3/11/2011

$4,267,500 for the President

Up from $3,376,800, the President's pay is now $4,267,500. And the govt announced this in Parliament and believing that it will go down well with the people, or the people will quietly accept it. I am not sure if this is arrogance or what? Maybe the govt knows that the people will accept everything as long as it is passed in Parliament. It happened. What can you do about it? One thing the people can do, clap, clap and say the President deserves it. It is peanuts really, compared to the medical bill a good surgeon can charge. It is peanuts really, as it cost less than $1 from every resident in the island of more than 5m people. Cheap, cheap.

31 comments:

Anonymous said...

Let them take lah! Yes, what can we do?

Just do the right thing when you receive your ballot paper, to show your indignant stance. It is better than any other way of trying to tell them or express disagreement.

They are deaf, treat us as non- existent, designate us as ignorant, call us as lesser mortals and try to squeeze us like a lemon.

Anonymous said...

I say it is very expensive for a cheap skate.

It is worse than paying ransom!

patriot

Lost4ever said...

Why does an old man need so much money???

That amount can pay for good tuition for 4000 needy kids, or feed at least 1000 needy family for a year... what has gone wrong with our society?????

Political leadership is to serve the people, but its becoming exploiting the people (milking us for their own benefits)!!!

Its a SHIT HOLE for the 80 percent of us who stays on this small island they call paradise.

Wally Buffet said...

Even money is subjected to the law of diminishing returns.

What the fuck does he need so much for. All his daily needs, are provided for, in presidential style, curry cooks, housekeepers, driver, bodyguards, traffic cops to hold up traffic etc.

Do the right thing.

Donate the extra $890,700 to a charity of his choice.

Then we will really consider giving him the title of the people's president.

Fuck! I am in a very foul mood today!

Anonymous said...

There will be many applications for the next presidential election.Work for one year can last a lifetime.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

Sorry, many will not qualify or be disqualified. They have built a 50 metre wall, higher than the one at Changi, to keep all the hungry aspirants out. Only the elitist elite qualifies.

Otherwise I will also want to try: )

Anonymous said...

Many applications?

Only the connected qualify. Try to crash the private party and they tear you apart, financially, spiritually, morally and maybe even 'residentially'.

'Don't even think of it' is the unsaid warning!

Anonymous said...

The rules (more can be just be added at their whims and fancies) say there are a thousand and one ways to disqualify anyone attempting to try their luck.

It is like the Russian Ruling Politburo or the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee. They choose who they think should run, and not those who thinks he should run.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

Wally, I am sure your credential will be as good as anyone to stand for the elected Presidency.

Wally Buffet said...

Redbean,

Please allow me to live in peace and whine and rant harmlessly.

Thank you.

Anonymous said...

Relax folks. The new salary benchmark is $24.8 million. Still long way to go.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

Yep, see that coming. $24.8m. All the wise men did not see anything wrong with that.

Wally, don't worry. We don't qualify to run. Only qualify to rant.

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

In a proper republic -- in peacetime not at war -- the office of the president should be voluntary and honorary perhaps with a small stipend to keep a PA, secretary and driver and to compensate the president for his/ her drycleaning bill when attendance at official state functions is required.

The est case: 1 or 2 year term, honorary, appointed by parliament -- not voted by the people. No power -- just a figure-head.

This salary is total bullshit. The downside is a result which "elevates" the presidency -- next step -- the president has "powers"...and that is the end of story. Although a state is an "evil", the state powers should eb spread as wide as possible and not concentrated into anything which resembles a "central authority".

A small cuntry like S'pore doesn't need a president on a fat payroll. 4 million is simply ridiculous -- there is no rational basis for this pay.

Anonymous said...

does he get 8 months bonus on top of this?

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

Yes, he does get his 8 mths or maybe more.

The American President is an executive president and works more than our equivalent of a PM. Our president is more ceremonial with an attachment like guarding the naional reserves.

Go figure who needs to be paid more. No need to be too intelligent to guess the right answer. But the right answer is the wrong answer.

