10/30/2020

Too Much Pay Breeds Complacency and Incompetence


When was the super salary of ministers introduced?

That year, since that year, the pay was so good that they most probably began to think (I assume) of how to grow their cunningly-gotten through parliament windfall, that everyone of them was spending more time thinking, planning and executing to increase their instant wealth, instead of how to develop the country and the people (the only natural resource Singapore has).

The excuse used was the magic words: "Globalisation. So let the market forces dictate."

In other words, they don't have to do anything. Just let the market forces move accordingly.

What is "market forces"? They are basically manipulative people who have the capital and the cranium to think, plan, exploit and manipulate the markets to their advantages.

That means, let these people exploit and manipulate our markets, our labour forces, and our capital. So, just sit back and enjoy the instant riches acquired with a stroke of the pen through the parliament.

Now, with Covid-19 wrecking havocs to the economy, the labour market, stock market, travel market, all sorts of markets, these happy-go-lucky multi-millionaires suddenly woke up from their euphoric slumber to the horror that we need Singaporeans, not foreigners, to run our country. That we need local-born talents, not imported make-belief talents turned into instant new citizens, like the ones at MAS, DBS, and Temasek and expect them to be loyal to the country like the local-born.

It is a bit too late. (But first, get rid of CECA. Without getting rid of CECA, their hands are tied.) The smarter local-born birds have flown. Those who have not are planning to fly away too.

For example, all my three children are working overseas and are planning not to come back. They have bought REAL properties abroad which they can call their own, not the fake leasehold (long-term rental) HDB government flats sold under the fake "Home Ownership" scheme, that will end up ZERO VALUE at end of 99 years.

What are the basic requirements to live a happy and satisfying life?

1. A permanent and stable place to stay and raise your children.

2. A steady and good-paying job, not a two-year contract job.

3. No NS to interrupt with your job or your family life.

4. A variety of reasonably good and affordable food and clothing.

5. Freedom to possess what you own, not someone decide for you how to spend your savings and force you to donate your organs (unless you opt out) and force you to pay for insurance premiums for insurance policies that you do not want to buy.

6. Freedom to move around, to protest and to assemblies and freedom of speech.

7. Medical services and educational institutions that are easily reached and affordable.

Which country can provide you the above 7 basic conditions?

Think. 

SSO.

PS. Posted on behalf of SSO.

17 comments:

SSO said...

Bloomberg Report:

Singapore Overtakes Thailand to Become Asia’s Worst Stock Market

By Ishika Mookerjee
30 October 2020, 16:20 GMT+8

Singapore stocks took a beating this week amid the twin uncertainties of the U.S. election and the worsening pandemic in the West, overtaking Thailand to become Asia’s worst equity market this year.

The Straits Times Index fell about 1% on Friday, taking the 2020 decline so far to 25%, compared with a fractionally smaller loss for Thailand’s SET index. The city-state’s gauge, which relies heavily on exports, is down about 4.3% this week, among the region’s worst performances.

A recovery in the Southeast Asian nation’s stocks from the market plunge triggered by the pandemic has been hampered by the economy’s integration with global trade and supply chains, and a lack of technology shares in the index. More than 80% of Singapore’s benchmark is made up of cyclical equities -- the most among regional peers. A resurgence in coronavirus cases in America and Europe and uncertainty surrounding stimulus in the U.S. are expected to limit gains in the near term.

Singapore shares have become the worst-performing in Asia
“Singapore is particularly sensitive to global risk-off sentiment, and risk appetite has worsened from the resurgence in virus cases and expectations of a slow pace of economic recovery,” said Jingyi Pan, a strategist at IG Asia Pte. “Some of the virus-affected regions are Singapore’s key trading partners.”

Singapore Airlines Ltd. and ComfortDelGro Corp. are the worst performers on the index this year so far -- down 46% and 42%, respectively -- after the pandemic battered travel and forced people to stay home. A gloomy outlook for tourism could limit the stock market’s re-rating potential, according to Suresh Tantia, an investment strategist at Credit Suisse Group AG.

That said, valuations are proving attractive for some as the Straits Times Index trades at 13 times forecast earnings for the next year, in line with its 10-year average. In comparison, the MSCI Asia Pacific Index is trading at a multiple of 16 times, much higher than its historical average of 13 times.

Still, the index’s recovery has some way to go as investors await a stimulus package in the U.S., said Daniel Dubrovsky, an analyst at DailyFX. “The Senate is off for recess until later next month without a fiscal package, crushing hopes of an economic boost,” which will keep the Singapore gauge under pressure, he added.

