2/28/2019

Why need two ministers in one ministry?

'Singapore has a strange system. PM Lee appoints two minister to run one ministry and one minister to run two ministries.
For example, Josephine Teo is minister for manpower and second minister of home affairs. Lawrence Wong is minister for national development and second minister for finance.
Why is there a need to have this system?'

Tan Kin Lian posted an article in TRE with the above comments and asking why the need for such a system. Singapore being such a small country, the obvious observation is that the job is too small for a minister, not two plus ministers of states and parliamentary secretaries to make it full house.

Let me try to answer Tan Kin Lian so that he can sleep in peace.

One possible reason, contrary to what I said above, the job is soooo BIG, so naturally you would need two ministers to handle it. On the contrary, the job of a minister may be so senang, so got a lot of spare time to take on more jobs, like minister of another ministry.

Another reason, the ministers are incompetent, so need two to do the job of one to help each other out.

Third possible reason, too many people need to be paid in the millions, so must become ministers and to make it like they work really hard, have appointments in two ministries, to justify the millions being paid. Maybe on this they should emphasis that instead of working 8 hours they worked 16 hours or double of what a minister normally does because now they have two jobs, two minister's jobs, not ordinary jobs.

Another possible reason, it makes going on leave easier since there is another one around to cover the duty.

Maybe they are being prudent, in case, just in case. Being a minister is a high risk job, can fall down during walkabout and get hurt. Or they are just playing it safe in case one cannot perform then the second minister can take over.

Apologies, that is all I could think of. I do not know why they need to have two ministers in a ministry.

What do you think?

36 comments:

jjgg said...

It's called payback time bro..the government so full of sons n daughters of loyal former ministers senior civil servants etc etc..how not to reward them ah.. it's unfolding right before our eyes..ministers totally unsuited to their calling being plucked out of their bank n civil service jobs etc..just so that the obedience of their fathers are rewarded. Very soon there may be 3 ministers in a department or would u prefer to have new ministries created.

Virgo49 said...

Construction Chinaman fractured arm and Doctor certify fit for duties straightaway.

Minister just have a fractured arm. Another Minister had to take over and can be on leave for several months. Just calculate how much for on leave for several months. Some more Pushing pens office duties.Not fit for duties ?

Chinamen meagre labourer wages saw fit for duties.At Construction sites?

Human lives are treated differently when you are an Elite and when you are a Peasant.

No wonder they needed Two to Three Ministers for one Ministry.Their lives more valuable.

So by hook or by crook, suck or carry balls must get into the Good Books of the PAPies to have these lifestyles.

Near GE, so many MPs wayang so many questions of the liviehoods of the citizens.

Knowing now not all may be returned to Parliament for their continued Good Lives.

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

@ Small cuntry, Big Government:

I have long argued the case that Singapore has too much government. Everywhere you go, the cheng hu is there.

Singapore’s government --- actually more like “managers of a large theme park” --- should occupy no more than 2 or 3 floors of a modern office building. That’s all that is needed. Let the people figure out the rest, and the entrepreneurial ones amongst them can do the organising, making money for themselves and creating jobs and wealth for the society in the process.

Another process I would like to see change in all so-called “democracies” is that the position of “vice” or “deputy” PM or President should follow the OLD founding-days of the USA. After a presidential election, the appointment of the VICE President would go to the “loser” of the election...i.e. the person who got “2nd place”, which would be from the “opposition”.

This is how you get opposition by “default” as it is built into the system...TOP DOWN.

So in the Singapore context, if the PAP win the GE, the PM would be PAP. But the DEPUTY PM would go to the candidate whose party came in 2nd place….in our case it would be either WP or SDP, or whichever “opposition” party is contending the GE.

There is no 100% guarantee that this would work as intended. But for the most part, the govt led by the PM would have great difficulty in railroading “offensive” legislation because the deputy PM would oppose it.

Singapore is small. The worst scenario is the one we have now: Small cuntry, Big government which getting bigger by expanding its function and scope. People are feeling less secure in their jobs. But the govt is “siphoning” more money from the pockets of the people. The people however, can’t complain because laws are passed against “dissent” and “fake news” --- i.e. content and ideas which the government unilaterally determines --- without opposition or a 2nd opinion --- is “fake”.

