<TABLE class=msgtable cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="96%"><TBODY><TR><TD class=msg vAlign=top><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgbfr1 width="1%"></TD><TD><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgF width="1%" noWrap align=right>From: </TD><TD class=msgFname width="68%" noWrap>Browser34 <NOBR></NOBR></TD><TD class=msgDate width="30%" noWrap align=right>1:27 am </TD></TR><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgT height=20 width="1%" noWrap align=right>To: </TD><TD class=msgTname width="68%" noWrap>ALL <NOBR></NOBR></TD><TD class=msgNum noWrap align=right></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgleft rowSpan=4 width="1%"></TD><TD class=wintiny noWrap align=right>13546.1 </TD></TR><TR><TD height=8></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgtxt>[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]PAP[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Is it the start of a decline?[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Unless ruling party changes the way it governs it could lose power over time, and that would be a shame, says retired news editor. By Yeo Toon Joo. Comments below.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]May 4, 2007[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Article and open letter to our government by an ex-journalist[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Yeo Toon Joo, Peter, 61[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Ex-news editor Straits Times[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Ex-assistant editor New Nation[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Ex-secretary general Singapore National Union of Journalists[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Ex-owner of a public relations company and broadcast PR firm[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Hon. Fellow, Institute of Public Relations of Singapore[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]If the People’s Action Party were to call a general election now, chances are it would lose a good number of seats to the opposition, that is, if you could find able candidates to join the opposition. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]If certain changes do not take place in the ruling party’s style of government, in time to come the PAP could lose power. That would be a shame, a tragedy for Singapore. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]But so strong has been the political backlash, and so great the people’s outrage, over the government’s widely unpopular decision and persistence to reward its cabinet ministers such handsome pay increases. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Dissenting and disapproving views over the latest round of ministerial pay hike have been eloquently articulated, often sneeringly so, but confined mainly to mass emailing and internet postings. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The latest salary revision will by next year nearly double each minister’s current remuneration, and bring it on average to nearly three times that of US President George Bush’s, five times in the case of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Minister mentor Lee Kuan Yew had introduced in 1994 his formula of pegging ministerial salaries to 80 per cent of that of the top earners in six professions and businesses in Singapore. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]It gives Singapore the unique status of having the world’s highest paid political leaders. Their individual salaries surpass by far those of leaders of the world’s largest and most successful economies.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]MM Lee’s reasons were that unless he paid top dollar for the best brains he would not be able to attract good and talented people to serve as leaders of the country, retain their services, or keep them above corruption.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Problem is: he had been, for a long time now, looking for leaders in the wrong places, and following a policy that discourages emergence of potential ones. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Some who entered the political fray had come a cropper. Not a few have served long terms of incarceration for their political beliefs or activities, others have had to flee the country to live (or die) in exile abroad.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Someone had not so many years back said that the best way to corrupt a person is to feed him so well you enslave him (did MM Lee say that?).[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Ironically then, in his effort to ensure that his leaders remain above corruption, he might have bought their souls. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]From the relatively brief and muted parliament debate over this burning issue, there seems to be some cracks within the ruling party’s own ranks. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]However mildly aired, there is, for sure, disquiet and differences of opinion among some PAP members of parliament. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Still, what man of sound mind in Singapore would argue against being given a personal pay rise that first jacks up his annual salary to around $1 million and soon to nearly $2 million?[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][/FONT]
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Is it the start of a decline?[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Unless ruling party changes the way it governs it could lose power over time, and that would be a shame, says retired news editor. By Yeo Toon Joo. Comments below.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]May 4, 2007[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Article and open letter to our government by an ex-journalist[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Yeo Toon Joo, Peter, 61[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Ex-news editor Straits Times[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Ex-assistant editor New Nation[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Ex-secretary general Singapore National Union of Journalists[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Ex-owner of a public relations company and broadcast PR firm[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Hon. Fellow, Institute of Public Relations of Singapore[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]If the People’s Action Party were to call a general election now, chances are it would lose a good number of seats to the opposition, that is, if you could find able candidates to join the opposition. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]If certain changes do not take place in the ruling party’s style of government, in time to come the PAP could lose power. That would be a shame, a tragedy for Singapore. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]But so strong has been the political backlash, and so great the people’s outrage, over the government’s widely unpopular decision and persistence to reward its cabinet ministers such handsome pay increases. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Dissenting and disapproving views over the latest round of ministerial pay hike have been eloquently articulated, often sneeringly so, but confined mainly to mass emailing and internet postings. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The latest salary revision will by next year nearly double each minister’s current remuneration, and bring it on average to nearly three times that of US President George Bush’s, five times in the case of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Minister mentor Lee Kuan Yew had introduced in 1994 his formula of pegging ministerial salaries to 80 per cent of that of the top earners in six professions and businesses in Singapore. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]It gives Singapore the unique status of having the world’s highest paid political leaders. Their individual salaries surpass by far those of leaders of the world’s largest and most successful economies.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]MM Lee’s reasons were that unless he paid top dollar for the best brains he would not be able to attract good and talented people to serve as leaders of the country, retain their services, or keep them above corruption.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Problem is: he had been, for a long time now, looking for leaders in the wrong places, and following a policy that discourages emergence of potential ones. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Some who entered the political fray had come a cropper. Not a few have served long terms of incarceration for their political beliefs or activities, others have had to flee the country to live (or die) in exile abroad.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Someone had not so many years back said that the best way to corrupt a person is to feed him so well you enslave him (did MM Lee say that?).[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Ironically then, in his effort to ensure that his leaders remain above corruption, he might have bought their souls. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]From the relatively brief and muted parliament debate over this burning issue, there seems to be some cracks within the ruling party’s own ranks. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]However mildly aired, there is, for sure, disquiet and differences of opinion among some PAP members of parliament. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Still, what man of sound mind in Singapore would argue against being given a personal pay rise that first jacks up his annual salary to around $1 million and soon to nearly $2 million?[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][/FONT]
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