PAP Ministers Salaries a National Embarassment
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http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Sg_Review/message/7533 Comments: Mellanie Hewlitt Sg_Review 16 Sep 2011 Below is a self-explanatory letter that was sent to the Straits Times and copied to Mr Gerald Ee (who heads the committee to review Ministerial Salaries), which was never published; This message was forwarded to you by WeeSoon@... Date: 15 Sep 2011 From Goh Wee Soon To: sphcorp@... To: Gerard Ee Re: PAP Ministers Salaries a National Embarassment Dear Sir, I recall some time in May 2011 that a committee was purportedly set-up to review and address the very lucrative salaries paid to our ministers. This has been a long overdue exercise and brings back to me a discussion that I had with some of my younger staff during the financial crisis in 2008. You may recall that the 2008 financial crisis hit many private companies and banks very hard. Many of us were forced to either down-size our departments or effect pay-reductions to contain operational costs. My bank (a state aided European bank) was no exception and as a department head I had the burden of either letting go redundant staff and informing existing staff that there would be delays in bonus pay-outs and temporary pay-reductions during this period. As was expected the news was not well received especially amongst staff who were laid-off. However what was totally unexpected was the reaction of the remaining staff who were spared from the retrenchment exercise. Not only were they not grateful, several even asked why they should take a pay-cut. And it was even more glaring that such objections came, not from the older married staff members with children to support and heavy financial responsibilities, but from the younger, single and more impressionable employees. I tried in vain to explain that this was a temporary situation and that we should all be grateful of having a job in these difficult times and that money was not all that important as we should derive satisfaction from the value we add to the team. The response from 2 young twenty-something year olds was loud and immediate: "Who says money is not important. This is Singapore, look at our leaders and Ministers, they are paid million dollar salaries. Our leaders themselves are doing this for the money. They definitely don't work just for the love of the country. Who are you to tell us otherwise?" I was left speechless for a moment to counter this argument as there was truth in these words. But after a moment's reflection I replied; "Yes this is Singapore and yes we have million dollar salaried ministers. But ask yourselves these questions. Do you respect them? Can you expect to turn to them in tough times like these? Do you want to be like them at all?" They were strangely silent as I think they did not expect such a politically in-correct reply from me. I pressed on: "Do you know what will happen to Singapore as a country if all the citizens here adopt the same attitude as our million dollar ministers? We will cease to exist as a financially viable business center tomorrow!" I have copied Mr Gerard Ee in this email in the hope that he can take the above incident into account in his assessment of ministerial salaries. This is sending the wrong message to our citizens, especially the younger generation as they will adopt a mercenary attitude towards all things in existence and we simply cannot inculcate such shallow and material values. I have never been so ashamed of our leaders before. And I share this with you and with SPH knowing full well that this letter and its contents will never be published. But I do hope that you give some thought to this in your review process. Goh Wee Soon ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Comments: Mellanie Hewlitt It has been some months since we received any news from the PAP's bogus committee that was setup in May 2011 as a front to "review" obscene ministerial salaries. The silence from Gerard Ee's committe is defening, and perhaps one difficulty poor Gerard may have is a yardstick for measuring a reasonable benchmark for ministerial salaries. In fact there are plenty of accurate yardsticks for the benchmarks available from salary scales of ministers and leaders in civilised democracies. But poor Gerard is, for some unaccountable reason, unable to use these measures. Of cause it does not help that the only other countries with "leaders" with similiar remuneration scale all just happen to be dictatorships from countries riddled with graft and nepotism. There is however some respite for poor Gerard and his bogus running dog committee as a local benchmark has been offered from Tan See Jay. Now it will be interesting to see how Mr Ee and Singapore's propaganda media attempt to side step this embarassing situtation and continue to remain willfully blind to the increasingly large white elephant squatting in the middle of their small living room.
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There is really such a thing occuring ?
Or is it a story and a I-heard-from-he-said-she-said internet chainmail ?
Somehow I am trying to imagine and picture 2 people in their twenty somethings arguing with their department head and mentioning Singapore politics and ministers salaries. Wow....got such thing ?
I smell bullsh1t.
Next time write better story.
Dont trick kids, please.
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For some it is a proud achievement: The Guinness Book of Records - Highest paid leader in the World.
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I am not really not interested in how much ministers or mps salary.
What I am interested is whether the cost of living can bring down or not.
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Originally posted by likeyou:
I am not really not interested in how much ministers or mps salary.
What I am interested is whether the cost of living can bring down or not.
