1/18/2012

Exceptional country, exceptional solution

We must see ourselves as the number one place to live for exceptional people. We must be an exceptional country and for that, the pay of our political leaders must be exceptional. We want the best and we shall pay the best salary in the world to get the best talent the world can provide.

So far every suggestion and proposal for the minister’s salary is arbitrary. The logic is arbitrary logic, selective and some may say self serving. The team making the recommendation chose who they want to compare with, chose the criteria they want to ensure that the pay is still in the millions. Chose to treat ministers like employees, call it pragmatic or to be unkind, mercenary. Chose to motivate them like employees of a company instead of leaders of a country leading the people by their exemplary conduct and dedication.

Let me suggest another selective arbitrary proposal. Pick ten of the world’s top countries, on any criteria, logically should be first world or developed advanced countries, not kingdoms or sheikdoms, and take the salary of their heads of govt for reference. Include all the perks that are measurable and relevant. Forget about Air Force One. It is a stupid comparison.

Convert all their perks into monetary terms and add them to their salaries. At the end of the exercise, take the average number, in monetary terms, and pay them to our head of govt. The rest of the ministerial salary can be a percentage of that. No one then can argue that there is no real comparison because these leaders have other perks. We add in the perks.

I think this formula should provide a handsome income to our ministers. And make it clean, no more other incomes or perks or bonuses. It is arbitrary but arbitrarily fair and logical. And like the Worker’s Party suggested, make the total payout public. It cannot be a case of clean and transparent but cannot tell. There should be nothing to be ashamed of that cannot be made public. Unless all the claims of transparency and clean wage is hogwash. Please tell.

The only unfair bit is that the talents may not live up to it as our talents come from a small pool of self proclaimed elite. Nevermind, be generous and aim to be an exceptional country with exceptional leadership. It may look like an aspiration, an idealistic goal, but we need to start somewhere. And starting with an exceptional salary for our leaders is a good start in the right direction.

20 comments:

Divali said...

[ST Forum: Accept disagreement and let's move on] "As our ministers are among the best-paid in the world, who can reply 'yes' without sounding greedy? Facing this subjective moral debate, the PAP is in unfamiliar territory - the lower end of an unlevel playing field."
http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/STIStory_756792.html

Anonymous said...

hahaha ... pinky thinks he has got supermen for the millions he is paying them ... doesn't he know many of them are nitwits??? hohoho .... he says that other world leaders privately tell him that they wish they can have pap kind of salaries.Doesn't he know that they are juz saying to make him happy n inwardly thinking he is most immoral??? pui !!!

Divali said...

[Flogging A Dead Horse]
"Instead of sacking his epic fails, Lee would "move them to less demanding portfolios". Which explains why Vivian Balakrishnan is now "jaga longkang" (Malay for "custodian of drains"), but still drawing $1.1 millions after the "pay cut".

http://singaporedesk.blogspot.com/2012/01/flogging-dead-horse.html

Anonymous said...

Exceptional citizens to fill up the formula, that's through education of scrutizing things and making sound judgement for individual, commnity and the nation.

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

I sum up the culture as follows :

Singapore is a small cuntree which requires a large all encompassing government to manage the affairs and keep the people in line.

... And so the people get their wish

Anonymous said...

PAP is much clever than that.

Since they claimed that other countries are either NON-transparent or corrupted,they already told you:you do not know how much they made,but we know we are the poorest!

How to beat that!

BTW,WP MP Yaw made an excellent suggestion,since we claim we are the only transparent country,why not publish them evey year,to substantial our claim to the world.

Not a bad idea.

Anonymous said...

~Which explains why Vivian Balakrishnan is now "jaga longkang" (Malay for "custodian of drains"), but still drawing $1.1 millions after the "pay cut". ~
True, we all know that. At least Lee is honest but never pointed out who.

Anonymous said...

Exceptional oppositions too.
It's not just about the time to debate on political salaries. It's also about the time for Singaporeans which type of oppostions we want.
Equally important is the existing opposition parties (with or without elected MP)which type / philosophy of opposition do Singapore and Singaporeans need and adust accordingly. Or else, for some opposition party, the next election is your last chance to prove yourself.

Anonymous said...

Wrong system of pay will get you the wrong team...PM

Think we already got the wrong team.

Anonymous said...

The people gave the leaders the mandate to pay themselves.
So, what is the complaint about?

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

No way. The people get the government they deserve. ALWAYS. Without exception.

Anonymous said...

Partially correct. They gave them a blank cheque but did not know how much they wrote on the cheque.

Anonymous said...

Non-WP opposition parties,
stop thinking about spotting the PAP's weaknesses (this is not really important at the moment).
Think about your own market positioning and survival.

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

Please lah. Don't make excuses. Every cuntree has people. Ultimately the fate of that cuntree is collectively determined by how the people use their brains, and what the culture is.

I give Singapore a 50-50 score. Half the people are rational, hardworking and on the road to wealth and success, and the other half disgusting losers, who unfortunately are illegal to kill under Singapore law :-)))

Anonymous said...

~who unfortunately are illegal to kill under Singapore law ~
Indirectly suggesting that legalise the mass killing to get rid of the plain losers.

Anonymous said...

Dun need to legalise the killings. Just continue to withhold CPF and raise health care cost , enuf oredi. Dun even need to legalise any killing.

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

Anon 109

What's indirect about my suggestion?

Nature already kills her losers. ;-)

Anonymous said...

~Nature already kills her losers.~
It takes time then.
Why not an easy, effective and efficient way - legalised way?
You are actually directly tell us that.
Sorry to use the word "indirectly".
I stand corrected.

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

Go ahead, smarty arsesy. Go ahead and legalise killing the losers. Then inform me, because I'm always looking for new ways of amusement ;-)

Anonymous said...

~Then inform me, because I'm always looking for new ways of amusement~
No point of informing you, you are one of them even you are not in the country.