Anonymous said...

This is the best president.

Anonymous said...

"...ceremonial with an attachment like guarding the national reserves."

When a higher power says, give me the key, would he resist?

Give us a break. Guarding the prata stall would be more appropriate.

Anonymous said...

"This is the best president"

In terms of remuneration I suppose!

But surely not in terms of any other definition in the book!

Anonymous said...

The world's most expensive roti prata, GST plus tax free, sold only in SG.

No wonder everyone wants to be the prata man.

Anonymous said...

What's next in line....dragon robes for president of a CITY...sigh

Anonymous said...

Akan datang: royal ark against tsunami

Anonymous said...

See the fruitation of praying at Shaolin temple...HUAT!

Anonymous said...

Lastest revision to office car replacement....sQuba, the worlds first diving car

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJC7E06IBXI

Anonymous said...

Long long the "people's" president...hopefully u grant us a public holiday when u up lorry

Anonymous said...

It pays to be daft and lazy after all. This proves it!

Anonymous said...

This is arrogance of the highest order, effectively saying we can take as much as we like, election coming or not. What can you people possibly do?

Anonymous said...

Probably you will see more fully paid overseas trips from him this year to celebrate his bonuses.

Anonymous said...

One little question.

Has he completed calculating the total worth of GIC/Temasek yet?

On the other hand, my instinct tells me that he is going to need at least another fifty years to complete the job of calculating, looking at the slow motion manner of the man on the job.

He should therefore devote his time calculating the worth of GIC/Temasek, not spending the time counting his astronomical salary, bonus and wasting taxpayers' money going overseas.

The other question is whether they really do not know the worth of GIC/Temasek or just not wanting to know so that Singaporeans will also not know. Another case of known unknowns and unknown knowns. Confusing!

Anonymous said...

Like this how to win election???

Subject: Are we even on the same planet?


Friday, March 11, 2011

While the whole wide world braces for the impact of price increases in oil, food and commodities, Parliament has quietly moved to increase the selected president's salary to $4,267,500, a hefty 20.8% quantum jump of $890,700. That's double the percentage increase of the financial assistance package for the poor, which was recently adjusted from $360 to $400 per month.

If you haven't spewed your morning coffee yet, listen to this. Minister Thaman proposed the change for "recruitment of an additional staff officer to support the work of the Council of Presidential Advisers and a butler manager to meet increased demand for butler services, and the high variable payments on account of a strong economic growth". We know from Tom Plate's account that Lee Kuan Yew has two staff just to provide hot towels for his aching bones, but are there so many butlers there in the Istana that they need a "butler manager" to supervise the servants? It's bad enough to read of "higher variable payments", Tharman also uses the term '"ad hoc spending". Does the national budget also have a YOG styled "other costs" accounting entry?

Tharman tried to downplay the gross abuse of public funds by saying that the total expenditure for the "Civil List for the President of the Republic of Singapore" will be the same as the revised 2010 figure of $11,605,000. What he did not say to the public is that the original 2010 figure was $10,354,700. Why and when was the number "revised" by $1,250,300 to $11,605,000? Just in time for the 2011 budget?

By the way, while sky rocketing COEs are threatening the affordability of cars for those who need to drive for work purposes, these guys have also decided that the president needs a new office car. Are we even on the same planet?

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

Hear, ye, hear ye...all so-called "citizens"...

I hate to say I told you so, but I will anyway.

The State anchors its legitimacy and secures its continued existence because it has the ability to engage in legal plunder i.e. TAX.

As the cuntry prospers, so does the tax "revenue". The bigger the taxes taken, the more powerful, more spendthrift, less responsible, more arrogant and intimidating The State becomes.

Well done suckers -- most of you have NO IDEA how a republic is supposed to run, and this republic...is running you.

Anonymous said...

"...that Lee Kuan Yew has two staff just to provide hot towels for his aching bones..."

Goodness, gracious me, is that true? Very soon, he may need two more staff to unbutton his pants each time he wants to piss.

Isn't this something like the imperial palace in ancient China?

Hahaha