The poll has ended and 180 participants cast their votes. 3 said yes, 173 said no and 4 were unsure. The final result is that 96% was against the salary package despite it being supported and approved by PAP.
What to make out of this little survey? One thing, the participants are serious and thinking individuals and probably reflective of what the educated and informed Singaporean’s thinking. It is beyond any doubt that the people do not agree with the huge pay for ministers after all the reasons given. I think they are not against paying the ministers well, but what is being paid is still incomprehensible and apprehensible.
Did the PAP really have the blessing of the people by voting for their pay package in Parliament? It is obvious that the people and the PAP are having different dreams, one a frolicking wet dream and the other a nightmare.
I doubt the PAP will do anything to change what has been approved by them in Parliament and will continue with the new pay. They will take it as legally approved and thus there is nothing wrong to it. If the series of misfortunes, corruptions, flaws, flaks, faults, mistakes and acts of God continue to befall this little piece of rock, the big salary will weigh down heavily on their neck comes next GE.
The political price for going it alone without the blessing of the people is high and may be critical the next time round. This time the people is not with the PAP on this salary package. Perhaps, or maybe this little poll is not really representative of the feeling of all Singaporeans. Well, why don’t the authoritative ST with its wider reach, conduct a bigger poll to assess the pulse of the people on this same issue and give a more meaningful feedback to the PAP? Maybe it is better not to know the truth, just bury the head in the sand and all is well.
4 comments:
Shhhhhh!
This is a time bomb we don't want the MIWs to know until GE 2016.
I voted "yes" in a vain attempt to psycho the MIWs that all is well.
To the PAP internet brigade:
All is well.
Please carry on as before.
7 people(*) voted to support you.
So you now have a majority of Singaporeans supporting the new salary.
(*)3 voted yes.
4 voted dunno.
Since dunno is not the same as no, by default, the 4 votes is counted as "yes"
Cheeky. Hope you are the only one or the findings will have to be invalidated: )
Do you really think a referendum will reject the MIWs paycheck?
MIWs have no confidence to hold any referendum because they know very well daft Singaporeans could not make decision and are still waiting for the direction from MIWs.
That is why in GE2011 MIWs lost only one GRC.
Subject: Comments by Dr. Tan Cheng Bock
Annual Reporting of Ministerial Salaries.
When I was in parliament (1980-2006) I was under the impression that Ministers did not get any Pension because all office holders were required to switch from pension to CPF in 1998. Imagine my surprise when I read in the newspaper (5 Jan 2012,ST) that in 2008,two years after l left parliament ,the Pension component was re- introduced and this resulted in a further increase in salaries for Ministers. This Pension component, which caused a lot of anger, is now removed. I am glad that this is being done. However, such a trend of changing policies mid-stream is not good. Singaporeans want more transparency. To be transparent, an annual report of ministerial salaries must be published.
A Win Win Formula for Ministerial Pay.
While using the bench mark of the median income of the top 1000 Singapore earners is better than 48 high earners in the past -the formula has not changed, only the numbers. Every year, the median income of the top 1000 earners will be used to calculate Minister’s pay. Some of those 1000 would have fallen off the list the next year. But, because the current formula only takes in the best 1000 in the high earners cohort each year, those fallen ones in the first year will not be considered in the second year. They will be replaced by better performing ones. Thus it is a win win formula. Consider this; if we were to use the SAME 1000 cohort over the term of office of the Ministers in our calculations each year, we may have a clearer and truer reflection of the fortunes of our top earners. It will be a case of comparing apples to apples. This will be reflected in our minister’s pay.
Revised Ministerial Pay in Singapore
To Serve or Not to Serve. A consistent theme in the revised Ministerial Pay review is Pay high or loose Talent. We can buy administrative talent but political talent I am not sure. They are two different skill sets. One is working for Salary, one is working for a Cause.
One has obedience and self, the other is about passion and public service. In schools, we were taught Service before Self. This is an important ethos of character building. However this over emphasis on using money as an incentive goes against all that.
We must bring back the public spirit of serving as our First Call and not be constantly swayed that Money in Politics will attract talent. The review committee was tasked to review the former committee’s rational for the level of salaries for the President and office holders.
The fact that the committee has not deviated from using the top private sector earners as a reference tells me the formula was only tweaked. Lets follow the debate in Parliament and I will share more comments.
By Dr. Tan Cheng Bock.
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