• About Us
    • Fact Checking Policy
    • Ownership & funding information
    • Volunteer
  • Subscribe
  • Letter submission
    • Submissions Policy
  • Contact Us
The Online Citizen Asia
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Singapore
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
    • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Politics
    • Civil Society
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
No Result
View All Result
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Singapore
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
    • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Politics
    • Civil Society
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
No Result
View All Result
The Online Citizen Asia
No Result
View All Result

About that other comment, Dr Lim

by onlinecitizen
26/05/2011
in Current Affairs, Politics
Reading Time: 4 mins read
0

Dear Dr Lim Wee Kiak,

It must have been a difficult time for you now, especially with all the furor over your recent comment to the Chinese press. I think everything that needs to be said has been said, and I have nothing more to add.

I am writing to you regarding something else you said in the same article that disturbs me more. As it is in Chinese, I shall attempt a rough translation:

“Although he understood the public’s criticisms of the ministerial pay, he also felt that people must understand that ministers need to look after their own families

‘We may say that it is about service to the people, to the country, so let’s not talk about money issues, but this is a practical world we live in. A minister must also take care of his family, and his future.’

Dr Lim also pointed to the recent General Elections that showed that a minister’s position is not an ‘iron rice bowl’. Once he lost the elections, he cannot stay on in his job.”

Frankly, I do not know where this great paranoia, that the public really wants ministers (and MPs) to earn so little as to not to be able to take care his/her family and future, comes from. If you have been practising what the Prime Minister had been preaching, you know, about listening to the ground and stuff, you would know that the public merely wants less indecent wages for ministers. It would be a real loss of dignity to everyone if visiting dignitaries were to discover that our ministers live in HDB flats… without lift upgrading.

I mean, I do not remember any ministers or MPs who retired, or were voted out before 1994 – the year that the ministers’ pay was ‘adjusted’ – falling into poverty. (Ok, so a few were bankrupted, but those were the result of defamation suits.) Or is it that you do not trust us the members of the public to know what is fair remuneration for the daily sacrifice public servants like you make? Us, the very people you profess to serve?

I also do not understand where you got that idea that a minister’s job is supposed to be an ‘iron rice bowl’. A minister, like anyone else, deserves to lose his job if he is not doing well. Well, you can argue that George Yeo isn’t a lousy minister – and I would agree with you – and I guess the recent GE really does make it look as if a good performance is no guarantee of job security. Which make the whole situation a little bit like retrenchment. Yes, in the corporate world, there is such a thing as retrenchment, and it can happen to anyone regardless of performance. In fact, I believe as an MP you must have helped and consoled a few of your constituents who lost their jobs during the recession. But you never hear anyone in the corporate world asking for a higher pay because of the possibility that they may be retrenched in future, do you?

And honestly, if you believe it isn’t fair that a good minister like George Yeo lost his job, you may really want to look into the root of the problem – the GRC system. Seriously. It is enlightened self-interest. You’ll never know when is it your turn to be booted out through no fault of yours.

Which brings me to a comment you made in an episode of Talking Point in 2009. On the topic of risk factors in politics, you said: “When you’re an MP, you’re an MP for life. Even when you step down, your liability-hood continues with you.” I do not know how you can continue being an MP for life after you step down. Last I checked, the title of ‘Emeritus MP’ has yet to be invented. Might I also suggest that you check with retired Member of Parliament Dr Tan Cheng Bock if he feels this liability-hood everyday?

Having said that, I agree with you that this is a practical world. I understand your concerns about job security and worrying about the future and all. But the good thing is, the government already has a lot of measures in place to ensure that those who lost their jobs do not stay unemployed for long. It has schemes such as E2i and Workfare. These schemes work, trust me.

As long as you are willing to upgrade yourself, scrimp and save a bit,  push back your retirement age (who knows, you may really become an MP for life!), and switch to energy saving lightbulbs in your home (as recommended by your colleague Tin Pei Ling) you have nothing to fear.

Yours sincerely,

Joshua Chiang

26 May 2011

(PS: You really don’t have to take my suggestions seriously as I earn far less than you do. I am, of course, just joking.)

 

For just US$7.50 a month, sign up as a subscriber on The Online Citizen Asia (and enjoy ads-free experience on our site) to support our mission to transform TOC into an alternative mainstream press.