Cost of living and the pay of the despotic ministers are linked. The cost of living has to be continuously escalated to sustain their high obscene salary.
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Originally posted by likeyou:
I am not really not interested in how much ministers or mps salary.
What I am interested is whether the cost of living can bring down or not.
u want deflation type of de growth, like what Japan is facing now. 2 decades of no growth.
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Originally posted by RemifanSo:
Cost of living and the pay of the despotic ministers are linked. The cost of living has to be continuously escalated to sustain their high obscene salary.
I am not sure whether you ever notice the pub bills increased?And more people are pump into paying all those bills.
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Agree. Almost 100% increased for me and my family. Wonder how are we going to cope if there is no pay increment for us in the future!
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Originally posted by likeyou:
I am not sure whether you ever notice the pub bills increased?And more people are pump into paying all those bills.
pub bills increase once in every few months.
We are paying increasing $ bills in this country to sustain the obscene pay and pension of the despots. Pension for despots , no pension for us. Does it make sense?
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Yes Lig and Rem, I have been trying to use less but it still hits $100+!!!!!!
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Originally posted by Llg2178:
Agree. Almost 100% increased for me and my family. Wonder how are we going to cope if there is no pay increment for us in the future!
That is the price to pay for for Singaporeans who vote them in. They give them the mandate for the increment.
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Provided all ministers and mps go for pay reduction.
But who have the authority? EP?
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Gerard Ee is in the committe to review their salary. Gerard is good pet of PAP. Can he do a fair job ?
Everything has to be escalated in amount. Recently WKS was given a new post , we are paying his salary. Every now and then we are paying any new recruit for the despots.
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Originally posted by mellaniehewlitt:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Sg_Review/message…
Comments: Mellanie Hewlitt
Sg_Review
16 Sep 2011Below is a self-explanatory letter that was sent to the Straits Times and copied to Mr Gerald Ee (who heads the committee to review Ministerial Salaries), which was never published;
This message was forwarded to you by WeeSoon@...
Date: 15 Sep 2011
From Goh Wee Soon
To: sphcorp@...
To: Gerard EeRe: PAP Ministers Salaries a National Embarassment
Dear Sir, I recall some time in May 2011 that a committee was purportedly set-up to review and address the very lucrative salaries paid to our ministers. This has been a long overdue exercise and brings back to me a discussion that I had with some of my younger staff during the financial crisis in 2008.
You may recall that the 2008 financial crisis hit many private companies and banks very hard. Many of us were forced to either down-size our departments or effect pay-reductions to contain operational costs. My bank (a state aided European bank) was no exception and as a department head I had the burden of either letting go redundant staff and informing existing staff that there would be delays in bonus pay-outs and temporary pay-reductions during this period.
As was expected the news was not well received especially amongst staff who were laid-off. However what was totally unexpected was the reaction of the remaining staff who were spared from the retrenchment exercise. Not only were they not grateful, several even asked why they should take a pay-cut. And it was even more glaring that such objections came, not from the older married staff members with children to support and heavy financial responsibilities, but from the younger, single and more impressionable employees.
I tried in vain to explain that this was a temporary situation and that we should all be grateful of having a job in these difficult times and that money was not all that important as we should derive satisfaction from the value we add to the team. The response from 2 young twenty-something year olds was loud and immediate:
“Who says money is not important. This is Singapore, look at our leaders and Ministers, they are paid million dollar salaries. Our leaders themselves are doing this for the money. They definitely don’t work just for the love of the country. Who are you to tell us otherwise?”
I was left speechless for a moment to counter this argument as there was truth in these words. But after a moment’s reflection I replied;
“Yes this is Singapore and yes we have million dollar salaried ministers. But ask yourselves these questions. Do you respect them? Can you expect to turn to them in tough times like these? Do you want to be like them at all?”They were strangely silent as I think they did not expect such a politically in-correct reply from me. I pressed on:
“Do you know what will happen to Singapore as a country if all the citizens here adopt the same attitude as our million dollar ministers? We will cease to exist as a financially viable business center tomorrow!”I have copied Mr Gerard Ee in this email in the hope that he can take the above incident into account in his assessment of ministerial salaries. This is sending the wrong message to our citizens, especially the younger generation as they will adopt a mercenary attitude towards all things in existence and we simply cannot inculcate such shallow and material values.
I have never been so ashamed of our leaders before. And I share this with you and with SPH knowing full well that this letter and its contents will never be published. But I do hope that you give some thought to this in your review process.
