cabinet salary increase?

Cabinet pay May soon rise During May election, hikes in 5-7% GST and cabinet ministers’ pay were widely speculated. Now the 2nd part may also come true. By Seah Chiang Nee. Nov 26, 2006 By far the highest in the world, Singapore cabinet ministers’ salaries are likely to head for another increase soon.... Currently, ministers are paid basic annual salaries (plus performance bonuses) and, at age 55, they are entitled to collect both a salary and full pension. The President's basic salary US$1,500,000 (S$2,507,200) while the Prime Minister gets US$1,100,000 (S$1,958,000). Minister's Basic salary ranged from US$655,530 to US$819,124 (S$1,166,844 to S$1,458,040) a year. In comparison, the president of the United States, the most powerful nation in the world, earns US$400,000 and US$50,000 expenses, less than what a junior minister earns in Singapore. In UK, Prime Minister Tony Blair earns US$170,556 annually.... Littlespeck.com The rise in salary for the politicians is a good thing. We should not begruge them for their high salaries. They deserve it. Further, with the high cost of living in Singapore, we cannot afford to tempt them to become improper when their salaries cannot keep up with their Swiss standard of living. And when their salaries are comfortable enough, they too would not begrudge other Singaporeans from earning more and would not do any silly things to break other people's ricebowls. It is good for everyone. The only thing to be concerned about is to raise the salaries of those civil servants at the lower levels, ie. those earning less than $5000 pm. By keeping on a percentage increase to the million dollar earners, the income gap will surely widen. It may be tough to maintain a Swiss standard of living. But it is tougher to maintain a hardlander's standard of living.

myth 97

'Don't let averages fool you' I read this phrase in the Today paper this morning. What is Vasu Menon referring to? Property prices. He was saying that the high end prices are really shooting to the sky. Up 34% in the first quarter! Averages often hide the ugly truth. The PSI is an average over 3 or 6 hours. It does not want to show the real PSI in that particular hour so as not to frighten people. Another average that tries not to frighten people is the income of employees. It is said that the top 20% earns around $10K a month. It does not tell the top 3% what they are earning. Looking at the millionaires that we have, it is likely that most of them will be getting more than $100k a month. I wonder how organisations can pay employees so much in a month. These people must have the Midas touch. At the other extreme, the bottom 3% could be earning $300 a month. That is the real income gap that is not told. Or take the top 1% against the bottom 1% and find out what it is like.

Have we failed in nation building?

When I saw the vicious attack on a Singaporean, James Seah, in Medan, I felt so outraged. I was incensed. The video clip aired in the news showing how viciously James was beaten, kicked, and on the ground, while his assailant, an Indonesian policeman, brandishing a gun in his hand. Under such a situation, no one will dare to hit back as the alternative will be a shot from the gun. And James' sin was to ask the policemen to pay for their drinks in his hotel. They were not drunk. From the video clip, the assailant was moving around like a hyena around its fallen prey. What irks me most is that this whole episode did not evoke any sense of outrage among Singaporeans. It just went past quietly as if nothing happened. A Singaporean, viciously attacked unjustly and no other Singaporean would mutter a word. Where is the sense of pride, of being a Singaporean, or being identified as a Singaporean belong to a nation called Singapore? Or perhaps we are too successful in welcome foreigners and helping foreigners that we no longer know who we are. Or we are all international citizens living in a hotel. Have we lost this sense of belonging as a people? Where is the demand for justice, for the attacker to be punished? Or shall we still rush over to pour our money over their heads again? The attack revealed a strong hatred for Singaporeans, some say Chinese, in Indonesia. While some apologists would say it was only one Indonesian policeman, not the whole of Indonesia. Agree. But what we should expect is that there are more than just one Indonesian policeman who did not appreciate what we have done, but hated us and would beat us to a pulp given any excuse. And what did the Indonesian govt do to the culprit? Is he being arrested and punished? I am writing this as one single Singaporean and this does not reflect on all Singaporeans.

Old, immobile and lonely

Old, immobile and lonely Have no fear. Often we heard of the old and the handicap complaining about loneliness, nothing to do, nowhere to go and dunno what to do with their lives. Travelling is not only difficult because of their lack of mobility, it is also expensive. Public transport is not cheap nowadays for the retired and unemployed. And who would want to bother chatting up oldies when there are many vibrant and sweet young things everywhere? I thought meditation will be a great exercise for the lonely folks. And meditation is a great time killer for people with a lot of time to kill. But for those who insist on wanting to talk to people, to socialise, to move around but unable to, try the internet. The internet is a great tool for the oldies and the handicap. No need to spend money on transport, no need for a pair of strong legs to support the lifeless body. And no need to look good and sexy. Just sit in front of the screen and all one needs is a brain that is still ticking and good finger muscles...and travel around the world. Go places, visit the museums, countries, any place of interest, go shopping, or chat up anyone you like, even sweet young things. Just tell them that you are only 25. But need to learn a few new lingos to get them to believe. Oldies and people with physical disabilities should be encouraged to serve the net when they will be on level ground with everyone. No need assistance, no need pity, no need to bother anyone, just a few fingers. The internet can be a new world for the oldies. Who says the internet is for the young?

chasing after a red herring

There are so many discussions in the papers recently on how to improve the public transport system. There were advocates of more service providers, while some wanted it to be operated by only one organisation. The quality of public transport system, especially in our context, is not dependent on the number of operators, monopoly or oligopoly, or in whatever combinations. All these are hogwash. Discussions in futility, or discussions for the sake of discussion. What is needed is the political will to set the goals on what we want. If the political objective is to have a reasonably priced world class transport system we will have it. If the objective is to squeeze as much money from the commuters, then it will be that way. The public should not waste too much time talking about what is best. There are many super talents who have already thought of them and knew what can be done and should be done. It is audacious for the layman public to think that they know better. Just let the super talents know what are the real objectives of a world class transport system and they will deliver. Tell them you want to milk as much money from the commuters, they will deliver too. What is so difficult about delivering a world class transport system when we have the money to buy the best in the world? It is all in the mind.