Salary for ministers, not sure if this makes sense?

[KARTer]

The writer, See Leong Kit, was a Colombo Plan scholar.

 

With all the statistics presented, I think Gerard Ee will have a hard time not to do something drastic to cut Ministerial pay to a decent and reasonable level,

otherwise ... ..............................Enjoy

 

To: Mr Gerard Ee

Chairman, Ministerial Salary Review Committee

From: Mr David L K See

(63-year old tertiary-educated native-born S'pore Citizen, who had completed full- time National Service)

cc: PM Lee Hsien Loong/Other Ministers

Opposition MPs, NCMPs

Political Commentators

 

Contents

Para 1 --- Quick Background/Summary of the Ministerial Pay Issue and the ensuing Public Anger.

Para 2 --- Suggestions to address/defuse Public Anger.

 

1 World-Infamous Obscenely-Humongous Million-Dollar PUBLIC SECTOR Salaries in Singapore

 

1.1 Quotable Quotes:

-- US President Barack Obama (BBC 11 Jul 09):

"...No country is going to create wealth if its leaders exploit the economy to enrich themselves..."

-- From a Financial Times article (TODAY 26 Nov 10):

"...In a society that lacks political checks and balances, such waves of public outrage can develop a force rarely seen in democratic societies..."

 

1.2 Very Telling PAP Political U-Turns (confirming that PAP has lost its "moral compass"):THEN (Straits Times 21 August 1989 )

"To build a country, you need passion. If you just do your sums --- plus, minuses, credit, debit --- you are a washout." --- PM Lee Kuan Yew

 

18 YEARS LATER (Straits Times 5 April 2007 )

When it was put to him that people hoped for leaders who were willing to make sacrifices and who were not there for the money, he (MM Lee Kuan Yew) replied that these were "admirable sentiments but we live in the real world".

NOW (Straits Times 22 May 2011 )

" Politics is not a job or a career promotion. It is a calling to serve the larger good of Singapore." --- PM Lee Hsien Loong

 

1.3 "Monkey Politics" in Singapore:

PAP say: Pay PEANUTS and you will get CORRUPT Monkeys!

S'pore Voters say: Pay BIG BANANAS but still get INCOMPETENT Chimpanzees !!!

 

[ Just one example of INCOMPETENCE taken from a long list --- The Mas Selamat Great Escape Monumental Fiasco, which led to Singapore (and its Prime Minister) becoming a laughing stock amongst the International Coalition Against Terrorism ]

 

"Monkey Antics" of Singapore Political Elite:

I scratch your back, you scratch mine.

I cover your butt, you cover mine.

 

1.4 Main Bug-Bear of many Singaporeans is the HIGH COST of LIVING --- arising from high cost of government; high cost of homes (both HDB and private); high cost of healthcare; high cost of transport (both private transport and public transport), etc......

HIGH COST of GOVERNMENT in Little Red Dot Singapore:

(a) A BLOATED CABINET comprising an extravagant entourage of one Prime Minister, one Minister Mentor, two Senior Ministers, two Deputy Prime Ministers --- followed by 15 Ministers, 10 Ministers-of-State --- plus 4 Parliamentary Secretaries, 5 CDC Mayors and 82 PAP MPs [ Parliament set-up, prior to 2011 GE ]

(b) A BULGING BLOATED BUREAUCRACY with 9 Organs of State, 15 Ministries and 64 Statutory Boards.

NOTE: The high cost of this Top-Heavy Government is paid for NOT from PAP Party Funds BUT from PUBLIC FUNDS (i.e. the hard-earned monies of S'pore Taxpayer-Voters collected through numerous taxes/dues)

 

1.5 PAP Government's World-Infamous Double Records:

(a) PM Lee Hsien Loong confirmed as "World's Highest-Paid Politician" by Economist/Financial Times.

(b) All the world's Top 30 highly-paid politicians are found in SINGAPORE (in PM Lee's Cabinet, of course!).

 

1.6 Singapore's fat-cat ministers getting fatter each year:

BASIC Annual Pay (Source: Straits Times reports)

President's pay: $2.6m(2006) $3.2m(2007) $3.9m(2008)

[ THIS MUCH for a largely ceremonial post (shaking hands, kissing babies, cutting ribbons, opening Keppel Bay bridge, attending charity functions, hosting state dinners ....) ??? ]

 

 

PM/MM/SM pay: $2.5m(2006) $3m(2007) $3.8m(2008)

DPM pay: $2m (2006) $2.5m (2007) $3m (2008)

Minister pay: $1.2m(2006) $1.6m(2007) $1.9m(2008)

 

 

[ Current MP Allowance (for a part-time job!) = $13,500 per month ]

[ PM Basic Pay = $3.8m per year = $320,000 per month = $10,000 per day ]

 

[ Minister Basic Pay = $1.9m per year = $160,000 per month = $5,000 per day ]

 

1.7 Justifiable/Understandable Anger of S'pore Voters:

(a) We, Singaporeans, Not DAFT !!!

Neither are we uncivilized nor barbaric to expect our Politicians/Bureaucrats to work "for free" or to survive on "fresh air and love of the people".

 

We will readily support adequate/reasonable remunerations.

BUT the above figures are not just humongous but obscenely-humongous salaries, going by both local/international PUBLIC SECTOR standards !!!

(b) How could tiny Singapore's PM be earning six times the pay of the American President and ten times that of the Japanese PM and the Australian PM ???

 

[ All the latter three Heads of State are governing very big countries with large populations, and very complex political/economic/social issues. ]

 

If Singapore's PM screw up, only S'poreans will suffer.

But if the American President screw up (and presses the wrong buttons), the whole world (including little red dot Singapore and its entire Lee Family) could go up in nuclear smoke !!!