This system of having the deputy PM as the “2nd place winner” in any GE requires constitutional change so that it is forever “locked up” in the law. That said, it will be extremely difficult to get done. But IMO it is worth the effort, because the whole nation would then get “opposition in parliament” BY DEFAULT

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

@ America’s big historical mistake:

AFAIK, the early Americans in their newly created cuntry after driving the Brits out didn’t lock the idea of having the election’s “loser” appointed as VP into law.

Had they done so, the world wouldn’t be in such a mess as it is (it’ll still be a mess, because we are a mess-making species...that’s how you make money...by making a mess, or by cleaning it up) today due to American influence and meddling.

Can you imagine DJ Trump with either Bernie Sanders or Hillary as his VP? Trump wouldn’t have any time to start new fights everyday with some unlucky arse. He would be fighting off either Bernie or Hillary 24/7.

Here is the principle: whenever there is power, do what is necessary to keep that power from being concentrated. That is why there’s “separation of powers” in every democracy. That is why you never want to have the global situation where the USA, China and Russia are allies....having them oppose each other is much better for safety and freedom of the common people.

Anonymous said...

Hahaha....

Don't play play.

They are all super talents.

That's the reason why they are vvv highly paid!

So don't play play!

����⭐⭐!

Anonymous said...

The biggest elephant in the room is Mr K Shanmugam running 2 millionaire ministers' post concurrently, plus having to angle a GRC and takes care of his own Chong Pang Constituency.
This alone debunks all reasons given to support having 2 or 4 ministers (2 ministers plus 2 ministers-of-state) running only one ministry. No justification whatsoever, no matter how it is "justified". The Ministry of Finance should not have approved it. It is extravagance spending on Taxpayers' money.

If Mr Shanmugam can administer 2 ministries simultaneously for such a long time, I don't see the need to have more than one minister to run one ministry, e.g. Ministry of Education (one of the easiest ministry to run). Any Tom, Dick and Harry can run this ministry with both eyes closed. It is basically an Indoctrination Department run as a ministry.


Anonymous said...

// Apologies, that is all I could think of. I do not know why they need to have two ministers in a ministry. ///

The Titanic is sinking.
We need more lifeboats ... not more Ministers.

Anonymous said...

There are Superman Minister and
there are Coattail Minister
on top of Chiak Leow Bee Minister.

Anonymous said...

@RB,

All your reasons will make TKL even harder to sleep at night!

Anonymous said...

Does the tiny dot
need more than ten parliamentarians ?

Anonymous said...

The US-Venezuela War Has Just Started

Pretending to call for the UN Security Meeting on Venezuela, the US is secretly moving military forces to Brazil, Colombia and Puerto Rico in preparation to invade Venezuela in a matter of days.

Chinese and Russian Intelligence have interception US military transmissions, ordering the deployment of US military assets to Colombia and Puerto Rico for military intervention in Venezuel to remove the legitimate President Nicolas Maduro from power, so as to install the US puppet Juan Guaido as the Venezuelan President, with the aim of stealing the vast reserve of oil from the Venezuelan people.

Showing arrogance and contempt towards the Venezuelan people, the US is preparing a military invasion of the independent country of Venezuela, in total disregard for international laws, world peace and order .

Under the guise of providing humanitarian aids, President Trump is transferring American Special Ops Forces to Puerto Rico, Colombia, and Brazil. The US invasion Venezuela is expected to be along three fronts.

Pentagon has negotiated with Brazil to make use of Brazil's Armed Forces to launch the attack along side US Special Forces as a cover. However, the main attack will be launched from Colombia and Puerto Rico.

The burning of a foreign aids' truck in the middle of the bridge leading from Brazil to Venezuela is a false flag set up by the CIA to implicate President Maduro and to serve as an excuse for military intervention.

This treacherous action of the evil US Empire under the pussy-grabbing Dotard Trump must checked and defeated. All peace-loving countries and people should not just standby and watch. The least they can do is to voice opposition to such inhuman humanitarian aids disguise. If not, the next thing will be regime change for your own countries.


Anonymous said...

@All,

On a different note --- don't expect PAP to suffer much in the next GE...

As I've said before, most young Sinkies will continue to vote PAP. Even those up to 50 years old are generally quite happy with PAPies.

Especially as things have become much better for them in the last 5 years, in terms of jobs, salaries, affordable housing etc.