Related Posts

Thai rescuers dig to free baby trapped down well
AFP

Thai rescuers dig to free baby trapped down well

07/02/2023
Desmond Lee says 70% of BTO flats affordable for median household with income of S$8,400 but what about the 10th to 40th percentile?
Housing

Desmond Lee says 70% of BTO flats affordable for median household with income of S$8,400 but what about the 10th to 40th percentile?

07/02/2023
Returning Officer to issue corrective directions, overseas Singaporeans allowed to vote by post, among changes to laws tabled to Parliament
Singapore

Returning Officer to issue corrective directions, overseas Singaporeans allowed to vote by post, among changes to laws tabled to Parliament

07/02/2023
Can Malaysia review its current practices on foreign worker management?
Asia

Can Malaysia review its current practices on foreign worker management?

07/02/2023
Forum Asia calls for India to revoke arbitrary ban on BBC documentary
Civil Society

Forum Asia calls for India to revoke arbitrary ban on BBC documentary

07/02/2023
AFP

Google to release ChatGPT rival named Bard

07/02/2023
Subscribe
Connect withD
Login
I allow to create an account
When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
DisagreeAgree
Notify of
Connect withD
I allow to create an account
When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
DisagreeAgree
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Latest posts

Thai rescuers dig to free baby trapped down well

Thai rescuers dig to free baby trapped down well

07/02/2023
Desmond Lee says 70% of BTO flats affordable for median household with income of S$8,400 but what about the 10th to 40th percentile?

Desmond Lee says 70% of BTO flats affordable for median household with income of S$8,400 but what about the 10th to 40th percentile?

07/02/2023
Returning Officer to issue corrective directions, overseas Singaporeans allowed to vote by post, among changes to laws tabled to Parliament

Returning Officer to issue corrective directions, overseas Singaporeans allowed to vote by post, among changes to laws tabled to Parliament

07/02/2023
Can Malaysia review its current practices on foreign worker management?

Can Malaysia review its current practices on foreign worker management?

07/02/2023
Forum Asia calls for India to revoke arbitrary ban on BBC documentary

Forum Asia calls for India to revoke arbitrary ban on BBC documentary

07/02/2023

Google to release ChatGPT rival named Bard

07/02/2023
Earthquake kills more than 3,800 in Turkey, Syria

Earthquake kills more than 3,800 in Turkey, Syria

07/02/2023
Leong Mun Wai calls for a reset of housing policies to deliver affordable and accessible HDB flats and protect retirement adequacy

Leong Mun Wai calls for a reset of housing policies to deliver affordable and accessible HDB flats and protect retirement adequacy

07/02/2023

Trending posts

Cognizant India transfers staff to work in Singapore as recently as this year

Local IT grads can’t find jobs while engineers constantly transferred from India to work in SG under CECA

by Correspondent
05/02/2023
104

...

They have done a fine job of confusing us about the jobs situation

They have done a fine job of confusing us about the jobs situation

by Augustine Low
01/02/2023
47

...

Adani’s brother runs SG company and registers as director with local ID

Adani’s brother runs SG company and registers as director with local ID

by Correspondent
03/02/2023
26

...

Former Singaporean shares change of life in Australia with annual pay of S$80,000 as a plumber

Former Singaporean shares change of life in Australia with annual pay of S$80,000 as a plumber

by Yee Loon
30/01/2023
25

...

No response from Josephine Teo on whether Mediacorp has been instructed to stop coverage of SMT circulation scandal

No response from Josephine Teo over alleged blackout of coverage by Mediacorp over SMT circulation scandal

by Terry Xu
06/02/2023
11

...

Singapore Law Watch removes commentary on CPIB’s decision to not prosecute former Keppel executives

Singapore Law Watch removes commentary on CPIB’s decision to not prosecute former Keppel executives

by The Online Citizen
02/02/2023
19

...

May 2011
M T W T F S S
 1
2345678
9101112131415
16171819202122
23242526272829
3031  
« Apr   Jun »

The Online Citizen is a regional online publication based in Taiwan and formerly Singapore’s longest-running independent online media platform.

Navigation

  • Editorial
  • Commentaries
  • Opinion
  • Politics
  • Community

Support

  • Contact Us
  • Letter submission
  • Membership subscription

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Fact Checking Policy
  • Privacy Policy

© 2022 - 2023 The Online Citizen Asia

No Result
View All Result
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Civil Society
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
  • Politics
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
  • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Subscribers login

© 2022 - 2023 The Online Citizen Asia

wpDiscuz