 

© Are we paying TOO MUCH for TOO LITTLE transparency and accountability ???

Do we really have a "visionary and competent" Government or just "grossly over-paid" Politicians/Bureaucrats ???

With such obscenely-humongous public sector salaries, how can these PAP politicians ever earn the "moral authority" [much less the respect] of S'poreans to govern this tiny island nation ???

 

[ "People do not always hate the rich. People hate those who are immorally rich."--- Mr Qiu Liping, professor of social stratification at Shanghai University. MYP 16 Dec 09 ]

 

1.8 AN IMPORTANT NOTE:

(a) The above-stated mind-boggling SINGLE-DIGIT MILLIONS represent just BASIC Annual Pay i.e excluding mid-year bonus, year-end bonus, Performance Bonus, GDP Bonus, CPF/PENSION

[Tom_kkh]

I reckon.only 10 percent cut if.there is any.

 

Hopefully they don cut here and plus there by adding new allowances.

 

[Falcon1668]

Our Ministers dun want sense, they only want dollars, with many zeros

[KARTer]

  On 9/5/2011 at 7:31 AM, Falcon1668 said:

Our Ministers dun want sense, they only want dollars, with many zeros

they also want cents, but multiplied by 100,000,000,000 times

[Maxus-MIFA9]

We can expect the answer and does it matter cut or no cut ?????

 

See like public transport fee, up just weeks after election .....

 

They are quick to put their fingers on oil prices but it had been down lately and will they cut the public transport fee ......

[Gearoil]

If above was a e-mail...

 

The fat blob PaP puppet will eithier 'delete' it or placed it in the 'ignore list'..

 

If it was a letter...he'll throw it into a trash bin...

 

Writer wasted his effort!

[Evillusion]

what noncents...most of them oredy prepared to migrate once they have enuff....

[Zanter]

For a Colombo Plan scholar he sure writes poorly.

[Maxus-MIFA9]

  On 9/5/2011 at 7:41 AM, Zanter said:

For a Colombo Plan scholar he sure writes poorly.

 

His 'Colombo' Plan aka plan to go Sri Lanka capital Uni lar......

 

Not the Enka-land one .......

Edited September 5, 2011 by Picnic06

[Funner]

it is somehow true

we get s c r e w ed both ways

very pain pain

 

private transport sky high and pubic transport going up and up

how to get people to take pubic transport when their connections may take 50 man years to reach your destination

have to taken the bus or train lately - give sardine in a tin a whole new meaning

really public transport should be public and not pubic

they dont cater to the low and lower middle income - expect them to walk / cycle / to work

soon if there are enough people walk or cycle the government will make you pay licence, ERP for cyclists and so on

 

i really dont understand why our fellow singaporeans love pain

kena slap on the right cheek, offer not only the left but the forehead and chin also

 

this pubic transport business irritates me to no end

the reasons are too many to write here

 

[Rncw]

"dun pay me that much, i rather go work in big corporations...aka gahment investment corporation"....

[Tigerwoods]

Anybody die in the process of this ordeal ? No. Anyone done have 3 meals a day ? No.

So nothing's wrong with the system. Why you all complain ? Is it due to Red Eyes ? Who are you to question what is considered as TOO Much pay ?

To you a Rolex is not excessive, but to someone earning much lesser than you it is.

 

In fact there are so many of people I know supports everything they are doing and approves of paying them. Eventhough they are not even getting a cent from the system.

Therefore pls know the demographics of our society. Many people just don't want to rock the boat.

Nothings gonna change. Its business as usual.

 

[Maroon5]

  On 9/5/2011 at 7:23 AM, KARTer said:

The writer, See Leong Kit, was a Colombo Plan scholar.

 

With all the statistics presented, I think Gerard Ee will have a hard time not to do something drastic to cut Ministerial pay to a decent and reasonable level,

otherwise ... ..............................Enjoy

 

To: Mr Gerard Ee

Chairman, Ministerial Salary Review Committee

From: Mr David L K See

(63-year old tertiary-educated native-born S'pore Citizen, who had completed full- time National Service)

cc: PM Lee Hsien Loong/Other Ministers

Opposition MPs, NCMPs

Political Commentators

 

 

[Sdf5725]

this kind of email how many ppl read?

i think out of 100 ppl, 60 not agree to it. 25 against it. 15% dont like it but dont have to press on this too harsh.

[TYP]

Wa...Now I get very angry!

 

Now I know why I so poor?

 

 

[Jpcc]

  On 9/5/2011 at 7:39 AM, Eviilusion said:

what noncents...most of them oredy prepared to migrate once they have enuff....

greed has no limits. But when the grandfather's clock stop ticking, that may signal an exodus for some (has been) ruling elites?

[Felipe]

  On 9/5/2011 at 8:58 AM, Tigerwoods said:

Anybody die in the process of this ordeal ? No. Anyone done have 3 meals a day ? No.

So nothing's wrong with the system. Why you all complain ? Is it due to Red Eyes ? Who are you to question what is considered as TOO Much pay ?

To you a Rolex is not excessive, but to someone earning much lesser than you it is.

 

In fact there are so many of people I know supports everything they are doing and approves of paying them. Eventhough they are not even getting a cent from the system.

Therefore pls know the demographics of our society. Many people just don't want to rock the boat.

Nothings gonna change. Its business as usual.

 

it may not happen now. but it can happen years later. It didn't take a day for empires to collapse. And of cos, in a modern democracy, where ppl have a choice, these things can still happen. Pretty astonishing.

[Mllcg]

im afraid.

if minister pay gets cut, so will ours.

 

full payscale review.