Latest 2018 Graduate Employment Survey

STARTING SALARIES
By Average Gross Monthly Salary (in brackets are the 75th-percentile salaries)

1. NUS Bachelor of Laws – $5,263 ($5,840)
2. SMU Law (4-years programme) Cum Laude and above – $5,256 ($6,000)
3. NUS Bachelor of Science with Honours (Yale-NUS) – $5,136 ($6,435)
4. SMU Law (4-years programme) – $4,856 ($5,600)
5. SMU Economics (4-years programme) Cum Laude and above – $4,721 ($5,200)
6. SMU Information Systems (4-years programme) Cum Laude and above – $4,659 ($5,000)
7. NUS Bachelor of Computing (Computer Science) – $4,658 ($5,000)
8. NTU Business and Computing – $4,572 ($4,900)
9. SMU Business Management (4-years programme) Cum Laude and above – $4,544 ($4,800)
10. NUS Bachelor of Science (Business Analytics) – $4,499 ($5,000)
11. NUS Bachelor of Computing (Information Systems) – $4,472 ($5,000)
12. NTU Accountancy and Business – $4,456 ($4,633)
13. SMU Accountancy (4-years programme) Cum Laude and above – $4,439 ($4,773)
14. NUS Bachelor of Business Administration (Hons) – $4,424 ($4,748)
15. NUS Bachelor of Arts with Honours (Yale-NUS) – $4,381 ($4,642)
16. NUS Bachelor of Dental Surgery – $4,228 ($4,450)
17. NUS Bachelor of Engineering (Computer Engineering) – $4,188 ($4,900)
18. SMU Information Systems (4-years programme) – $4,160 ($4,600)
19. SMU Economics (4-years programme) – $4,140 ($4,600)
20. SMU Business Management (4-years programme) – $4,133 ($4,500)
21. NTU Computer Science – $4,062 ($4,500)
22. NUS Bachelor of Engineering (Industrial and Systems Engineering) – $4,051 ($4,500)
23. NUS Bachelor of Engineering (Chemical Engineering) – $4,050 ($4,300)
24. NUS Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical Engineering) – $3,982 ($4,546)
25. SMU Social Sciences (4-years programme) Cum Laude and above – $3,880 ($4,100)
26. NUS Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical Engineering) – $3,877 ($4,100)
27. NTU Aerospace Engineering – $3,873 ($4,280)
28. NTU Computer Engineering – $3,865 ($4,200)
29. NTU Information Engineering & Media – $3,796 ($4,140)
30. NUS Bachelor of Engineering (Materials Science and Engineering) – $3,794 ($4,305)
31. NTU Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering – $3,782 ($4,200)
32. NTU Business – $3,776 ($4,000)
33. NTU Electrical & Electronic Engineering – $3,772 ($4,000)
34. NTU Economics – $3,755 ($3,959)
35. NTU Mathematical Sciences – $3,744 ($4,000)
36. NTU Science (With Education) – $3,738 ($4,000)
37. NUS Bachelor of Business Administration – $3,732 ($3,750)
38. NUS Bachelor of Science (Pharmacy) – $3,723 ($3,900)
39. NTU History – $3,719 ($4,150)
40. NUS Bachelor of Business Administration (Accountancy) (Hons) – $3,683 ($4,000)
41. NTU Materials Engineering – $3,673 ($4,000)
42. NTU Bioengineering – $3,660 ($4,000)
43. NTU Mechanical Engineering – $3,653 ($4,000)
44. NUS Bachelor of Engineering (Civil Engineering) – $3,627 ($3,900)
45. NTU Public Policy and Global Affairs – $3,619 ($4,018)
46. SMU Accountancy (4-years programme) – $3,607 ($3,650)
47. NTU Civil Engineering – $3,597 ($3,816)
48. NTU Physics & Applied Physics – $3,576 ($3,800)
49. NTU Mathematics & Economics – $3,569 ($4,000)
50. NTU Environmental Earth Systems Science – $3,562 ($4,000)

Now you know which course to send your kids to!

WSG

Anonymous said...

Hi 1156am

Why tkl harder to sleep?

No lah! He is very very free!

He got plenty of $$$$$$$$$$€€€€€€€€€!

He just write write for fun ie. tcss only lah!

So can sleep soundly!

Anonymous said...