Goh Wee Soon
Comments: Mellanie Hewlitt
It has been some months since we received any news from the PAP’s bogus committee that was setup in May 2011 as a front to “review” obscene ministerial salaries.
The silence from Gerard Ee’s committe is defening, and perhaps one difficulty poor Gerard may have is a yardstick for measuring a reasonable benchmark for ministerial salaries. In fact there are plenty of accurate yardsticks for the benchmarks available from salary scales of ministers and leaders in civilised democracies.
But poor Gerard is, for some unaccountable reason, unable to use these measures. Of cause it does not help that the only other countries with “leaders” with similiar remuneration scale all just happen to be dictatorships from countries riddled with graft and nepotism.
There is however some respite for poor Gerard and his bogus running dog committee as a local benchmark has been offered from Tan See Jay.
Now it will be interesting to see how Mr Ee and Singapore’s propaganda media attempt to side step this embarassing situtation and continue to remain willfully blind to the increasingly large white elephant squatting in the middle of their small living room.
Maybe these kids should be taught to distinguish between earning a fair wage and sustaining ill-gotten loot of astronomical proportions. To qualify for the latter, you do need to be related to a certain fascist dynasty by blood/marriage...
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Originally posted by likeyou:
I am not sure whether you ever notice the pub bills increased?And more people are pump into paying all those bills.
The people of Singapore is much poorer in real economy on bills like pub, rent, GST etc that resulted inflation on foods, the wealthier is not so much of concern on spending. Minister salary is not so much of concern either unless it indirectly / directly impact the cost of living in Singapore. But poorer people of Singapore should not be made poorer in bills such as pub. Anyway, people of Singapore can adopt the psychological approach that your generosity on spending does contribute positively to the wealth of others, which is good for the wellness in humanity - in the sense similar on donation to charity. As a matter of fact, many households having income around 4000, probably 6000, they are talented and live in glory, needless to mention that there are also many talented people below the category of 4000
. As far as ministerial salary in concern, I am attempting on the aspect that LKY was not making a truthful statement that talented Singaporean are measured in term of money - layman term means greedy lah, more politely is coined as talented salary structure. Or probably, someone has misintepreted LKY and raised the salary in manifold beyond general acceptance. I strongly opined that PM and many cabinet ministers and future ministers are talented not because of high salary driven, but truly for the wellness of Singapore and people living here. In fact, the wellness of Singapore is its people, as the PAP put it, people-action, unless they changed it to MAP - ministers-action after their won and revert to PAP if they lost it.
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They are waiting for recession and inflation to happen so that they can justify further increase to attract talent.
So, what else do you expect to happen ?
If they can approve the transport fare increase and cancel the halloween at Night Safari with no valid reason, do you still think they bother with your noise ?
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Always remember the former President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos. As president his salary was only $20,000.00 per annum.
I think he was the best president Philippines ever had.
I wonder if he smoked contraband cigrettes.
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First, they told me, Minister high salary is to offset corruption, we are clean and better than other countries' govt whose paid are less but got other intake, but seem that their salaries had outstripped the corruption income if they will to go by corruption.
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Maybe Ministers are high because they need alot of money to wash their shirts, pants and underwears until pure white and clean.
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One thing that will not make the forumers over spore happy is supposing all ministers and mps take reduction in salaries by xx,xxx dollars, surely some others forumers will kick a fuss and rake up that it is still high.
Maybe we can start off with how much ministers and mps need for month end salary?
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Originally posted by Veggie Bao:
There is really such a thing occuring ?
Or is it a story and a I-heard-from-he-said-she-said internet chainmail ?
Somehow I am trying to imagine and picture 2 people in their twenty somethings arguing with their department head and mentioning Singapore politics and ministers salaries. Wow....got such thing ?
I smell bullsh1t.
Next time write better story.
Dont trick kids, please.
Ppl believe wat they want to believe...It's just like gossip between aunties in wet market and uncles in kopitiams
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Originally posted by mancha:
Always remember the former President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos. As president his salary was only $20,000.00 per annum.
I think he was the best president Philippines ever had.
I wonder if he smoked contraband cigrettes.
If wife got 3000 pairs of shoes, may be all fake ones.
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More embarassing are the idiotic citizens of the country who allows it.
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Originally posted by Bio-Hawk:
More embarassing are the idiotic citizens of the country who allows it.
Daft citizens asking for rising costs without any forced effort give them mandate every election.
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Originally posted by Bio-Hawk:
More embarassing are the idiotic citizens of the country who allows it.
I guess you know best, from personal experience.