I was actually thinking to meet him after Christmas but its too late.
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Unlike David Lam's case where I managed to have a good talk with him before he passed away. I felt sad that I don't have a chance to meet David Chew for the last time and I could have helped him in some way if I know that he is depressed.
This is to remind me to appreciates the people around me and don't let ourselves be buried in work everyday.
22 comments:
This is terrible. A true blue Singaporean losing his grip on his own life in his own country. What has NTUC Income become? I recall during Mr Tan Kin Lian's time it was a very humane organisation. Don't tell me now a bunch of foreigners at the helm and they are cannabalising Singaporeans! How dare they. After splurging policyholders' money on their own comfort and enjoyment and even doing this to its own employees. I am very angry to know about this. What can we do. We cannot stand idly by while these bunch of foreigners have their way.
someone in ntuc indirectly caused his
death?
Adrian,
Do not get upset. As financial practitioner, you're always helping families not only to do well financially but to provide for contingencies if the unthinkable happens. Always think of those people whom you have managed to reach out to. They will always thank you.
David's death is definitely not directly linked with NTUC Income but his sudden dismissal at that time may have contributed in some ways towards his last days.
He worked in a bank after NTUC Income but left after few months. He searched for nearly 1/2 year for a job until he ended in Peoples Assocation as an executive. His mother mentioned to me that he had suffered in any work that he get into and it probably leads to his depression eventually.
Ntuc definitely contributed to his death. It was the beginning of a chain of events.He was pyscologically devastated by whoever sacked him. He was badly hurt and that was the start and thereafter he couldn't hold on to job.
I was also once in that predicament. Went to work in those so called govt linked organisation thinking that they care for Singaporeans. Once you are inside, then you begin to see the rot and the artificial facade they put up. Lots of politics and eventually a lot of window dressing to make themselves, ie , the management of these agencies look good to the ministers. They took advantage of govt schemes like the 50% match up in salary so the organisation pays only half the pay. Once the 6 months period is up they call in the employee and further demoralise him by asking him to resign otherwise services will be terminated. The real aim is to save on costs and pay Singaporeans low wages. But on paper, the Singaporean will choose to resign rather than be terminated through no fault of his own. So officially is Singaporeans are choosy about jobs and like to job hop when in reality we have no choice but be manipulated and sink into depression thinking we are no good. My solution, go overseas to work where I can get a 5 figure pay and enjoy a much higher standard of living. Singapore is only good for serving free National Service while these management of govt linked agencies get to enjoy their 5 figure pay and wayang to the ministers. Sad but true.
from the comments posted, it seems some people do have the inside story of what happened. Or fabricated one.
Adrian,
Be careful with what you say. You are marked by NTUC before for reporting on them. You still sell their products as an IFA. Don't get yourself into trouble.
Anon 7:52,
My experience and that of several others happened in a co-operative that was set up by an MP. I did not work in PA before so I cannot say it actually happened to people there. I am just sharing my experience of what happened in the particular co-operative that was set up supposedly to help retrenched Singaporeans but on paper helps them but in actual fact demoralises them, but you will never see any evidence of such things happening on paper as these executive directors there with their "Durai" kind of salaries are too smart to leave any paper evidence. They do not do the dirty job either, they will delegate their kakis to call you in at the end of 6 months and tell you that times are hard and the company cannot afford to pay you. They then dangle the carrot of possible future co-operation on a part time basis if you choose to resign. Then they will also issue a nice letter to thank you for your past contributions. It is a sophisticated mode of operations and I think the purpose is to save costs so that their balance sheet looks good and the inner circle get to keep their golden jobs. Meanwhile, the retrenched Singaporean who put in all his efforts at this new job got a temporary lift and then crashed and left to lick his wounds. Some moved on while others go into depression.
To December 21, 2008 12:54 AM,
Adrian can always ask Mr TKL to protest at Hong Lim and NTUC Income will not dare to do anything to Adrian :)
December 21, 2008 10:48 AM:
It appears that those people need a lesson in HR management. If people are going to be laid off, tact and diplomacy is required to do so with goodwill.
In any case, I've never encountered any massive wrongdoing in my previous workplaces. Even those people whom i've been warned to "watch out for" have never done anything nasty to me. I've been told so-and-so is a backstabber, so-and-so is a good for nothing, that there's massive women office politics in so-and-so company. I saw none of that sort.
