1/20/2012

Political appointments are part time jobs

MPs are part time jobs as they have another job or can have another job that requires them to work full time or 8 hours a day officially. MPs that resigned from their full time jobs to go full time are the full time MPs. This is easily understood.

When I say that political appointments are part time jobs, I can see many eye brows being raised. The smarter ones could see immediately where I am coming from and could see the logic of my statement. Ok, let me explain it to the slower ones who are still unable to grasp the logic of part time political appointments.

A full time job requires the incumbent to be on the job for about 8 hours a day, depending on how many days and the organization. A 44 hour week is the norm. Take for example a minister. He could be a minister of a ministry and a second minister of another ministry. He is also an MP. He probably holds several other appointments, like Chairman of A or B organizations, or sits in several committees.

A minister who is in charge of a ministry and nothing else will have all his 44 hours a week working in the ministry. If he has two ministries, he has to split his time between the two. He also has to split his time for his MP role even though some were taken care of by other MPs or grassroot leaders. If he is chairman of two organizations, he would need to spend some time there as well. The more appointments a minister has, the more part time is he in his primary job. It depends on what is the nature of these other appointments and if they are really that important as a ministerial job or if they must be part of a minister’s jobs. If they are not necessarily a minister’s jobs, or if they are of much lesser importance, and if they are taking too much of the minister’s time, what it means is that the minister is paid a ministerial salary to work part time in his main job and part time in other jobs that should not be paid that kind of salary.

For a minister to justify his high pay and devoting full time to his ministerial responsibility, he should be doing lesser of the other lower level or non ministerial work. He can do his MP duties, which is part time anyway, during after office hours, which is fair.

So, depending on the hours and the number of part time or other appointments, a minister is part timing his minister job to look after other part time jobs or appointments. Unless those other appointments and part time jobs are part and parcel of the minister’s main responsibility.
How many of you now agree with my statement that a minister’s job is a part time job? It can only be a full time job if the minister devotes all his working hours on his minister job. And this interpretation can be applied to all the other political appointees.

A political appointee who spent too much time in his secondary appointments like sports clubs or other social and civic or even commercial organizations is part timing his main appointment. The more he spreads his time, the lesser will he have time for his main appointment.
With the kind of world class pay that the political appointees are getting to perform his main job, it is better that he reduces his time on other lesser jobs to justify his pay, I think.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Political appointees are by nature PART-TIME in everything including parenthood. They sacrifice themselves and their families a lot to work for the well-beings of others unrelated to themselves.
However, much of their works involve fraternizing, socializing with others in leisurely activities. For senior appointees, oversea travels are just as frequent.

Singaporeans must appreciate the talent, capability and superhuman ability of our ruling politicians, beside their sacrifices. Of course many will be wondering how a human can do so much. BUT, wonder no more, the politicians are only public relation folks, the job of running the state and people are duties of the Civil Service and the citizenry.

Anonymous said...

In other words...they are like tais tais...

Anonymous said...

How much time does the Speaker of parliament work for his humongous pay ? What about his 2 deputies who may not even have to work to get good money ?

Anonymous said...

Political appointments in grassroots organizations are meant to prevent key appointments from falling into members of Opposition parties and non-political passionate citizens.

This is to deny a public voice to any non-MIW person.

And also to make sure all international communications with international NGOs are channeled through MIWs.

These Singapore grassroots organizations are called GONGOs.
Government Organized NGOs.

Anonymous said...

The term "Speaker of Parliament" is an oxymoron.

A Speaker of Parliament is NOT allowed to speak for most of the time in Parliament.

Former rebel PAP Speaker of Parliament (1989-2002), Tan Soo Koon was silenced this way by his appointment.
When he was finally freed from his appointment of Speaker, he had plenty to say;
SEE THE LINK BELOW:
http://www.askmelah.com/tan-soo-khoon-spore-7wonders/

Anonymous said...

What about a name change? Monitor, Time keeper, Moderator?

Anonymous said...

Gaji Buta(Reward rather than Salary)
as our Malay Compatriots nicely put it.

Anonymous said...

This is called DEDICATION! See: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150431787997308&set=p.10150431787997308&type=1&ref=nf