- Joined
- Jan 5, 2010
- Messages
- 2,086
- Points
- 83
Singapore government should not perpetuate injustice under the cloak of darkness ("no blame policy").
Compensation from government shouldn't be conditional on confidentiality clauses/ silence; PAP shouldn't create protocols and laws to obstruct the course of justice in Singapore.
How come everytime the AGC makes a mistake, tax payers monies are paid to the victim in compensation but seemingly on the precondition that the victims accept silence as to what the quantum/mechanics of compensation was? Doesn't the government need to be held transparent and accountable as to the use of tax payers money? Wouldn't the making public of the quantum of compensation be a win for justice, since the public need to know and have the confidence that just administration is transparent and fair to all parties concerned, both the civil servant and his unfortunate victim? Wouldn't injustice have occurred if subsequently the victim is unable to appeal the compensation award, obstructed by the confidentiality clause?
Directing that the mechanics and quantum of the compensation amount by AGC shall remain top secret will only make the AGC and civil servants less accountable and the people unnecessarily fearful, suspicious and distrusting of the government, unsurprisingly so, since the compensation for such public omissions decidedly operate under under the cloak of darkness with victims bonded to the oath of secrecy.
What is the point of having public trial hearings if the outcomes of such compensatory remedies for administrative neglegence is not likewise available to public record/scrutiny? How many victims of AGC/ civil service oversight have not been able to seek redress nor compensation(due to "no blame policy" or being made ignorant of their rights (secrecy of past compensation payments) , for their unnecessary and unjust suffering due to oversight by the AGC?
The salaries of CEOs are made amply public, if any, to justify the stratospheric salaries of our cabinet ministers in Singapore. Likewise, the mode of calculation of compensation for omissions due to civil servant oversight ought to be equally made public and transparent both as a benchmark to future public compensatory decisions as well as a matter of accountability for the expenditure of tax payers monies.
The people of Singapore have a right to know where justice lies in the balancing of such decisions, rather than always be given the short end of the stick and civil servants assume that they can systematically get away with willful neglect and negligence or the abuse of power, if any, because the citizenry are systematically made ignorant of their rights in line with the "no blame culture" as practised by the PAP cabinet.
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Excerpt from Straits Times:
https://www.straitstimes.com/singap...n-jailed-two-extra-days-due-to-officers-error
Notably, in 2007, a man convicted of abetting a loan shark to harass a debtor was caned three times more than he was sentenced to after a court clerk recorded the sentence wrongly. A compensation was made after the man reached a settlement with the Government.
Criminal lawyer Sunil Sudheesan said such errors are "very rare". "(Mr Teo) could have told prisons he paid the fine, and it was unfortunate that further checks were not carried out," he said.
Veteran lawyer Amolat Singh agreed that these are "very exceptional instances". "The fact is that he lost his liberties for two days... I'm sure the defence counsel will work out some compensation. It's hard to quantify because it is a private matter between Mr Teo and AGC."
Lawyer Josephus Tan said: "As the saying goes, 'one day in jail is one day too many'. Previous cases had settled with undisclosed sums of compensation and I believe the present case would be no different."
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Addendum:
The PAP no blame policy :
https://www.todayonline.com/singapo...arning-culture-instead-blame-culture-says-gan
Compensation from government shouldn't be conditional on confidentiality clauses/ silence; PAP shouldn't create protocols and laws to obstruct the course of justice in Singapore.
How come everytime the AGC makes a mistake, tax payers monies are paid to the victim in compensation but seemingly on the precondition that the victims accept silence as to what the quantum/mechanics of compensation was? Doesn't the government need to be held transparent and accountable as to the use of tax payers money? Wouldn't the making public of the quantum of compensation be a win for justice, since the public need to know and have the confidence that just administration is transparent and fair to all parties concerned, both the civil servant and his unfortunate victim? Wouldn't injustice have occurred if subsequently the victim is unable to appeal the compensation award, obstructed by the confidentiality clause?
Directing that the mechanics and quantum of the compensation amount by AGC shall remain top secret will only make the AGC and civil servants less accountable and the people unnecessarily fearful, suspicious and distrusting of the government, unsurprisingly so, since the compensation for such public omissions decidedly operate under under the cloak of darkness with victims bonded to the oath of secrecy.
What is the point of having public trial hearings if the outcomes of such compensatory remedies for administrative neglegence is not likewise available to public record/scrutiny? How many victims of AGC/ civil service oversight have not been able to seek redress nor compensation(due to "no blame policy" or being made ignorant of their rights (secrecy of past compensation payments) , for their unnecessary and unjust suffering due to oversight by the AGC?
The salaries of CEOs are made amply public, if any, to justify the stratospheric salaries of our cabinet ministers in Singapore. Likewise, the mode of calculation of compensation for omissions due to civil servant oversight ought to be equally made public and transparent both as a benchmark to future public compensatory decisions as well as a matter of accountability for the expenditure of tax payers monies.
The people of Singapore have a right to know where justice lies in the balancing of such decisions, rather than always be given the short end of the stick and civil servants assume that they can systematically get away with willful neglect and negligence or the abuse of power, if any, because the citizenry are systematically made ignorant of their rights in line with the "no blame culture" as practised by the PAP cabinet.
---------------
Excerpt from Straits Times:
https://www.straitstimes.com/singap...n-jailed-two-extra-days-due-to-officers-error
Notably, in 2007, a man convicted of abetting a loan shark to harass a debtor was caned three times more than he was sentenced to after a court clerk recorded the sentence wrongly. A compensation was made after the man reached a settlement with the Government.
Criminal lawyer Sunil Sudheesan said such errors are "very rare". "(Mr Teo) could have told prisons he paid the fine, and it was unfortunate that further checks were not carried out," he said.
Veteran lawyer Amolat Singh agreed that these are "very exceptional instances". "The fact is that he lost his liberties for two days... I'm sure the defence counsel will work out some compensation. It's hard to quantify because it is a private matter between Mr Teo and AGC."
Lawyer Josephus Tan said: "As the saying goes, 'one day in jail is one day too many'. Previous cases had settled with undisclosed sums of compensation and I believe the present case would be no different."
---------------
Addendum:
The PAP no blame policy :
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