@12.31pm

You are 108% correct.

What is your forecast? pap......%?

Really... the next ge is going to be opp parties Vs the 70% not Vs pap.

Correct?

Anonymous said...

The US has conducted 56 military interventions in Latin America since 1890.
The US has at least 45 military bases in Latin America:

Puerto Rico = 12
Panama = 12
Colombia = 9
Peru = 9
Mexico = 3
Others = ???

Anonymous said...

Winners will continue to vote for status quo i.e. for PAPies.

Hence most of the 70% are winners, earn more than $10K per month or $150K per year, every 6 months go holidays to Europe, US, Oz, etc, children all studying high-salary subjects in Uni.

Ok lah, a few of the 70% are not winners but vote for PAPies becoz brainwashed, but they are the very small minority maybe 1% or 2%.

Only those losers who are mostly in the 30% will vote Oppo. Most of this 30% don't even believe in the Oppo, but vote for Oppo simply as protest against PAPies.

Anonymous said...

@All,

Trump-Kim summit in Hanoi a big FAIL!

They have already packed up & are going home.

Stocks will have a mini-crash (I hope).

Still hoping to get some more bargains in war stocks!

WSG

Anonymous said...

Hi 214pm

Congrats! Good for you.

Hope you make a lot of $$$$$$$$$$$$$ from your war stocks.

Huat Ah!

Virgo49 said...

All that ramblings and lie and further lies without blinking his eyes.

Michael Cohen is one thousand correct to say he is a CHEAT.CONMAN and LIAR.

Not forgeting A WOMANISER and Pussy Grabber.

Anonymous said...

Trump is also thinking of Regime Change in Singapore and Vietnam. That's why he has chosen these two countries for the Bumpkin Submit - to see first-hand what the US can benefit from controlling these two countries.

Anonymous said...

Be very very careful anon 346pm.

Can limit kopi!

Be very very careful!

Haha.........

Anonymous said...

The most dangerous terrorist on Earth today is the Evil US Empire led by Emperor Dictator Donald John Trump, the conman, the cheat, the liar, the big bully, the womanizer, the White Supremacist linked to the Head of the Ku Klux Klan and the Mafia Gang in New York City.

Donald Trump's paternal ancestry is traceable to Bobenheim am Berg, a village in the Palatinate, Germany, in the 18th century. Johann Trump, born in Bobenheim in 1789, moved to the nearby village of Kallstadt where his grandson, Friedrich Trump, the grandfather of Donald Trump, was born in 1869.

This German heritage was long concealed by Donald Trump's father, Fred Trump, who had grown up in a mainly German-speaking environment until he was 10 years old; after World War II and until the 1980s, he told people he was of Swedish ancestry.

Donald Trump repeated this version in "The Art of the Deal (1987)" but later said he is "proud" of his German heritage, and served as Grand Marshal of the 1999 German-American Steuben Parade in New York City.

Trumpet said...

The won sell off after Trump-Kim summit is cut short without agreement.

Shares in South Korea plummeted, and the won also slipped.

Shares of companies with potential exposure to North Korea, in particular, were hammered
Those moves came after the White House announced that the ongoing summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Thursday had been cut short without an agreement reached.

Kim wants US sanctions lifted. Trump wants NK's nuclear weapons destroyed before sanctions are lifted. Basically, Trump wants something but gives nothing in return. No wonder Trump has become a billionaire. This allows the whole world to know how billionaires become billionaires. They always insist on taking something from you but give you nothing in return. This how they become rich. They are like Vampires, the great blood-suckers.

Really, Trump does not have any "Art" of any deal. He only bluffed his way through or bull-dozed his way through, or both - depending on the intelligence of his targeted victims.

Anonymous said...

YahooNEWS:

How Did An Ageing Jet Down One of the World’s Top Aircraft?

By Marisha Dolly Singh.


The Mig-21 has played a role in wars across the world from the Middle East to the Vietnam war. The Mig-21's classic design combined with the Indian Air Force pilot's skill has always managed to surprise the U.S.-made F-16s.
Mig-21 Versus F-16: How Did An Ageing Jet Down One of the World’s Top Aircraft.

