12/12/2014

China’s problem is stubbornness, not wanting to learn from Sin City


China is plagued by this huge problem of corruption. Xi Jinping is now going all out to curb corruption after Zhu Rongji failed to clean up the act during his watch. The more Xi Jinping dig, the bigger the problem revealed, as many top brass are taken out of the closet.
 

China could have avoided this big corruption problem if it had learnt all the good things from Singapore. China is a good student and has learnt many good things and is now so many times richer than Singapore. Its economy is complete in a way, with agriculture, manufacturing, financial services, engineering, high tech, almost anything you name it China would have it.
 

But China is also a stubborn student. The most important thing in Singapore’s success is anti corruption. Singapore is corruption free, or nearly, forget about what you read in the paper today, because no one in high position finds the need to be corrupt. The remuneration system for politicians and top govt officials is based on paying them so that they would not be corrupt. Singapore has succeeded. China has failed badly in this area by not paying their equivalent officials the kind of out of this world salaries. If China has done what Singapore did, there will be no corruption in China and Xi Jinping would not have such a big and dangerous task to tackle.
 

It is still not too late to learn from Singapore. Maybe they need not go all the way as that would be too much given the size of China’s economy. Just go half the mile will do and their politicians and top govt officials will not be tempted to be corrupt anymore. Maybe they were learning from Goh Keng Swee’s old principles of thrift and integrity, that civil service is a calling, an honour to serve, not about pay. Goh’s thinkings were long obsolete. Now there is a new thinking, new doctrine and new principles, accepting that human beans are human beans and will corrupt if not paid enough.
 

Would China learn from Singapore in this area and rid corruption from its system?

Kopi Level - Green

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

http://www.chinasmack.com/2014/stories/civil-servant-pay-scale-reform-chinese-experts-weigh-in.html

What makes you think they are learning all the bad habits and logic from the PAP? Just watch, they will even outdo us.

Anonymous said...

Wow RB. China may take up your suggestion. Like that President of China would be paid $1b Sin dollars a year using our PM's salary as a yardstick (population of China is about 250 times bigger). Each minister would receice at least $100m salary per year liou.

Anonymous said...

10:51, you know how to read or not? Don't be a seow lang. RB said China learn the bad things?

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

What is China without corruption lah?

Boring! Corruption is basically a "market arbitrage" situation where the TRUE COST of something is paid for by eliciting a PREMIUM above the "controlled price" set by The State.

If not for corruption, a cuntree like China will still be 3rd world. or No corruption, No progress.

Anonymous said...

Singapore President salary is totally unthinkable and unacceptable whether it is in the European Union, China and USA! Furthermore he is not even a executive President, one with only ceremonial duties.

but at the least the current president can make that kind of money outside as a OCBC boss unlike his predecessor

still if you are drawing money from tax payer money this is very extravagant and imprudent expenditure considering the whole of istana presidential palace needs many more millions of to run

waste of tax payer moneys by the government

Anonymous said...

3/2011 yahoo news

The Singapore Parliament has approved a 26 per cent increase in the President’s salary as well as higher salaries for his personal staff for the fiscal year of 2010.

The President’s salary, also known as the Privy Purse, is now set at S$4,267,500, up from $3,376,800.

The amount for staff salaries is increased to $4,532,400 or $473,600 higher than that of the year before.

The President’s entertainment allowance remains at $73,000.

The revision is part of an overall increase in the manpower expenditure for the Office of the Istana, which is staffed by 62 personnel.

On Thursday, Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, who proposed that the House support the change, said this caters for the “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 at the Istana, and to meet the higher variable payments on account of a strong economic growth”.

The President’s salary rises in tandem with that of political, judicial and civil service appointment holders.

However, the expenditure for Istana expenses was cut by $25,300 to $2,068,300 to “reflect savings” on these and other ad hoc spending, said Mr Tharman. The total sum allocated for the Civil List is $11.6 million.

For the next financial year, Mr Tharman said this overall sum will remain unchanged, but the allocation for the President’s salary and allowances will drop to $3,782,000 due to lower variable payments anticipated.

An extra $610,000 will be set aside for the Presidential Swearing-in Ceremony which is likely to be in late August.

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b said...

If there is power, there is corruption. Corruption is like discrimination, it is everywhere. Can only minimize but can never totally eliminate unless power changes all the time via rotation, audit by opposition parties, full transparencies on politicians relationships, payments, assets etc.

b said...

Someone in Sg just assumed that by paying sky high salaries to officials will deter them from corruption. WRONG! humans are greedy and by paying them sky high salariesonly encourage them to cover up their corruption better because now they can even afford expert advice on how to cover up their corruption.

b said...

btw, no one question about the scientific proof on his assumption. sheepie just accept that flawed ASSUMPTION. corruption can be in the form of favours ( incl. sexual) and not monetary based.

Anonymous said...

What flawed assumption? That is an assumption of political genius.

b said...

so far, no other real great leaders think that way leh. genius or conman?

Goh said...

Why drag PRC and its leaders into the picture to attract attention when its parents fault for not bringing up their children properly.
Children should be taught to be honest and not to seek fame ,wealth or glory by ways and mean not to mention chia kopi rui.
My Ah Kong always tell me to be honest and have integrity and dignity.It fine to be poor but never be dishonest.
Always tell me to study hard ,hopefully can become Tuakow,to service the countrymen fairly and humanely,inpartial and act against injustice and corruption without fear or favor like want me to become Pao Kong .
Walau, always remind me if i choose to be a Cheng Hoo Larng,Never work for the sake of high salary or just because of it.
Live within our mean.
Its a matter how we teach the right value to our children.

Anonymous said...

Singapore is corruption free? WOW. All the recent revelations in the papers must be imaginary. There is corruption everywhere, in some cases just not investigated, not reported when found or just legalised.

Anonymous said...

If RB would to write about someone with the same name as anon 8:21's father he would accuse RB of talking bad about his father for bearing a stupid boy with not brain.

Anonymous said...

Like if there is no inflation, there is no economic growth. No GDP increase no income increase... Etc