In the second issue of Pulse@SNEF, we feature our SNEF Council Vice-Presidents — Mr Kuah Boon Wee, Ms Tan Hwee Bin, and Mr Alexander C. Melchers who have committed decades of time and energy to shaping Singapore’s employment landscape. Besides using their industry expertise to guide SNEF’s policies in advocating for employers, they are also active participants alongside government policymakers and labour union leaders in tripartite discussions. These cover matters that have widespread impact on employers, such as wage guidelines, senior employment, workforce transformation and more. The SNEF Secretariat spoke to each of them to find out more about their involvement in tripartism past and present.
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Mr Kuah Boon Wee, PBM
Director, MTQ Corporation Ltd
SNEF Council member since 2015
Mr Kuah Boon Wee brings extensive leadership experience spanning engineering services, transportation and logistics and corporate finance. From 2010 to 2024, he served as the Chief Executive Officer of MTQ Corporation, an investment holding company with operations in Singapore and the Middle East. Earlier in his career, he held senior roles at PSA International, ST Engineering, and Hongkong Land Holdings. In 2015, he was presented with the Best CEO award at the Singapore Corporate Awards.
Among the various workgroups that he has contributed to, Mr Kuah considers his involvement in the Tripartite Workgroup on Older Workers (2018) particularly memorable. Reflecting on the experience, Mr Kuah shared: “My knowledge of tripartite issues stemmed from joining PSA in early 2004 after a major restructuring. Through my interactions with the Singapore Port Workers Union and the Port Officers Union, I gained insight into how labour issues were managed, especially those regarding older workers.”
“Hence, my involvement in the Tripartite Workgroup on Older Workers was particularly meaningful, as I was part of the team that addressed the issue of extending meaningful careers for older workers while balancing employers’ needs,” he added.
The workgroup studied international best practices and engaged employers extensively before putting forward 22 recommendations. These included raising the retirement age from 62 to 63 and the re‑employment age from 67 to 68 in 2022. Both the retirement age and re-employment age would also be raised to 65 and 70 respectively by 2030. These changes enable businesses to tap into a larger and more experienced pool of workers, strengthen workforce stability and support longer-term manpower planning.
Mr Kuah currently plays a central role in the Tripartite Workgroup on Employment Act Review (2025), where he serves as co‑chair. This ongoing review seeks to modernise protections in line with a changing labour force profile, evolving work arrangements and the current economic landscape. By ensuring employer perspectives are well represented, Mr Kuah is helping to shape a legislative framework that balances worker protection with business flexibility. Employers will benefit from clearer compliance requirements and a more future‑ready Employment Act. Sharing about his experience in the Employment Act review, Mr Kuah said: “I have enjoyed being involved in the Employment Act review discussions, which really makes you think deeper about the future of our labour participation.”
Beyond his contributions in the tripartite workgroups, Mr Kuah has been the Chairman of SNEF’s Industrial Relations Panel (IRP) since 2019. The IRP supports the Council in formulating policies on industrial relations and labour-management issues. Comprising C-suite leaders and HR professionals from member companies, the panel provides strategic insights on HR matters to inform the Council’s decisions.
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Ms Tan Hwee Bin, BBM, PBM
Executive Director
Wing Tai Holdings Ltd
SNEF Council member since 2014
Ms Tan Hwee Bin has been with Wing Tai Holdings, where she serves as Executive Director, since 2000. She guides the Group’s property, retail, and lifestyle businesses. She began her career at ICI, managing regional finance and IT operations.
As a SNEF Council member, Ms Tan has represented employers in many important manpower policy discussions. “Having served on the SNEF Council for over a decade, what continues to motivate me is the role that SNEF plays in strengthening tripartite relationships and building progressive workplaces in Singapore,” said Ms Tan. “As workforce challenges become more complex, from digitalisation to an ageing workforce, employers need practical and balanced support. SNEF plays a key role in helping businesses maintain operational flexibility while upholding fair employment standards and strong tripartite principles.”
Notably, Ms Tan contributed to the Tripartite Workgroup on Lower-Wage Workers (2020), which aimed to uplift lower–wage workers while preserving business competitiveness. Through extensive consultations with over 1,800 stakeholders, the workgroup recommended expanding the Progressive Wage Model to sectors such as retail, food services, and waste management. These recommendations were accepted by the government and included the raising of wage floors while providing transitional support for businesses. Their far-reaching impact included tighter link between wages, skills and productivity, greater clarity on wage obligations and recognition through the Progressive Wage Mark.
