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Pay Cuts: The Beginning Of The Decline Of The PAP


First published January 2012 
http://pijitailai.blogspot.sg/2012/01/pay-cuts-beginning-of-decline-of-pap.html


Money is always the secret of success for the PAP. Now, they have partly given away this secret weapon, where else, can they find another replacement?  For too long, the willingness to serve in politics is linked to money so that the PAP can attract calibre people to join the government.

This in fact is the story of the PAP. We should not look at this old normal. The other side of the picture is the new normal that we will see more and more committed and calibre opposition candidates willing to step forward for the country, for Singaporeans.

With a minus for the PAP and a plus for the oppositions, this is the meaning of the decline of the PAP. With this decline, we will see the decline of the PAP associated political organisations and activities, like the NTUC (members voting against the PAP), PA (for example the replacement of George Yeo) and the main stream media (losing their influence to social media).

In addition, the PAP is also losing its influence to the youth and young voters.  

What concerns most Singaporeans are their
HDB flats. The ministerial salary even after the “huge’ cut with the million dollars salary, this big sum of money can still buy them at least 2 or 3 or even more HDB flats within a year.

With the humble income, the average Singaporeans will take 10, 20, and even 30 years to own a HDB flat. And majority of Singaporeans are HDB residents. Hence, is the “Committee to Review Ministerial Salaries” doing the right thing and using the right benchmark?  Indirectly, the Committee is part of the machinery to help the decline of the PAP.   

Shall we say a word of thank to the Committee?

MP as career option

If my recall is correct (correct me if I am wrong), Dr. Toh Chin Chye had once encouraged the young to contest in the general election as even the MP allowance is attractive enough. Yes, if you imagine the starting pay of a fresh graduate.  How can a fresh graduate get nearly $20,000 monthly salary in today’s Singapore? (of course, you have to factor in the donation to party and community expenses).

Young people in Singapore should consider this career option as according to the report on “Salaries for A Capable and Committed Government”, by serving only 1 term, this young elected MP will be able to own a HDB flat.  If he or she serves another term, he may be able to upgrade to a condo.

Not to mention, if you are PAP MPs, there are directorship waiting for you to make extra money.

PM Lee has just mentioned about ‘give and take’. Now, the government has accepted the proposal of benchmarking top 1000 Singapore earners. And in return, the people should take it – anther top to bottom approach.

Paper Talent Is Not Talent: More Troubles Ahead For PAP.

The Committee has considered the issue of attracting talents for the PAP government. They believe the new and proposed structure is competitive. 

But, the big question is the definition of talent? For this, the Committee is still in the old normal: people score good academic results, from top junior colleges, scholars, and top civil servants.

Just like the above mentioned case of HDB, the Committee is only looking at the talent pool of the top and fails to consider the majority – people from neighbour schools, ITE and even polytechnics.

They have failed to realise that talents can also come from ordinary people. A hero emerges and changes the situation. 《英雄造时势》 In ancient Chinese history, people who overthrow an old dynasty are usually from the grassroots and have less education. Definitely, they are not talents in the eyes of the old rulers.

What the Committee is doing is building an environment so that they can help to find a hero 《时势造英雄》.  They may be right because with a peaceful and planned environment, heroes do appear.

Which way it will go, the Singapore voters have the final say.  
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