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05/04/2007

Say NO to Pay Hike for Singapore Ministers

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Sign the Petition

To: Prime Minister of Singapore
We, citizens of Singapore and concerned individuals, STAUNCHLY OPPOSE the proposed drastic increase in the pay of the ministers and other members of the Administrative Service.

The ministers and scholar civil servants are already drawing millions with undisclosed bonuses per person at a time when more than 40% of the households in Singapore cannot even make ends meet and are seeing their real income deteriorate over the last two decades. Even the US President, whose responsibilities *FAR OUTWEIGH* many Singapore governments combined, is but drawing a salary of only USD400k or slightly more than SGD600k(http://usgovinfo.about.com/library/weekly/aa011600a.htm)! Leaders of other developed countries are even less well paid.

In addition, by pegging the Administrative Service's pay to the richest individuals in the country, it only serves to motivate the ministers and their scholar civil servants to serve only the rich. Using the per capita GDP as the benchmark is more equitable as this will ensure that they fulfill their duty towards all Singaporeans. Why should anyone in a risk-free ministerial or scholar civil servant post, especially in a context in which accountability to the people is virtually non-existent, deserves to be paid like a successful risk-taking entrepreneur?

The government claims that without paying the Administrative Service out-of-the-world remnuneration, it will become corrupt and will be unable to retain talents. This is misleading as corruption takes place only when there is no effective checking of the government, such as when the Opposition parties, civil groups and the public media are being manipulated, suppressed and destroyed through despotic means. In addition, their so-called talents are but selected from teenagers coming from rich and connected families based on their academic results, which more often than not, do NOT equate to actual performance in their later life. This can be attested to their numerous disastrous policies, which Singaporeans are currently suffering from. In addition, talents abound in the country, but are prevented from coming forward to serve due to the stifling political climate of one-party, one-family rule. As such money is not the real issue. It is definitely not the solution.

It is therefore obvious that the proposal to give the ministers and scholar civil servants an awesome raise on top of their already obscene pay is completely unjustifiable. The logic of pegging their pay to the richest individuals is glaringly flawed and insulting to our intelligence. It is but meant to satisfy the insatiable greed of vested individuals. We reject it unreservedly. In fact, we demand a big pay *CUT* for them for their dismal 'service' towards the majority of Singaporeans over the last two decades.

N.B. See also

Say NO to 7% GST in Singapore!
http://www.petitiononline.com/GST7/petition.html

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

Comments

hmm... wont this be regarded as pettiness and envy? Lim Swee Say already told the trade unionists that the pay rise will benefit the union members; I guess you want to deny them such benefits?

Posted by: asiayouthmedia.com | 05/04/2007

Explain to me how this will benefit the Peoples Action Party lead Trade Unionists?

Hasn't the NTUC chielf always been a People's Action Party member and a member of the cabinet.

Or are you refering to a PAP independent trade union organisation that I am unaware of?

Posted by: soci | 05/04/2007

see your own item below

Singapore: Ministerial Salary Hike – Please Don’t Leave Workers Behind

Posted by: asiayouthmedia | 05/04/2007

Yes I know all about that post - I posted it from the National Solidarity Party site.

Just what is your point? That I want to deny the trade unionists there increase.

or that I want to deny the PAP their increase?

or are you saying that the PAP have announced an increase of 89% in salaries/wages for the entire population?

I honestly have no idea what your point is.

Posted by: soci | 05/04/2007

aha... takes chinese mind to see... that's why some people advocate asian values...

I was saying: either you (or rather the guy who started the petition)

(a) deny Lim Swee Say's belief that pay increases for ministers benefit workers; or

(b) agree with his idea, but want to deny the workers such benefits

I believe very few people in SG would sign the petition because most would not want to express agreement with either (a) or (b); they would, in any case, be too busy looking at the photos of SPG, if the website had not been closed down; now SPGs, that's something both Chinese and non Chinese can understand!!

Posted by: asiayouthmedia | 05/04/2007

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