I read this report from a Elena Torrijos in Yahoo News, Singapore. This is her first 2 paragraphs.
Updated (6.24pm)
Singapore ministers, among the highest-paid in the world, should have their salaries cut by 37 per cent to S$1.1 million and their pension benefits stripped, the panel to review political pay said in a press release to the public on Wednesday.
Singapore ministers are only among the highest paid in the world, not the highest. This must be a consoling news from Yahoo.
Is this what the reporter is saying? Or at least this is the impression I am getting. Maybe she knows something that I don't.
1/05/2012
What is the maximum payout possible?
The Today paper has a chart listing the amount that could be paid out to a political appointment holder under the current framework.
1. 12 mths basic salary
2. 1 mth NPAA
3. 1 mth Special Allowance
4. 2 mths Public Leadership Allowance
The above are fixed or guaranteed. Thus an appointee will get 16 mths of his basic salary. Below are the variables.
5. 0-1.5 mths Annual Variable Component
6. 0-14 mths Performance Bonus
7. 0-8 mths GDP Bonus
Put the two parts together and looking at the maximum it means that a political appointment holder could get a maximum of 16 mths + 23.5 mths in total annual salary, or 39.5 months.
It would be unlikely that many of them would be getting this full sum, but there should be a few of the super talented ones getting them, 39.5 mths or 3.29 times of annual salary. So if a minister is getting $2m, his annual income could be $6.58m. And if the PM is $3 his annual income could be $9.87m! This is theoretical of course.
Last year was a good year with GDP at a record high, like 15%. How to get such a phenomenal growth rate is short of miraculous indeed. It must be raining gold from heaven. Did any of the good performers get the max, or how many get near to the 39.5 mths, or 36 mths not to be too ambitious?
1. 12 mths basic salary
2. 1 mth NPAA
3. 1 mth Special Allowance
4. 2 mths Public Leadership Allowance
The above are fixed or guaranteed. Thus an appointee will get 16 mths of his basic salary. Below are the variables.
5. 0-1.5 mths Annual Variable Component
6. 0-14 mths Performance Bonus
7. 0-8 mths GDP Bonus
Put the two parts together and looking at the maximum it means that a political appointment holder could get a maximum of 16 mths + 23.5 mths in total annual salary, or 39.5 months.
It would be unlikely that many of them would be getting this full sum, but there should be a few of the super talented ones getting them, 39.5 mths or 3.29 times of annual salary. So if a minister is getting $2m, his annual income could be $6.58m. And if the PM is $3 his annual income could be $9.87m! This is theoretical of course.
Last year was a good year with GDP at a record high, like 15%. How to get such a phenomenal growth rate is short of miraculous indeed. It must be raining gold from heaven. Did any of the good performers get the max, or how many get near to the 39.5 mths, or 36 mths not to be too ambitious?
Own target, own time, fire!
The Americans are superb in mobilizing mass thinking to serve their own interest. They raised a few targets, gave them some names that people loved to hate, and viola, the masses of the world will be attacking the targets and forget about what is happening around them. The silly Asians are hating the Iranians, the Iraqis, the North Koreans happily and obsessively.
In the army, many males Sinkies will be familiar with the command, ‘At your own target, at your own time, fire!’ And the soldiers will be furiously firing at the raised targets in front of them, oblivious of what is happening around them.
What have all these got to do with the current big hooha on ministerial salary review? A big set of numbers are given to the people and all are happily digesting them and firing at them like good soldiers. Does anyone bother to step back and check if the numbers given are accurate or the numbers that they should really be looking at? As an example, the annual salary of a minister is $2,368,500. Is this what the minister really gets as his annual income? Are the bonuses included, and if not, do they want to know what is the total annual income? In other words, what is the real total annual income of a minister, excluding the minor perks? Are there other incomes that need to be included? Does a minister still collect his MP allowance? How many other appointments is he holding and being paid as well?
Are the numbers giving a full and complete picture of the income of a politician/MP/Minister? While everyone is happily firing, do they want to take a step back and examine if they are getting the full picture and firing at the target they should be firing at?
In the army, many males Sinkies will be familiar with the command, ‘At your own target, at your own time, fire!’ And the soldiers will be furiously firing at the raised targets in front of them, oblivious of what is happening around them.
