6/13/2011

All talks and talks and nothing but talks

The roles of the president have been clearly stated and explained by so many political luminaries, including Jayakumar. Among the 5 discretionary custodial duties is the protection of reserves.

Nathan has been quoted in the media that he had done a lot, quietly, as the President. Presumably he must have done all that is expected of his 5 discretionary custodial duties exemplarily. While the current attention is on the new candidates to assume the office of the Presidency, would the people be interested to know how well he has done, quietly, all these 12 years as the President? Or would the people be interested to know how much has he done to protect the reserves?

One of the fundamental questions raised during Ong Teng Cheong’s Presidency was the value of the reserves. He wanted to know how much or what he was supposed to guard. Without knowing how much was there in the reserves, it was woolly woolly for him to be able to protect it. Maybe I am wrong. He did not need to know how much there was to protect. All he needed to know was that it was one of his major duties as the President, to hold the second key.

Of course Teng Cheong would not accept that kind of logic. He must know what he was guarding and how much was there to protect in the first place. The stumbling block was that it would take 52 man years to know the exact amount.

Nathan has been the President for 12 years. This is still short of 40 years to reach the magical number of 52 years. Does it mean that it will take another 40 years to churn out the numbers? Apologies, I think another 40 years will be just right for the final numbers to be known. But that is for one man to work on it full time.

I am not sure how many men are working on it to produce the numbers for the guardian. Does the President know the numbers already, or would he be able to tell the people how many more years before the numbers will be available? Any progress been made in this as it is the first thing that any president guarding the reserves must know?

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

52 man years means it will require:

ONE man and 52 years to do the job.
Or
52 men and 1 year to do the job.
Or
104 men and 0.5 years to do the job.

Assume we employ 52 men @ a salary of $100,000/year each.

Cost of dong this one-time exercise = $5.2 million.

Since it's fashionable to employ cheap foreign talent than Singaporeans, the cost should only be half: $2.1 million.

Anonymous said...

They just DONT WANT to disclose the figures ... period!
Why the hoo-ha over this ceremonial no-power position ? Position of PM, ministers & MPs got more power ; so why need such sky-high qualifications for president's post while PM, ministers , voted in first as MPs need less qualification other than cannot be criminal, bankrupt...?

Anonymous said...

At the end of 52 years, would we be hearing the word 'sorry' again with the explanation that the reserves can never be publicly revealed because it would jeopardise our national security.

Now, when once in 50 year floods are becoming normal daily affairs, no need to explain anymore. They already said sorry, so no more problem for them. Hands washed, dried and just waiting to collect performance bonuses.

Anonymous said...

Would you believe that a regime that is touted to be so efficient and able to look 5 to 10 years ahead is so very messed up about the reserves that they need 52 years to find out how much we have?

I think this is a joke. If it is not a joke, it is a well conceived con job of pulling wool over Singaporean's eyes.

What is it that is left of our reserves that they are so fearful of Singaporeans knowing?

52 years? Those who are responsible would have been long gone and do not have to answer for it. What can we do about it if that happens to be true?

Anonymous said...

Was the president paid performance bonus and growth bonus last year? If this is true, it could mean a total of $10m to $12m or abt $1m monthly. How to find out?

Anonymous said...

How to find out?

Try figuring it out, taking into account the knowns, known knowns, known unknowns, unknown knowns and you probably have a vague answer.

That which they never want us to find out, if you ask, will ooze out in bits and pieces to add more confusion. In the end, we are better off not asking.

Anonymous said...

Correction- Nathan was in office since 1999 which is makes it 12 years instead of 8 years,

Anonymous said...

Whether the President does his job or not, the Public(people) will never be affected. Whatever the President does has no bearing or effect to us.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

Thanks for the correction. Mental block. Wow, 12 enriching years as the President.

Anonymous said...

12 enriching and obedient years. Maybe, they want him to sit there for another 6 years. He, of course wants more if possible. But, after what happens in the GE, their plans may be burnt.

Unless they resort to moving more goalpost or, as Low Thia Khiang pointed out, making the goalpost smaller than the ball, to disqualify all others.

Anonymous said...

As posted by 1st Anon, it takes only 52 people one year to do the Job of explaining whatever needs to be explained regarding the National Reserve.
And if the Authority has any sense of responsibility and accountability, IT CAN FORM A COMMITTEE OF PROFESSIONALS AND OR VOLUNTEERS OF 200 HUNDRED STRONG TO GIVE AN ACCURATE AND CLEAR PICTURE WITHIN A MONTH OR TWO OR EVEN FASTER.
So, what is the problem?