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'Terrible' work-life balance, but highest morale: George Yeo on MFA and MTI

Former foreign minister George Yeo said public service surveys conducted during his time in government found that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) had "terrible" work-life balance, but the highest morale.Speaking on The Mishal Husain Show Live from Singapore on Tuesday (Sept 22), Yeo said the apparent contradiction showed that "sometimes unhappiness may...

AsiaOne Singapore2026-09-23 18:25查看原文 ↗

'Terrible' work-life balance, but highest morale: George Yeo on MFA and MTI

Speaking on The Mishal Husain Show Live from Singapore on Tuesday (Sept 22), Yeo said the apparent contradiction showed that "sometimes unhappiness may be a precondition for achievement".

Yeo made the remarks during the programme, where he appeared alongside former United Nations Security Council president Kishore Mahbubani to discuss Singapore and an increasingly multipolar world.

During the discussion, host Mishal Husain pointed out that Singapore ranks among the world's top 20 wealthiest countries, while also being among the most unhappy.

It was not immediately clear which ranking she was referring to.

"So why do you think that's the case?" Husain asked.

Yeo responded by recalling a remark from Singapore's first prime minister Lee Kuan Yew.

"I always remember Lee Kuan Yew reminding us, 'never promise happiness'," he said, drawing laughter and applause from the audience.

"We can promise economic development, infrastructure, education, whatever, but never promise happiness."

Husain then asked whether Yeo was therefore "not bothered" that Singapore appeared on a list of the world's 20 unhappiest countries.

In response, Yeo cited his experience in government, saying public service surveys conducted during his tenure found that both MFA and MTI fared poorly on work-life balance.

"I'm proud to say that when I was in Trade Ministry, Foreign Ministry, the public service conducted surveys of which ministries had the best work-life balance," he said.

"Both MTI and MFA had terrible work-life balance."

The comment prompted further laughter from the audience.

"But we had the highest morale," Yeo added. "So sometimes unhappiness may be a precondition for achievement."

Mahbubani chimed in, saying: "I agree, I agree."

Husain responded: "Ok, you're both quite hardcore on this front."

The exchange drew reactions online, with some commenters criticising the remarks.

One commenter under the post on Bloomberg's Instagram described Yeo's view as "glorifying over working culture", while another called it a "very dated and tone-deaf take", saying that Singaporeans would appreciate recognition of the issue and efforts to recalibrate the work culture.

Another commenter questioned the basis of Husain's claim, writing: "I wonder where she gets her data. Cuz a quick Google shows Singapore sitting at 34 in happiness and not in top 20 in unhappiness."

While Husain did not specify which happiness ranking she was referring to, the World Happiness Report ranked Singapore 36th out of 147 countries and territories in 2026, making it the highest-ranked Southeast Asian country in the survey.

Others agreed with Yeo's broader point that happiness is ultimately an individual pursuit rather than something governments can guarantee. One commenter wrote: "The government cannot provide happiness. Government can however, provide the economic and social conditions that allow people the luxury of pursuing their own happiness."

asyiqin.nadzri@asiaone.com

前外交部长杨荣文表示，在他任职期间进行的公共服务调查发现，外交部和贸易及工业部的工作与生活平衡“糟糕”，但士气最高。

周二（9 月 22 日），杨在新加坡的 Mishal Husain Show 直播节目中表示，这种明显的矛盾表明“有时不快乐可能是成功的先决条件”。

杨荣文在节目中发表了上述言论。当时，他与前联合国安理会主席马凯硕一同出席，讨论新加坡和日益多极化的世界。

在讨论中，主持人米沙尔·侯赛因指出，新加坡是世界上最富裕的 20 个国家之一，同时也是最不幸福的国家之一。

目前还不清楚她指的是哪个排名。

“那你觉得为什么会这样呢？”侯赛因问道。

杨荣文回应道，他引用了新加坡首任总理李光耀的一句话。

“我一直记得李光耀先生告诫我们‘永远不要承诺幸福’，”他说，引得观众哄堂大笑，掌声雷动。

“我们可以承诺经济发展、基础设施、教育等等，但永远无法承诺幸福。”

胡赛因接着问杨是否因此“并不在意”新加坡出现在全球最不幸福的 20 个国家名单上。

对此，杨荣文援引他在政府部门的工作经验，称在他任职期间进行的公共服务调查发现，外交部和贸工部在工作与生活平衡方面都表现不佳。