People do not think very much about umbrellas. You carry one when the weather looks uncertain. You forget about it when the sky stays clear. Most days, it sits folded somewhere, untouched.

It is only when it rains that you realise whether you have one with you.

That is how Mr Jumadi Bin Abdullah describes the Singapore Mercantile Co-operative Society. He uses the word payong (umbrella in Bahasa Melayu) without much explanation, as if it is a behaviour everyone already understands.

“At times, you wouldn’t know,” he says. “Something just pops up. You might just need money.”

Mr Jumadi, who is 53 this year, has been a member of the credit co-operative for close to 27 years. He is currently serving his first term on the Committee of Management and also holds leadership roles within the SIA Staff Union and the SIA Engineering Company branch. But his relationship with the co-operative began long before titles and responsibilities.

Journey as a co-operator

He joined because colleagues told him to.

“When you start working, there are things you want to do,” he says. “You want to get married, start a family. I was also taking care of my parents. Life, you wouldn’t know.”

At the time, his salary as a trainee was modest. He did not think about long-term planning or financial frameworks. What mattered was practicality. The credit co-operative offered savings through salary deduction and access to loans if needed. “To us, it was just a place we can get loan,” he says.

The appeal of the co-operative lies in that monthly savings can be deducted automatically from his salary. There was no need to remember or to decide each month. “It’s a check-off,” he shares. “You don’t have to think.”

Over time, those small, regular deductions accumulated. “When you look back, it’s like a blink,” he says. “You don’t feel it. But over the years, (the savings) become so much.”

Stepping up within the co-op in informal spaces

As the years went by, Mr Jumadi became more involved, not through formal appointment, but through conversation. He took on the role of a co-operative representative, one of many members who act as a bridge between the society and workers on the ground.

For credit co-operatives like Singapore Mercantile Co-operative Society, this role is critical. Unlike banks or commercial lenders, credit co-operatives in Singapore operate under strict regulatory constraints. They are not allowed to advertise publicly to attract members. Outreach cannot happen through billboards, digital ads or promotional campaigns. Instead, growth depends almost entirely on personal networks and trust built over time.

“The best way is word of mouth,” Mr Jumadi says. “You talk to people during lunch or casual chit-chats.”

Much of his work happened in informal spaces. During meal breaks. After training sessions. At passing-out parades for new trainees. He spoke to colleagues from different departments and shifts, many of whom had never heard of the co-operative or did not fully understand what it offered.

“People don’t know,” he says. “They are all over the place. Different departments. Nobody talks about it.”

He would explain how savings worked. He would mention educational awards, bursaries and emergency assistance. Sometimes, he simply let people know that there was a place they could turn to if something went wrong.

“We tell them to save more,” he says. “Loan is there if you need. But saving is more important for the future.”

Today, there are over 3,100 members within the co-operative. Of which, a huge bulk of the members hail from the aviation industry while the rest come from commercial firms. The latter comprises 20 unique companies.

How the co-operative does good

Over the years, Mr Jumadi saw how the co-operative stepped in during moments that were rarely visible. Members taking loans when family situations changed. Workers pursuing part-time studies and losing overtime pay. Parents trying to manage household expenses while upgrading their qualifications.

For some members facing financial difficulties, the co-operative functioned like a buffer. “[With loans and payments plans met out], it helps them move on,” he says. “Rather than becoming economically burdened.”

Some members returned later to thank him. Others stayed in touch. A few became friends. “They remember you,” he says, smiling.

That sense of responsibility eventually led Mr Jumadi to step into leadership. Being elected to the Committee of Management was not something he had actively pursued, but it carried weight. He is also the youngest board member.

“To be in the Management Committee after being a co-operative rep is something big for me,” he says. “It’s a trust that was given to me.”

Helming celebratory affairs in the 100-year-old co-op

2026 will mark the 100^th anniversary of the co-operative’s founding. Mr Jumadi is the representative helming all its celebratory efforts for the co-operative this year.

“To know the history is the most challenging,” he admits. “I was not part of it for that long. But the history tells a lot of the story.” While the Gen Xer is tight lipped about the celebratory efforts, he hints at a do-good initiative (under the Empowering Communities Fund) in Q2 and an anniversary dinner in the later part of 2026 are in the works.

As one of the younger members on the committee, Mr Jumadi often finds himself navigating conversations across generations. “I need a lot of mentoring,” he says. “When you are new, it’s not easy for people to hear you out. You need to build trust.”

Still, he sees his role as part of a longer continuum. The same way he once relied on colleagues to introduce him to the co-operative, he now thinks about how younger workers can be reached.

“How do we attract younger people?” he quips. “How do we make sure it can move ahead beyond another 100 years?”

Despite the added responsibilities, his view of the co-operative has remained simple. It is not something he thinks about every day. It is something he knows is there.

When asked to describe the Singapore Mercantile Co-operative Society in a few words, he returns to the same image. “It’s shelter,” he says. “Trust. Long-term saving.”

Like an umbrella, it stays folded most of the time. Easy to overlook when the weather is good.

And when the rain comes, you are glad it is within reach.

By Sng Ler Jun

Faces of Co-operator is a seasonal column featuring the stories behind the Singapore Co-operative Movement. Here, we featured Jumadi Bin Abdullah from Singapore Mercantile Co-operative Society.