The Mig-21 has played a role in wars across the world from the Middle East to the Vietnam war. The Mig-21's classic design combined with the Indian Air Force pilot's skill has always managed to surprise the U.S.-made F-16s.
More

February 28: India lost a Mig-21 Bison in an aerial engagement with a Pakistani F-16 a day after Indian Air Force struck deep inside Pakistani territory to target terror camps run by the Jaish-e-Mohammad. But not before a PAF F-16 was also brought down.

India inducted the Mig-21 56 years ago, and the Russian aircraft has earned the misnomer ‘Flying Coffin’ due to a spate of crashes that it has seen in the last two decades. So how did such a relic of a fighter jet manage to down a modern Pakistani jet.

The Russian aircraft was a masterpiece by the aerospace engineers of that time. The Mig-21 till today can compete in speed and maneuverability with any modern fighter jet. In 2006, it was upgraded with powerful multi-mode radar, better avionics and communications systems to give it the edge it was lacking when competing with modern fighter jets.

The Mig-21’s air-to-air combat effectiveness was given a boost after it was fitted with the R-73 Archer short range and R-77 medium range anti-aircraft missiles to increase its munition capacity. The Mig-21 Bison's beyond visual range missiles hence allowed the IAF pilot to lock on to Pakistani F-16s from a distance to bring it down.

As this was a close encounter, the F-16s advantage was nullified due to the upgrade provided to Mig-21 Bison with a wraparound windscreen giving it a similar view of the enemy. The Mig-21 pilot also has a helmet-mounted sighting system to provide him with situational awareness due to a bad rear-view.

The Mig-21’s basic design with a delta wing makes it an agile aircraft along with an increased fuel capacity has made it a dangerous opponent especially when it comes to defending the Indian airspace.

The Mig-21 has played a role in wars across the world from the Middle East to the Vietnam war.

The Mig-21’s classic design combined with the Indian Air Force pilot’s skill has always managed to surprise the US-made F-16s.

Anonymous said...

@All,

KNN, both the Ahneh fireworks & the Hanoi fuckup didn't create any shocks for stocks. Markets that I trade in all boh hiu. No bargains for me.

Can only suck thumb for now & be happy with my current holdings.

Hope Trumpie go crazy & declare full-on trade war.

That should give me some bargains. It should also cause S'pore to go into a major recession.

But as long you can tahan being jobless for 2 years then no problem lah.

WSG

Anonymous said...

Seems like too many ministers is a non issue with Singaporeans. Anyway this is something we cannot do anything about without the 70% waking up.

Since there is nothing we can change at home, we might as well talk about Trump/Kim summit which seems to have the attention of many of us on this blog, despite fact that we can also do nothing to influence the outcome.

What may have happened with the one on one talk? Perhaps Kim is too heavy for Trump's liking! As I said before, nothing will come out of the talking for another hundred years. The main issues cannot ever be addressed, namely denuclearisation and withdrawal of US troops from South Korea.

Mark my words when I say Trump is going to blame China for sure if it is a total failure of agreement between him and Kim, because Kim met the Chinese leader while on his way to meet Trump. What did they talk about? Trump would be interested to know and he would be banging his marbles if he cannot find out.

Virgo49 said...

Frankly if Dotard were to agree with the liftings of FULL sanctions against North Korea, Kim would readily agreed to denulcerise as even without their Nuclear Arsenals, their Military Forces are also a formidable force. Just a ploy to please the Americunts as China is Next as their closest Ally.

South Korea and the Americunts would not dare to attack them conventionally if they want to.
After all, Moon would want to seek
a peaceful reunification with them if possible in his watch.

If Kim is really threatened with imminent war by the Americunts and come to the worse the threat of Nulclear Arsenals, China would not simply stand aside.

China can always provide their Mother Bombs to Kim and have them annihilated the Americunts.

Just across the borders only. Their Military can move fast enough.

This brainless Dotard is too demanding that they must denulerise first. Kim would not readily agreed.

This Dotard thought that all must obey his demands.If he were just lift the sanctions. Kim would readily agreed as He would want to develop his country.

Trump would have his Dream Nobel Peace Prize and may also sidelined Michel Cohen's damning accusations.

He made a stupid simple mistake.

Anonymous said...

That's why for so many years asking you people to invest in war stocks. But fall on deaf ears.

