what a powerful committee!

Age Committee The most powerful committee yet formed today is the Age Committee to tackle unemployment among the senior citizens. 4 ministers, 5 ministers of state and a parliamentary secretary. Singapore and the senior citizens' problems are in good hands.

housewives debate

The housewives or homemakers issue is going to be another hot debate. Read several letters in Today paper in response to a writer, Siao Kian Kiong, who said that homemaker is a self centred decision. Working or doing part time work is also a self centred decision. The interest is in the self and also benefits the family. And just as working is an economic activity, so is being a housemaker, which is everything a maid is doing and many things more. The value of a housewife or housemaker is not something to be trifled with. Looks like many people, after being looked after by their mother, have already forgotten the sacrifices of their mothers.

branding in singapore

Branding Singaporeans We have heard the familiar quitters and stayers descriptions of Singaporeans. Then the local talent and foreign talent, the pro govt and anti govt, the whiners, the complainers, the insurgents, the dissidents, the anti establishment, the disloyal citizens etc etc In cyberspace, there is one group, the pro govt, versus the rest, ie the anti govt, the whiners, the complainers, the insurgents, the dissidents, the anti establishment, and the disloyal citizens or whatever negative words that can be used to describe them. Why can't bloggers and forumers be concerned citizens, interested citizens, politically aware citizens, political/social observers, people who just want to have a say about our national affairs, people with an alternative view, a different perspective etc? When the govt talks about the light touch, it reflects the kind of mentality behind the statement. It is control and punishment, light or heavy as it deems fit. It is the stick that rules. Compare this with the BBC's tie up with YouTube and you can straight away see the stark difference in the approach. I quote: "As the BBC has acknowledged, I think it;'s better to embrace it and jump in," said analyst Chris Lake. "That way, you can monitor the quality and the content." Mr Ashley Highfield, the BBC's director of future media and technology, said the BBC would not hunt down all BBC-copyrighted clips already uploaded by YouTube members, but would reserve the right to swop poor quality clips with the real thing, or to have content removed that had been edited or altered in a way that would damage the BBC's brand. "We don't want to be overzealous, a lot of the material on YouTube is good promotional content for us," he said. This right to alter is similar to the govt's stand on the right of reply. The govt is free to reply in cyberspace on any misinformation put forward to clear the air. There is no need to always think of using the stick. It will also generate more healthy debates on issues and better understanding. Did I hear a renaissance? What renaissance if the mentality is to curb and control, and to use the stick? Or anyone with a different view will be branded as anti govt, anti establishment, dissidents or insurgents?

watch out swee say

Lim Swee Say on sensitive ground The TV camera showed Swee Say expounding the virtues of housewives as the pillar of our society, praising housewives as a noble thing and cannot be compared with low wage workers. But the long and short of it all was that housewives will not get anything extra from the 2007 budget. If they want workfare bonus they must go out and get a job. And there are organisations out there helping and training them to get back to the job market. Housewives are as noble as the virtues of honesty, loyalty, pillars of society, mother etc, and just that. Good to see but cannot eat. Then the camera switched to a few faces, presumably housewives. And their expressions said it all. And if that was what they were thinking, Swee Say better stay clear of the path of housewives for the time being. Housewives love what they are doing. Housewives enjoy the pleasure of looking after their children and watch them grow. That is the most important reward for them. I agree. But when money is being thrown around, public money, the pillar of society also wants to be recognized and wants some too. Words are just plain words. The Ah Huays and Ah Lians may leave him alone. Not sure about the Ah Sohs and the aunties.

pay rise for civil servants

Ministerial, civil service salaries expected to go up Chee Hean made this belated announcement yesterday. It is high time that a salary revision takes place before they lose more talented people to the private sector. I bet with the kind of starting salaries for new job entrants they are definitely having difficulties recruiting or at best getting the leftovers. The resignation at entry grade is a startling 25% while the overall number has risen from 4.8% to 5.7%. But no figures were given on the resignation rate at the senior civil servant level. Can't recollect any resignation at these levels except for retirement. Chee Hean also said that the increment will not be across the board but be determined by performance and those jobs that have been lagging behind the private sector. A good measurement of this is the resignation rate. It will be interesting to know the number of senior civil servants who have resigned to join the private sector voluntarily.