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Anonymous said...

The
Worse shall be upon Sin soon.
Whoever
is wise should leave Sin
as fast as possible.
Diseases shall plague the Land of Sin with a sea of man-make disaster.


Anonymous said...

The C-19 Contagion does not discrimate. Likewise
the Diseases that are befalling upon the Sinkies shall be fair to the filthy rich as well as the pauper. There is no running away unless one leaves Sin.
A society
that is badly run, shall run the people to ground zero and lower.
Be warned.

Anonymous said...

Another Example of Complacency, Contempt and Incompetence

According to news reports, Liew Mun Leong’s (Liew) former domestic worker, (FDW) Parti Liyani (Parti), is seeking seeking a compensation order against the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) over the criminal proceedings brought against her which have since been thrown out by the High Court. Her defence counsel, Anil Balchandani, (Anil) who has worked tirelessly pro bono to help Parti to clear her name estimates that Parti has suffered around S$71,000 in losses as a result of being unable to work as a result of the charges and lower court conviction of theft.

It is noteworthy that despite disturbing revelations of the Liew family having possibly fabricated evidence to frame Parti, seemingly negligent handling of evidence by the Singapore Police Force and the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) apparently going ahead with prosecuting Parti despite not having the requisite amount of evidence, no one has officially apologised to Parti for the grievances that she has suffered.

It is also imperative to remember that while she has finally been exonerated, at least 4 years of her life had been in limbo as a direct result of these apparent frivolous accusations on the part of the Liews.

Yet despite this travesty, Anil has confirmed that while Parti is seeking compensation from the AGC, she has decided not to seek compensation from the Liews. This is despite the fact that it is precisely because of the Liews that had set the chain of events that would derail her life going.

Specifically, Parti has instructed Anil not to “add more to his problems”, particularly in light of Liew’s resignation from his position as Changi Airport Group chairman, among other roles.

In other words, Parti has, in an act of compassion, made the decision not to cause the Liews further woes, despite being entitled to seek compensation. Contrast this with the lack of empathy and compassion that the Liews displayed when they decided to take down their former FDW despite such an unequal balance of power between the two parties. One would have thought that after everything the Liews have done to ruin Parti’s life that she would utilise this opportunity to teach them a lesson that they seemingly deserve. Yet, she has not.

In spite of her magnanimity however, it may well be that the kindness is one sided. The Liews ruined her life and yet she has decided not to pursue the matter against them any further. Contrast this to the utter silence from the Liews who have yet to apologise to her.

PS: The above is copied from TOC website.

Anonymous said...

Too much pay also breeds arrogance and contempt.

Look at the attitude and behaviour of the millionaire ministers, especially those holding power over our lives.

Anonymous said...

One minister even labelled Singaporeans as Xia Shuay.

Anonymous said...

Those who can should prepare to jump ship. Sinkingland is sinking physically, economically, morally and politically.

The Minotaurs have already prepared themselves and their families to jump ship but at the same time reap as much as they can from the coffers.

Anonymous said...

"When you raise ministers’ salaries to the point that they’re earning millions of dollar, every minister – no matter how much he wants to turn up and tell Hsien Loong off or whatever – will hesitate when he thinks of his million-dollar salary. Even if he wants to do it, his wife will stop him.

When the salary is so high, which minister dares to leave, unless they decide to become the opposition party? As a result, the entire political arena has become a civil service, and I don’t see anyone speaking up anymore.

The civil service has definitely become tamer, which is not good because we need a contest of ideas. The difference is that no one wants to make a sacrifice anymore. The first generation of PAP was purely grassroots, but the problem today is that PAP is a bit too elitist."

- late Ngiam Tong Dow

Anonymous said...

Too much pay makes leaders become mere followers (of orders from the paymaster) because they feel beholden to the one who controls their salary and bonuses, the one who assesses and appraises their performance.

A-Non-Yes-Mouse said...

Owing to the pull and lure of the multi-million dollars salary and bonuses (plus side income from directorships' fees and other extenuating allowances and perks) all the imperfect, fallible men will become balls-less eunuchs in front of their Big Boss.

They will not dare to offend the Big Boss and, as a result, many wrong doings are swept under the carpets.

Yes, plural for carpets. Because they will make sure there are plenty of carpets around for things to be swept under. So that on the surface everything looks so nice and appealing but underneath those carpets are hidden the filthy, stinking items that cannot see daylight.

Especially so when the legally-corrupted system has been in existence for more than 30 years.

A-Non-Yes-Mouse said...