Invest in war is more profitable than invest in peace.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

If you believe in the Indians'big talk, you would believe they could bring down the moon for you. The MiG 21 is a piece of antique with the right place in the museum. They were totally helpless against the Americans in the Vietnam War, every MiG 21 was shot down by the Phantoms. OK, the Americans are equally good at fake news.

Anyway, believe what you want. They don't develop modern aircraft to be shot down by museum pieces flown by pilots that would claim to be the best in the world with no rivals.

Anonymous said...

3.46pm, I agreed with 3.58pm anon u be careful. As he did not elaborate, let me make it clear for u.lim Kopi is one thing, u only get very tired with light shining on your face non stop without sleep. The more terrifying aspect is after the lim Kopi when they put u overnight with the African tuakee. That is when the real torture starts where u may get repeated being sodomized by the tuakee. Better bring some cream with u to ease the pain though this will give tuakee added pleasure.

Mee said...

蔡先生: "Let me try to answer Tan Kin Lian so that he can sleep in peace."


老蔡,

三十六计里有一计, 不外是"借刀杀人"。

很多政治家无论是政党或反对党为了达到目的绝大部分会 "段手择不" 去达到目的, 包括三十六计里的 "借刀杀人" ?

但, 他们(反对党或政党政治家)必须, 百分之百, 绝对的, 毫无疑问, 一定要晓得有时妄想 "借刀杀人" 却 "杀别人不成" 反而 "自己被杀"?

切记!!!

他们能想得到的谋略家就不能?

他们最终落得 "借刀杀别人不成" 反而 "自己被杀"?

看来, 到时候不止TanKinLian不能安眠, 有些人也要夜夜难眠?

那么最好是取消这些 "歪念头" 吧!!!

避免 "玩火自焚"?

(再一次)切记!!!

PS: The above is an "open letter" to "To Whom It May Concern".

Cheers,
Mee

virgo49 said...

All these limkopi or larkopi kings must have watched too many HK Aaron Cock or Andy Lau KK Poice stories.These are already outdated.

Switch to Korean Ones where they hang you upside down naked and bashed you with baseball bats.More exciting.

Or the Ang Mohs ones where they tilted you head down with wet cloth on your nose and face and pour buckets of water that you cannot breathe.

Later,they tied you like a baby in the womb and shaft you into a four by two box to spend your night.

Nearer home, see the Mats used the paddles and beat the daylights out of the Mugger who mugged the lady.

Sinkieland, follow the Guards Instructors who dunked a SSgt nearly to death and an Officer to Death. More exciting than these childish limkopi and what's bright shinning lights. Child play lah.

Anyway,those who does all these they think fun games always have sleepless nights and been haunted by their own shadows.

They will continue to bash even their own loved ones as these traits are already ingrained in them.

Further, they will have vivid wild imaginations of the Horse And Cow Faces overlooking their shoulders that they have to jump off their beds and factured their arms and am so proud of it. Still have to let the world know.

Anonymous said...

Virgo69// Further, they will have vivid wild imaginations of the Horse And Cow Faces overlooking their shoulders that they have to jump off their beds and factured their arms and am so proud of it. Still have to let the world know.//


Angkor,

Selamat pagi!

Actually heard many pple already murmuring that in kedaikopi lah . .

But Terima kaseh for reminding "some pple" that in this world, it is not "free"?

Yew "give" sthg, Yew will not leave "empty-handed"?

This time is "hand fractured"?

Next time "whole body fractured"?

So everytime want to dish out sthg to others, must prepare mentally will likely receive whatever they dish out?

Is that what YEW mean, AngKor?

Cheers

Anonymous said...

Whether YEW are opposition paliticians or not "平时不做亏心事, mid-nite (ghost) 敲门也不惊"?

Anonymous said...

Maybe it is a good idea to have more than one minister to head a ministry. This is to provide for contingencies such as when the minister falls and breaks an arm.

Anonymous said...

India claimed its pilot shot down and captured by Pakistan shot down a F16 first before his Mig 21 was shot down. Pilot statement after being caught, he was looking for targets to hit when he was shot down. He was not engaged in any air battle with Pakistan.

Pakistan also said they did not deploy F16s against the Indian incursion and happily returned the capture pilot to India as a goodwill gesture. If India did shot down a F16, the Pakistanis would not be so happy to return the pilot so quickly.

The gesture was from a side that had an upper hand, not a losing side. The losing side is shouting high and low that they won.