In 2025, Ms Tan was appointed co-chair of the Tripartite Workgroup for Senior Employment together with Senior Minister of State Dr Koh Poh Koon and NTUC Deputy Secretary–General Mr Desmond Tan. Reflecting on her involvement, she shares: “In my role as an employer, I have seen firsthand how senior workers’ experience and perspective strengthen our teams and shape positive workplace culture. As Singapore’s workforce continues to age, it is essential that these workers are supported to continue contributing with dignity and purpose.”
The Workgroup aims to empower senior workers to be productive and employable while encouraging employers to create age-friendly jobs and workplaces. This is important in fostering sustainable business in Singapore, which is fast becoming a super-aged society.
As part of the Workgroup’s ongoing work, Ms Tan co-led study visits to Switzerland, Germany and Japan to examine how these countries have successfully integrated senior workers through practices such as fractional work arrangements, phased retirement, and age-friendly workplace design. The study visits also learned about how the governments in these countries collaborate with tripartite partners to address workforce challenges. The insights gathered from these trips will help shape the Workgroup’s recommendations for their report that is expected to be released in the second half of 2026.
Ms Tan and her workgroup members also launched the Alliance for Action on Empowering Multi-Stage Careers for Mature Workers (AfA-EMW), which supports senior employment initiatives. The AFA-EMW is currently working with 32 organisations to develop and test prototypes in areas such as redesigning jobs to fit the needs and strengths of mature workers and developing structured career planning for these workers so that businesses will have the tools needed to retain experienced talent and future-proof their workforce. “Through strong tripartite collaboration, I look forward to more organisations stepping up to build a workforce that is competitive, inclusive, and age-friendly for the future,” said Ms Tan.
Beyond her workgroup contributions, Ms Tan serves on the board of Tripartite Alliance Limited and is co-chair of the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP). In these roles, she helps promote fair hiring, inclusive workplaces, and the elimination of discriminatory employment practices across Singapore’s employer community.
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Mr Alexander C. Melchers, BBM, PBM
Managing Director
C. Melchers GmbH and Co., KG Singapore
SNEF Council member since 2003
Mr Alexander C. Melchers has led the Singapore and Malaysia operations of the Melchers Group since 1997, steering the company’s portfolio across luxury goods, engineering services, and tourism ventures. He is also a Founding Member and Advisory Council Member of the Singaporean-German Chamber of Industry and Commerce. Since joining the SNEF Council in 2003, he has been a steadfast voice for employers in tripartite discussions.
A cause that Mr Melchers holds close to his heart is strengthening the employability and productivity of older workers. When the Tripartite Committee on Employability of Older Workers was set up in 2005, Mr Melchers served as the employers’ representative and contributed to improving workplace practices, raising the productivity and skills of older workers, and shaping more positive employer perceptions of mature workers, which was an important segment of the labour force for employers in a tight labour market. Among the Committee’s key recommendations was the provision of incentives for employers to recruit and re-employ workers beyond the age of 62, alongside the establishment of TAFEP to promote fair and objective employment practices. These recommendations were adopted by the government, enabling employers to tap into a larger talent pool while fostering inclusive workplaces.
When the Tripartite Workgroup on Older Workers was formed in May 2018, Mr Melchers again stepped forward as the employers’ representative. Together with fellow workgroup members, he advocated for gradual increase in the retirement and re-employment ages of older workers to 65 and 70 respectively by 2030, as this would enable older workers to continue working if they wished to. The Workgroup also recommended creating inclusive and progressive workplaces by having structured career planning with older workers for their career development and redesigning jobs to raise productivity and workplace longevity.
Reflecting on this journey, Mr Melchers shared: “Chairing the first tripartite workgroup to prepare the country for the new retirement and re‑employment concepts was both challenging and rewarding.”
“We undertook best‑practice study trips to Europe and Japan and then agreed on a Singapore‑adjusted concept of the Japanese retirement model. When the Act was finally passed in Parliament, both workers and companies were well prepared and the Act came into effect without major disruption or uproar. This was a big success and only possible because of the trust and collaboration of tripartite partners throughout this five‑year journey,” he shared.
Besides his contributions in tripartite workgroups, Mr Melchers serves as a board member of the Institute for Human Resource Professionals (IHRP), where he helps to align IHRP’s strategies with the evolving needs of the workforce and businesses. The IHRP is set up by the Ministry of Manpower, the National Trades Union Congress and SNEF to professionalise and strengthen the HR practice in Singapore.
The collective contributions of Mr Kuah, Ms Tan, and Mr Melchers underscore the vital role of employer representation in Singapore’s tripartite system. Each Vice President has tapped on his or her professional expertise and leadership experience to shape national manpower policies, ensuring the policies are both forward-looking and practical for businesses. From raising retirement and re‑employment ages, to expanding the Progressive Wage Model, to encouraging fair and inclusive practices, their efforts have strengthened workforce resilience and enhanced business competitiveness in Singapore.
