Wikileaks leak unhappiness of journalists

It is in the media, that Wikileaks intercepted a report on the unhappiness of local journalists for being restrained from what they could write and report. In a confidential article titled, ‘Journalists frustrated by press controls’, it revealed that political leaders were putting pressure on the papers to toe the govt line on domestic politics. And there was a divide between the editors and the younger journalists.

I have sensed this divide and commented on them before. Our local journalists are very well trained and qualified, coming from some of the best universities in the West. They have seen the world and exposed to the vibrant intellectual discourse of the West. They cannot be cowed to become sheep. They are talented and wanted to express and show their talents. With a freer press, the quality of their reports and the media they represent would be a totally different story than the current pathetic state that made them pedestrian, amateurists, when compared to the social media.

How could that be? The social media may have talented people like me writing rubbish gossips, but the fact is that social media are not professional media with the time and resources and the real journalistic talents to produce works of literary art. My apologies to the few literary greats walking in our midst, like Catherine Lim and a few others.

Every time I read the pieces in the media, I feel very sorry for them. They have wasted their talents and skill on writing about food, cooking, pets, leisure and about how people would want to dress on their last journey, with at least 3 or 4 pages of expensive media spaces in yesterday’s ST, and a totally waste of paper. Very anti green movement to cut down trees and dig up raw materials to print such stuff.

Give them the space and they will raise the standard of our local media and win international awards in literary and journalistic skills with in depth coverage of quality news, and not in how nice the pages were arranged, how colourful were the prints, how creative was the layout, or you know what.

We have so much talent but not put to good use. Isn’t that a pity?

Govt institutions must be freed from politics

This is the most decent thing to do for any govt in any country. The civil servants are neutral and apolitical and just want to have a job to bring up their families. Govts that involved civil servants in politics or meddling in politics will only compromise the civil servants to do things that they should not be doing. Civil servants will be caught in a bind, cannot say no or will lose their jobs or doing things that will affect their values, principles and integrity.

It is unfair for any govt to make civil servants do their biddings for political cause or agenda. In many countries, particularly the authoritarian or dictatorial regime, the fall of the regime will lead to the arrest of civil servants or their escape from their own country as they will be found guilty for working with the authoritative or dictatorial regime.

It is the moral responsibility of all decent govts to free their civil servants to run their ministries and statutory boards in the good of the country and people, without getting them entangled with the politics of the day. When civil servants are not involved, they will provide the continuity of govt during a crisis or regime change, to ensure stability and as little disruption to public services and the security of the people.

The British model of govt is still the role model for democratically run countries to follow. And the neutrality of civil servants should not only be an empty claim but must be seen and believed by the people. Only then can civil servants live in peace and not be pricked by conscience for doing and administering public policies unfairly for the benefits of their political masters.

The civil servants are people and citizens of the country. They must not be coerced or implicated by the power of the day to act against their conscience or against the people. The people and civil servants should not be politicized against their will.

I can’t imagine a new political party returned to power and appoint their own men to run the PA, HDB and all the govt services while those currently in office will have to flee.

Notable quote by Hsien Loong

‘Drawing on our reserves should only be an absolutely last resort’ Lee Hsien Loong

Hsien Loong cautioned against the worsening world economy and that the govt may have to dip into the reserves again. But this will only be done as an absolutely last resort thing.

I also remember Leong Sze Hian saying that during Nathan’s term as President, the reserves were used for something like 29 times. Correct me if I have misquoted Leong Sze Hian. I think my memory is still ok and I am not suffering from dementia. And one of the reasons for using the reserves was for SERS, en bloc resettlement of HDB flats. True or not!

Pulling down old flats to build new ones is so serious that our reserves were used. Must be absolutely last resort or else something serious would happen to our economy or maybe the new immigrants will go rioting for not having a place to live.

If SERS scheme could justify for the use of the reserves, what else can’t? I think I must have heard wrongly, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with my dementia. Hearing problem? Maybe.

Political appointments, public employees or private employees

Recently some politicians lost the election and their well paying jobs as politicians. I am wondering where have they gone to? Have they found jobs in the private sector or have they been employed in the public sector, or have they been appointed by the govt into jobs that are paid by the public coffer?

There should be no issue if they are gainfully appointed by the private sector for their talents. It will be interesting to find out if they are being employed as public employees or civil servants and how much are they being paid in their new jobs. If the jobs are paid by taxpayers’ money, shouldn’t the taxpayers want to know what is happening?

What if they are appointed as advisors to grassroots organizations? Are these appointments paid or they are doing voluntary services for the community, no pay, like volunteers to social institutions?

The irrational considerations of the presidential election

Let’s talk money. Not that this election is all about money, but it is an interesting angle to pursue. Let me start by dangling a $24 million carrot to see the temptation. It could be twice or three times this amount. A $650k Toto jackpot is really a peanut compares to this handsome reward. Striking Toto 10 times would only bring in a miserly $6.5 million. And you know how difficult it is to hit the Toto jackpot even once, and 10 times is simply impossible.

With such a big carrot dangling, it is unbelieveable that only 6 Singaporeans would want it. Singaporeans are either insensitive to the temptation of money, or simply idiots. Of course the stringent criteria just said, you need to be very rich and clever to apply. Entering the contest is as difficult as a camel entering the eye of a needle.

The next big mystery is for Tony Tan to quit his two well paying jobs to place his bets on the Presidency. If he loses, he will have lost the two well paying jobs and their huge salaries. If he won, he may win less than what he used to get. Now, which is paying more? The Presidency or the two jobs in GIC and SPH? It is bonkers if the two jobs pay more than the Presidency!

And the daft Singaporeans did not think much of the millions to be paid out for the Presidency. Maybe they did not think it was their money. And when Tan Kin Lian and Jee Say offered to take $2m and $500k respectively for the job, they rejected both of them. The Singaporeans rather pay $4m+ than $2m or $500k per annum to the resident of the Istana. And between the 4, every one of them can more than adequately do the job of the Presidency, all fully qualified and passed by the PEC. They are all suitable for the job.

The only one sensible, or a real gambler, in my opinion, is Tan Kin Lian. He staked $48k plus some expenses for a return of many times more. This is practical reasoning and risk worth taking. I may want to consider placing my bets in the next round.

Now, how much did it cost to hold such an election to all parties? The one day of holiday with pay to every worker, the number of hours put in by the election committees and helpers, holiday overtime pay means double pay. The advertising and logistics costs of the candidates. The time and effort of more than 2 million voters also cost a lot of money.

And all the money to vote for a non executive President that can only speak with the permission or advice of the cabinet! A lot of money spent really, for a virtually ceremonial President that many have voiced that they rather not have.

Heard that one candidate sent flyers to every household in the island, assuming 900,000 households at $1 per flyer(postage and sundry), this alone is a cool $900k.

Is it money well spent? I think so, with the jackpot standing at a minimum of $24m or maybe $50m.

Now who dares to accuse Singaporeans of being money greedy? So much money for the taking and only 6 are honest enough to want to have a go at it. And one even gave up more in return for less. Singaporeans are so rich now that money is no longer a useful stimulus to excite them.