What have all these got to do with the current big hooha on ministerial salary review? A big set of numbers are given to the people and all are happily digesting them and firing at them like good soldiers. Does anyone bother to step back and check if the numbers given are accurate or the numbers that they should really be looking at? As an example, the annual salary of a minister is $2,368,500. Is this what the minister really gets as his annual income? Are the bonuses included, and if not, do they want to know what is the total annual income? In other words, what is the real total annual income of a minister, excluding the minor perks? Are there other incomes that need to be included? Does a minister still collect his MP allowance? How many other appointments is he holding and being paid as well?
Are the numbers giving a full and complete picture of the income of a politician/MP/Minister? While everyone is happily firing, do they want to take a step back and examine if they are getting the full picture and firing at the target they should be firing at?
Ministerial Salary Recommendation – My take
We have heard it and everyone is talking about it. Great formulas and reasons given to support the recommendations, but it is still not right. The principles and concepts are all wrong, and as such the recommendations are still stuck in the mud, with basically the same old ideas with a little cosmetic changes here and there. There is nothing innovative or new about the recommendations.
The big mental trap is that everyone is still treating political appointments as an employment. So you have things like AWS, bonuses, performance evaluation, reward for good performance etc etc, and money, money and money.
In the first place we are dealing with responsible adults who stepped forward to serve the people and country in the highest office. There is no issue of performance. Every one of them is expected to be highly motivated and committed. And they cannot afford to slack or skive as they are under the spotlight 24/7. Absence and sleeping in parliament are all being watched. Hey, we are not dealing with 20 year old kids who applied and got employed but not really interested in what they are doing. Political office is a public commitment.
Politicians are elected by the people to serve for a fixed term of office. And the last thing that they should be concerned with is money, how much they could get as extras, how much bonuses to hope for if they work harder or the economy is doing better or worst. The money as a motivation factor should be removed from their thinking altogether. This will free them from the money halo that hangs over their heads, and allow them to do their jobs objectively, without having to weigh the odds of how it would affect their income.
A simple fixed sum should be paid to them annually for the duration of their office. The salary can input all the extra perks, AWS or bonuses etc just a simple package. Period. No complicating and confusing formulas, no worries of more variable bonuses, and no money thoughts in their minds. Remove the money equation and political leaders would not be burdened with the money fixation. It is so pathetic to imagine politicians nervously waiting to know how much they will be getting as bonuses at the end of the year. Stop that.
The remuneration system must build in dignity in public office. Pay them well and do not let them be embroiled like employees begging management for more year end bonuses. Political leaders must be above this and carry themselves with dignified confidence.
Forget about performance appraisal. The assessment of their performance must be by the people, the voters. And the reward and approval for a job well done is to be re elected, no extra money from performance related formulas. They are expected to perform, nothing less.
There is no need for the PM to appraise other ministers or MPs to reward them using public funds. It only introduces subjectivity and biases as there are ruling party MPs as well as opposition MPs. Who is to reward opposition MPs with public money? Without this appraisal by the PM, the ministers and MPs have no obsession to please him instead of pleasing the people by doing a good job.
The PM may want to assess his own ministers/MPs for his own reasons, but who cares? Corporations use appraisal for other purposes, promotion, training, career development, monetary rewards etc. These are irrelevant to political appointments which are elected by the people on a fixed term. After each term, if not elected, out he goes. What career development, training and development and more monetary perks? Now, did I hear some politicians are being trained in office and paid by public money?
Performance evaluation is a party matter, maybe to gauge whether to field the candidate again or to slot him into a minister post. Don’t drag public money into it as in principle it is difficult when OPM is involved. They can pay with their own party funds if they like, then no one will mind.
The idea of employment and terms of employment, of monetary rewards, must be erased totally and be replaced by a simple fixed income for simplicity, transparency and minimal complications. No one needs to double guess what the politicians are getting or what they are up to. The politicians should just do their jobs when elected to office, with dignity, and to seek re election and the people’s approval as their rewards, not more bonuses.
Politicians are elected by the people and accountable to the people for a fixed term of office. The people will evaluate them and decide to elect or drop them. Their evaluation comes once in 5 years, not annually like employees of an organisation.
