The most lucrative part time job

Anyone looking for a part time job will be resigned to the fact that it comes with no job security and a paltry allowance. But this is not true in the uniquely Singapore context. The part time job of a Member of Parliament comes not only with job security for 4 years, could be a life time, and with a handsome allowance which many CEOs may not even smell. This part time job offers an allowance of more than S$13k per month, with a 13th month bonus, with a productivity bonus or maybe 3 to 4 mths and with a GDP bonus that is 8 months for this year. All in all the total bonus could be something like 12 to 15 mths. Not bad really, for a part time job. And the perks of being appointed as directors or chairman of public listed companies and public companies….Really bee tang. The next best job is a full time job that some may reckon as a vacation in a palace. But this is not true as it comes with really heavy responsibilities. Anyway, it pays S$4m a year plus all the perks of a presidency and, yes, the same number of months of bonuses as an MP. The total payout for year 2011 could be more than S$8m! Where on earth can one find such lucrative part time and full time jobs?

Bad eggs

Here are two samples of half boiled eggs that I ate this morning. Both were placed in the same container of hot water for 7 minutes. Did not feel comfortable and went to the toilet twice after that. One egg is more normal with the egg white fairly well formed. The egg white of the other is loose, powerdery, like diaorrhea but white in colour. Egg white should not be in such condition. The question is, is this kind of egg safe to eat? Is there anything seriously wrong with it? It may not cause immediate harm now, like a little dosage of radiation, but over time, prolonged exposure/consumption, could it lead to a kind of slow death or sickness?

YES! Startups Scheme

I read about this scheme in the Sunday Times. YES stands for Youth Entrepreneurs Scheme. It is a scheme specially designed to help young people to start their own business, and many young entrepreneurs have done that. Started in 2008, the scheme has given grants to 72 applicants worth $3.5m. To be eligible for the scheme the applicants must qualify under the following criteria, • Singaporean/PR, below 26 years old. Parental consent must be sought for those applicants 18 years old and below on the date of application • 1st time entrepreneur • key driver in the company This is a good scheme as it opens up another avenue to the young people instead of applying to become employees. It encourages entrepreneurship, self employment and risk taking. In view of the healthy pool of retirees that are unwanted as employees, and with the understanding that they have another 15 or 20 more years of living to get by, it may be opportune for Spring Singapore to consider setting up a similar scheme for the oldies who still need to earn a living or who may want to try out something new in the new phase of their lives. Life does not end after 55 or after retirement. A new pool of manpower that is self employed and not dependent on applying for jobs and would not stress up the job market. The above criteria may have to be amended to suit the background and experience of the oldies. There are more and more of them coming into the workforce but only to hit the great wall of corporate Singapore that sees nothing good except youth. YES, youth is what living is all about. How about a little thought for the oldies, the yodas? Have another version of YES, Yoda Enterpreneurs Scheme, for the ‘has beens’ may be timely given the govt’s push for the oldies to be independent, resourceful and be useful to themselves and society. There are many campaigns to teach the oldies how to keep themselves alive and active, but unproductive. They are still dependent on their CPF and savings to carry on. Boon Heng may have slipped his mind on how to make the oldies young entrepreneurs again and live life to the fullest, and be useful and creative again. Just make sure they don’t indulge in it in the biological sense.

Singapore has priced honesty correctly

A Singaporean, I presumed, Kanagasabai Haridas wrote to the ST forum with the above heading. I am trying to grasp what is his real message, a statement of approval or a poke at the issue of honesty and corruption in the city state? Kanagasabai mentioned four reasons why Singapore must pay the price to prevent its govt officials from going the corrupt way, by paying them of course. First we are a young country and the spirit or culture of goodness or incorruptibility is lacking. No choice but to pay or bribe. Two, the turnover of ministers in other countries are high. Our ministers remained in the job for a very long time, ie more opportunity and temptation to be corrupt. So the longer they stay in the job, the higher must they be paid to prevent them from becoming corrupt. This is very logical. Three, the candidates came to office relatively poor and wanted to make their fortune. Unlike the example of Hank Paulson who could serve the country out of conviction alone, the case of candidates that have not made their fortune is precarious. He added that in the American case, the candidates could also leave the govt and ended in high paying cosy jobs which Singapore did not have that luxury. More reasons not to pay exceptionally well. Finally he said Singapore leaders could not go on a lecture circuit to make their money after leaving office. This is true. So must make the fortune while in office. The bottom line of Kanagasabai’s position is that money is the main motivating factor and money must be paid to keep a person from becoming corrupt. This is exactly the same as the govt’s position. People may agree or disagree with his version of human goodness and motivation. If he is right, then we should revise our govt’s pay formula and forget about pegging them to the market. Just measure the corruptibility index of the person. Pay the person the amount to keep him from becoming corrupt. This is easier I think. But if this assumption is correct, it will also mean that the corruptibility index will rise over time or will follow the course of inflation. The higher the inflation, the higher will be the corruptibility index, and the more must be paid, or else corruption will be rampant. It is sad if we have to pay people to keep them from becoming corrupt. It defeats the purpose of education, in schools and in religious quarters, or in families. There is no need to teach about ethics, morals and goodness. Having said this, I have to agree that pragmatism prevails. Pay and pay for good govt must be the mantra for a young country that has not developed a culture of goodness, honesty and high morals. It is all about money.

Is it bravery or stupidity?

Some foreigners including Singaporeans are staying put in the Fukushima Prefecture. They claimed that they were not fair weather residents who would run at the first sign of trouble. They sneered at those foreigners fleeing Tokyo/Japan. There was a sense of pride, bravery and commitment, that they will not abandon Japan just because they were foreigners. The issue is whether the place is safe. The Japanese authority has been repeatedly trying to calm nerves with statements that the radiation fear is low. Tokyo is safe, water level is also safe now, amidst more cases of radiation spreading in food and vegetables to harmful levels in Tokyo itself. PM Naoto Kan in his grim message also acknowledged that the situation in Fukushima is grave. What is the difference between safe and grave? Evacuation order was given to those staying within the 20 km radius of the ailing nuclear power plants. The Americans ordered their citizens to stay clear of 80 km. Between these two safety limits there must be something not told or said. Or the Americans are just plain chicken and the Japanese have a higher tolerance for radiation? The cases of severe radiation levels on the Fukushima workers are surfacing. Japanese travelling abroad are also found to have unsafe level of radiation. How safe is Fukushima and Tokyo and the surrounding areas? Key point to note, no high govt officials are seen visiting the area. Today’s ST headlined, ‘Signs of breach raise radiation fears.’ The 3rd reactor, the most dangerous one, is apparently found to be leaking. How much and how severe will this leakage be as time goes on? What are the consequences of those exposed to the radiation continuously by choosing to stay in Fukushima when they don’t have to? Many things are not told for sure. Many things are better not said for fear of creating panic. Is it responsible or irresponsibility to try to calm nerves and allow people to continue to be exposed to the radiation hazard in the surrounding area? Is it grave or safe?