By: Eugene Tavano
Regardless of what the PAP says, the late LKY was a once-in-a-millennium abnormality and Singapore will not have another leader of his calibre. The man used to say ‘here everything works’. Now we see a contrasting ‘here everything breaks down!’
The first thing contributing to this decline is the quality of the political leadership. Actually, do we even have political leadership? Only pseudo business executives and paper generals! And the worst type at that, the type that runs rough shod over ‘customers’ (i.e. citizens), forcing acceptances of questionable standard n quality of everything down their throats.
We already see this in the increasingly number of shortcomings and inadequacies, made worse by the refusal of our political elites to acknowledge mistakes. Instead, they choose to excuse themselves with a ‘we don’t have a blame culture’.
And worse, they have the nerve and audacity to hike prices in the face of serious inadequacies in the promises to deliver. All to meet the criteria for earning their bonuses, not the betterment of the majority of citizens lives.
The ‘benchmark-to-market’ model for ministerial salaries is a simmering disaster. Coupled with the assurance of a high paying position in a GLC after leaving the government, we have to wonder where the primary interest of the person lies.
At best, it’s diluted national interests. Instead, it’s about career, the trappings of power n a licence to a comfortable life for the family. Service to nation and people is buried deep.
We have already read of the (dis)GraceFu(l) unabashedly and effectively saying ministers’ salaries are inadequate. So where will it or can it expand to? One day someone may ask why benchmark to the private sector only in SG? Why not to a Fortune 500 company with revenue similar to SG GDP?
And this will lead of a circular outcome of higher salaries to attract the supposed best at yet higher salaries.
The values espoused and practised can lead to serious ethical issues over time. Values like ownself check ownself, ‘honest’ mistakes, no blame culture, avoiding the truth, etc.
It is human nature, and what-ever the ministers may see themselves as they are only humans, that such practices, tendencies n habits feed on itself to grow and spread. And sooner or later there will be ‘new’ citizens ministers, adding to the concern about outlandish self-reward practices!