lundi, avril 09, 2007 There's always been talk of a huge divide among the elite in Singapore and the average Singaporean, this hornet's nest seems to have pushed it to the forefront of public consciousness.When Singaporeans can only look forward to a "modest" 2.8-3.2% pay hike (TODAY, 9 Apr 2007) as opposed to the 14-33% that the ministers will be getting (CNA, 9 Apr 2007), and when welfare handouts are denied to Singapore mothers who earn $500 a month washing toilets for baby formula, developing a COMPLETELY unjustified and unscientific formula which seems to condone a million-dollar paycheck to a minister who has been unsympathetic and unable to solve the problem, is too bitter a pill to swallow, and the alienating effect is a terrible thing to behold - at least online, where the sentiment seems to wavering between extreme anger and hopelessness. What's the use of shaking our fists at a government that won't listen anyway? The arrogance of certain ministers (and it's NOT the usual suspect) is simply abominable. We talk of a meritocratic society, but what we've seen is that only the first generation benefits from this system. Only the first generation of nation-builders start from the same starting line - after that, everyone's children are staggered across the economic scale, and different people have different advantages and opportunities. The adage "the rich become richer and the poor become poorer" fulfils itself - but with the talk of the ministerial pay increase, PLUS the many, many times that "government dialogue" leads nowhere, it robs the average Singaporean of hope as well. What's the point of engaging in dialogue when it's obviously hypocrisy on the government's part? They're not going to listen anyway, so why talk? The policy will be enacted, no matter what we say. Do they really think that the lack of a good salary is what's keeping good, bright Singaporeans away from the public sector? It's precisely this sort of arrogant, sleight-of-hand policy tricks that the government pulls on the unsuspecting public that disgusts the bright young Singaporean, and turns him off the public sector. Raising ministerial salaries will only have two effects: (1) it will make bright young Singaporeans sell out their integrity (belief in a good, just system of government that works FOR the people) for the higher salary - "if you can't beat them, join them", and (2) it will just encourage the notion that squeezing into the mould of a public servant is worth the trouble, so the government will simply self-replicate, and then a wonderful public sector entropy will set in. And they wonder why civil servants are devoid of creativity - when the nail that sticks out gets hammered in, who wants to be the odd one with ideas? "MM Lee said last week that the cure for this firestorm over pay is a good dose of incompetent government." (TODAY, 9 Apr 2007) I like conspiracies. Let's see what the next government scandal/expose is about: bribery and corruption, I'd bet. Libellés : current affairs, singapore [Money, money, money] |
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