I'm not a white horse by any means. Food for thought?
Do consider...*most* hard to handle people can be convinced and motivated to do whatever you desire them to. That's the only trick i've used in my life thus far.
Sure, there are protocols in laying off people. But I question the intent behind it. Sure, good HR practices can be initiated to manage the laying off process, but this cannot mask the original intent behind it. If the intent is for the survival of the company, then so be it, but if it is to protect the minority against the interests of the company, then this is bad.
For example, if the executive director earning 30,000 a month uses such tactics to force a 1,500 a month employee who has been doing good work just so on paper the company saves another 1,500 a month, then it is out of proportion. The ED can actually opt to be paid 15,000 a month and use the money to pay for 10 others who can add value to the company. Laying off people is one thing, but to do it in such a way without regard for the feelings and manipulating the whole process so that it looks like the employees are fussy and resigned to look good on paper to safeguard his own job is not the work of a gentleman, regardless of which party affiliations he is in. What's more, this ED can go on national radio often to show off his pro-employee stance and criticise other companies for not treating their employees fairly just smack of a hipocrate at best, and a beast at worst.
We sometimes talk about best HR practice and how we should retain staffs etc. But it can be quite scary if we end up in a company full of office politics.
I'd seen of bosses trying to belittle their staffs so that they listen to all their orders. I'd seen collegues purposely teaching the wrong things in order to waste their colleagues' time, etc.
Its a fortune if one is able to work in a place of harmony nowadays.
this david was a victim of office politics. he was tekan and watched just like adrain
soon Tan Kin Lian will talk about mis-selling by inusrance agents at Hong Lim Park. Be patient. The product pushers of ntuc will be invited to give their views on how product pushing can benefit their cleints.
Mr TKL is also another product pusher. But he pushes Buy Term and Invest the Rest. He is a product pusher because like all product pusher - he recommends a particular strategy or product WITHOUT even performing a needs analysis on the client. Just look at his blog - recommending various ways of doing financial planning without even meeting up with an individual client. In fact, he could be violating the financial advisers act by recommending without performing needs analysis.Of course he has no wish to be an FA, he wants to be Mr. President! His head very big.
The industry is full of vested interest people. To avoid these, it is important to self educate and OPEN your eyes BIG BIG.
Instead of blaming office politics and *other* people, isn't it time to learn from people who seems to be liked by everyone else? Surely every workplace has a cheerful, lovable person.
Why not try to learn what he/she is doing right, instead of pondering over why others are bullying you?
12.07pm,
TKL was the pusher of the ntuc product pushers and that makes him the father of product pushers. You now know why ntuc agents are product pushers. With another new bullshitting Tan at the helm the agents have become even greater product pushers. They have become product bullshitters. Because of this the agents have earned for themselves titles like senior or executive financial bullshitters conferred by bullshitting Tan..
What will become of these agents in the future. They may have bullshit their way in court with chief bullshitter Tan as defence counsel. Good luck
How can his head be very big? Look at the present president. Is his head very big? I think Singaporeans will benefit more from TKL being president. He is better at finance. He has a bigger heart. He is a people president.
I think TKL push for presidency is not because he wants to be president. He probably wants attention from our government that he can actually be the president. Our government sometimes simply do not listen to the people on the ground. They do what they want and don't care whether you agree or not. End of the day, they will only tell you that they had decided to go ahead with whatever agenda and you have to accept it.
i have talked to TKL and he agreed to speak on mis-selling and other unethical issues by insurance agents at Hong Lim Park.
the below areas will be raised to MAS.
1.the ways agents sell must be stopped, ie product selling
2.section 27 must be enforced to punish the unethical agents
3.to restructure commission, by lowering it or remove it to follow UK
4.to speak up against the current lot of wholelife and endowment products especailly the cashbacks
5.to set up an association for consumers to expose the misconducts of agents
6.to help review old policies for policyholders for mis-selling by agents
7.to revive the bonus restructuring issue and to press ntuc for the result.
Yes, this is very good. Especially the bonus issue as April 2009 is coming soon. We cannot let these financial bigwigs get too bigheaded and think they call the shots when they are living on our money.
Thank You Mr Tan and Adrian for bringing this up.
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