The big mental trap is that everyone is still treating political appointments as an employment. So you have things like AWS, bonuses, performance evaluation, reward for good performance etc etc, and money, money and money.
In the first place we are dealing with responsible adults who stepped forward to serve the people and country in the highest office. There is no issue of performance. Every one of them is expected to be highly motivated and committed. And they cannot afford to slack or skive as they are under the spotlight 24/7. Absence and sleeping in parliament are all being watched. Hey, we are not dealing with 20 year old kids who applied and got employed but not really interested in what they are doing. Political office is a public commitment.
Politicians are elected by the people to serve for a fixed term of office. And the last thing that they should be concerned with is money, how much they could get as extras, how much bonuses to hope for if they work harder or the economy is doing better or worst. The money as a motivation factor should be removed from their thinking altogether. This will free them from the money halo that hangs over their heads, and allow them to do their jobs objectively, without having to weigh the odds of how it would affect their income.
A simple fixed sum should be paid to them annually for the duration of their office. The salary can input all the extra perks, AWS or bonuses etc just a simple package. Period. No complicating and confusing formulas, no worries of more variable bonuses, and no money thoughts in their minds. Remove the money equation and political leaders would not be burdened with the money fixation. It is so pathetic to imagine politicians nervously waiting to know how much they will be getting as bonuses at the end of the year. Stop that.
The remuneration system must build in dignity in public office. Pay them well and do not let them be embroiled like employees begging management for more year end bonuses. Political leaders must be above this and carry themselves with dignified confidence.
Forget about performance appraisal. The assessment of their performance must be by the people, the voters. And the reward and approval for a job well done is to be re elected, no extra money from performance related formulas. They are expected to perform, nothing less.
There is no need for the PM to appraise other ministers or MPs to reward them using public funds. It only introduces subjectivity and biases as there are ruling party MPs as well as opposition MPs. Who is to reward opposition MPs with public money? Without this appraisal by the PM, the ministers and MPs have no obsession to please him instead of pleasing the people by doing a good job.
The PM may want to assess his own ministers/MPs for his own reasons, but who cares? Corporations use appraisal for other purposes, promotion, training, career development, monetary rewards etc. These are irrelevant to political appointments which are elected by the people on a fixed term. After each term, if not elected, out he goes. What career development, training and development and more monetary perks? Now, did I hear some politicians are being trained in office and paid by public money?
Performance evaluation is a party matter, maybe to gauge whether to field the candidate again or to slot him into a minister post. Don’t drag public money into it as in principle it is difficult when OPM is involved. They can pay with their own party funds if they like, then no one will mind.
The idea of employment and terms of employment, of monetary rewards, must be erased totally and be replaced by a simple fixed income for simplicity, transparency and minimal complications. No one needs to double guess what the politicians are getting or what they are up to. The politicians should just do their jobs when elected to office, with dignity, and to seek re election and the people’s approval as their rewards, not more bonuses.
Politicians are elected by the people and accountable to the people for a fixed term of office. The people will evaluate them and decide to elect or drop them. Their evaluation comes once in 5 years, not annually like employees of an organisation.
1/04/2012
Aiyo, why cut so much?
Now you people got to go and sayang the ministers. Sakit lah.
I hope this cut will not affect the political system of recruiting the best to stand for election. The good guys who still want to serve should still step forward despite the lower salary. And the concern of corruption if pay not enough, may it not happen to prove that the old belief is right.
Someone please tell them their dignity will not be affected adversely at all. In fact their dignity will get a boost, and a bigger boost if the cut is bigger. And the record of the world’s top 30 highest paid politicians will still stay and unlikely to be broken for another donkey years to come.
I hope this cut will not affect the political system of recruiting the best to stand for election. The good guys who still want to serve should still step forward despite the lower salary. And the concern of corruption if pay not enough, may it not happen to prove that the old belief is right.
Someone please tell them their dignity will not be affected adversely at all. In fact their dignity will get a boost, and a bigger boost if the cut is bigger. And the record of the world’s top 30 highest paid politicians will still stay and unlikely to be broken for another donkey years to come.
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