That is human nature. It started from Adam and Eve.

SSO said...

COVID-19: UK To Lockdown Next Week!

UK PM Boris Johnson has announced that a national lockdown will start next week.

Scientists at the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) have warned the UK PM that the time has come for national action across England. They presented him with evidence to prove that Covid-19 is spreading significantly faster than their worst-case scenarios.

The scientists, supported by the health secretary, Matt Hancock, and Michael Gove, have argued that local measures are no longer enough and that the virus could kill 85,000 people this winter. Their proposal for a two-week “circuit breaker” were turned down by most ministers. It is now thought something longer will be needed.

The React study from Imperial College London this week flagged that the R number – measuring how many people are infected by each person transmitting the virus – was at its highest in the south of the country, which meant it was likely to follow the pattern in the north, which currently has the highest numbers of cases and where tier 3 restrictions are widely imposed.

Documents from Sage released on Friday showed Covid was spreading significantly faster through England than even the government’s predicted worst-case scenario for cases and hospital admissions earlier this month.

Official figures also showed that more than half a million people were estimated to have had coronavirus in the week ending 23 October, with more than one in 100 people infected in England, up from one in 130 the previous week. There were a further 24,405 positive tests in the UK and a further 274 deaths.

Cases are rising faster in London and the south-east than in the north of England, which is subject to stricter measures, but the whole country is at a critical point, an Imperial College London report warned this week.

Nearly 60% of England’s population is now subject to tier 2 or tier 3 measures, barring households from mixing indoors.

Without intervention it was “only a matter of time” before most, if not all, of the country would face such restrictions, Dr Mike Tildesley warned.

Tildesley, an epidemiologist from the University of Warwick, helped produce a “reasonable worst-case scenario” for the modelling sub-group of Sage, which warned that 85,000 people could die from Covid this winter.

He told the Guardian: “As epidemiologists we need to think about the impact on public health and that’s really key, but I think it’s important for us to acknowledge that the general public has had a pretty rotten year [but] I don’t think any of the science group would advocate that we should remove all restrictions at Christmas – it’s clear that that’s not possible.

Dr Julian Tang, a consultant virologist at Leicester Royal Infirmary, said: “If we started now I would say you’d need at least six weeks of lockdown with total compliance across the nation. The government would have to fund that because the economy would be catastrophically hit.

“Unfortunately after Christmas and new year the cases are going to rise again, but if we want that break we might have enough drop in the reproduction number to give everyone a break … If you say ‘if you want to save Christmas from the coronavirus Grinch’, then I think people will do it.”

Linda Bauld, a professor of public health at the University of Edinburgh, said tighter restrictions in the devolved nations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland seemed to be working and that England should follow suit with a national circuit breaker.

“I think it should be done, I don’t really see any other options, but I don’t think it would allow us to have a normal Christmas,” she said. “However, I would hope if you did have a circuit breaker it would bring the whole country in line with tier 1 by Christmas.

AB said...

The obscene salary for ministers has undone all the hardworks that Lee Kuan Yew and the Old Guards had done. This will be the legacy of the 2G, 3G and 4G leaders, and future leaders of Sin if nothing is done to correct this undeserved and undesirable national disgrace.

Anonymous said...

Singapore Inc. Life goes on. Anything not pleasant will be swept under the carpet. It has now become a very big carpet. The rich gets ricer and Singaporeans in general live life like zombies, caring only for food and shopping at sales or discount. Singaporeans kpkb lots but when it comes to making a serious decision like the GE vote, they turn into greedy parasites swayed by the chicken wings thrown out by the government. Sorry to be very blunt but we all know this this true.

Anonymous said...

It's not just about the British or European or American. It's also an early warning to Singapore leadership and Singaporeans at large.

The way this Covid-19 is still being handled in a laxed manner by the Health authorities tells me that the next big wave of infections can come any moment.

1984 George Orwell said...

If the trend continues, Singaporeans are heading towards Extinction.

Self-destruction tendency is very high both at leadership level as well as at the ground level.

When meek sheep are led by wolves, the only result is the total demise of the flock.

Anonymous said...

Demise and Extinction of the Native Sinkies is inevitable, when they avoid to procreate and much less propagate.
The
Challenges of Survival in Sin is real. Anyone who is prescient of the lncompetence of the Sin Leedership will not want to make anymore being to suffer. Conscience shall be pricked, if one is not able to care well for their youngs.
Sin
is a sick place and getting more sickening under a most incompetent yet greedy to no end rulers.
So,
it is wise to leave Sin as soon as possible.

SAD.