Estéema:

I cringe whenever I read such FAKE post or just some unsubstantiated info, which are simply opinions posted in public to sway one who have an issue with the current govt.

laughingcat:

mum_sugoku:

I find you scary... you actually digged out my 2012 post to use it against me! :yikes:

You have been tracked! :yikes: So am I. :rotflmao: ok I better :siam: before my identity is disclose.

mum_sugoku:

I find you scary... you actually digged out my 2012 post to use it against me! :yikes:

.zeit:

mum_sugoku:

1. Yes, we peasants compare as well.. Which is unsurprising since we are seeing our political leader comparing himself (in this case, to POTUS).. No reason why only the PM is entitled to compare while others - particularly the taxpayers who are paying him - are not entitled to, right?

But fact is PM didn't compare himself, in this case, to POTUS, right? My dear, this comparison was started by you a few pages above on p6 in your reply to me, not me hor! :imanangel:
[quote](And luckily for US taxpayers, their political leader POTUS doesn't, like ours, benchmark his remuneration to US top executive's.. Else US taxpayers, instead of paying their president just 1/4 of what our PM is getting, may have to end up paying their president tens of millions of salary! )

laughingcat:

Sometime the argument is so funny. Why cannot compare? There would't be much to talk about if the G in the first place don't compare with the private sectors. right? :rotflmao: Comparing shows what’s possible. Comparing makes you competitive, in a good way.

mum_sugoku:

1. Yes, we peasants compare as well.. Which is unsurprising since we are seeing our political leader comparing himself (in this case, to POTUS).. No reason why only the PM is entitled to compare while others - particularly the taxpayers who are paying him - are not entitled to, right?

janet88:

pirate:

Can name the ones you think CMI? Would be more constructive than general ranting, no?

although Singapore is not a communist country, I don't think it's a good idea to mention names. I think many would know who they are.

.zeit:

mum_sugoku:

In the first place, why compare? Why must our politicians compare how much more wealth other countries - in particular US's - political leaders can acquire from commercial deals than they could upon retirement, and use it to justify their far-higher-than-POTUS' salaries? What makes them believe they also deserve whatever benefits that their (superpower countries') counterparts stand to enjoy, and upon reckoning that they are unlikely to also enjoy similar benefit, they must therefore make taxpayer pay them more while they are still in office?

In the first place, the comparison came from some disgruntled Singaporeans. Singaporeans not only like to complain, they also like to compare. When they compare, be sure there'll be Singaporeans coming up to explain to them the differences. Did you read those Singaporeans' comments in the quora link? Methinks they are quite sound leh...

https://www.quora.com/Why-is-the-salary-of-Singapores-Prime-Minister-so-high-Considering-U-S-President-Barack-Obamas-base-salary-is-400-000-and-considering-Obama-governs-a-country-that-is-more-than-50-times-more-populous-than-Singapore-isnt-a-1-7m-salary-absurd

2. Our retired office holders, beside receiving a handsome pension (for those who took office before 2011), many proceed to take up well remunerated appointment in the commercial world after they retired from politics. Eg, MBT and WKS:

MBT: https://www.pacificstargrp.com/profile/mahbowtan.html

WKS: https://sbr.com.sg/financial-services/people/united-overseas-bank-appoints-wong-kan-seng-chairman-board

Is that not a \"benefit\" as well?

I don't know if our ex-PMs, not cabinet ministers like MBT and WKS, had ever become IDs in private companies and made extra income after stepping down. May I know if LKY and GCT were ever in such positions? I recall some honorary positions here and there only? Please help to CSI for us. Thanks!

In any case, I think PM of SG should be compared to POTUS, not ministers (wait, should they be MPs cos they became backbenchers from 21 May 2011) to POTUS. Not too sure if US Senators got those sorts of lucrative perks like ex-POTUSes. Gotta check then do a fair comparison.

Before retirement, MPs (office holders not likely, right?) are allowed to be IDs. Max 6 appts I recall. Personally, I do not think they get a lot of director fees, as compared to the millions of USD generated from global booksales and talks. Do you know how much the Clintons had made by travelling around the world to give talks?

Any idea how much MBT and WKS are getting based on the annual reports of Pacific Star Group and UOB? These part-time show-face roles aren't like the lucrative full-time job GY had snagged.

Edited: WKS joined UOB in Nov 2017, right? By end of this year, I think he'll get SGD158k Any more extra income, praytell. :evil:

3. Being office holders enable others to see their (office holders') spouses' talent easier. Take for instance, HC. Had she not been PM's wife/LKY's DIL, then most likely, nobody would have noticed that the engineering-trained HC possesses the talent to manage our SWF (it's meritocracy at work, of cos). And I remember you mentioning/suggesting that she's even better remunerated than her husband. Isn't that a kind of \"perks\" too?

Are you suggesting there's corruption involved?

Yes, it's a fact she's certainly making more money than her hubby. That's a fact recorded in the annual reports and Forbes' List. She's not a politician but a career woman earning her own keep. Since when has it become a 'perk' of her PM hubby?

We're talking about PM's post-retirement perks, not the missus' own salary.

Lastly, I find the \"high pay to prevent corruption\" justification just as unconvincing: When you goggle \"world's least corrupt countries\", you'll find 5 countries ranked higer (less corrupt) than SG: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/singapore-6th-least-corrupt-country-in-the-world-annual-index-9979996

None of the listed 5 countries need to pay their politicians such high salaried to achieve that.

Also, political leaders of these 5 countries also do not normally get the lucrative commercial deals that ex-POTUS normally get, do they? If ours want to compare, why not compare with them instead? Why must we compare only with US - or whichever countries whose politicians receive more perks/benefits than ours do?

mum_sugoku, are you serious? The other 5 countries? Why don't you spell out so people know which 5 countries you're referring to?

'Nordic countries dominated the top of the table, including Denmark at second place, Finland and Norway tied for third with Switzerland, and Sweden in sixth alongside Singapore.'

I think it's a no brainer. Someone from that quora link can explain to you why leaders there don't need to be paid that much. I shall leave you to pore over this, as I'm not very convinced that our Cabinet ministers and PM are overpaid.

pirate:

Can name the ones you think CMI? Would be more constructive than general ranting, no?

janet88:

I really see those ministers who come in via GRC no up...and those who speak WITHOUT using brains and fail to deliver should be kicked out. why the :censored: are they paid when they cannot make it?

if LKY was still around, those useless one would be sent packing long time ago. there are several 废材 getting paid by taxpayers.
to prove their worth, there should not be any GRCs but single wards to get these minister/MP to earn the vote for a seat in parliament.

lee_yl:

cool_hi:

I really dread to see GST increase..sigh..
(Sorry, but i see it as an easy way out to get more funds to support & pay our super expensive govt,with the So-Many ministers up there..if they are so capable, i think don't need so many? 能者多劳,不是吗?my hubby is already doing multi-job coz company don't want to employ more staff. Say need to cut cost,but their top management still getting super scale pay wor..& are siam to take on responsibilities etc..sounds familiar??:)

We are only a little red dot. A county like Los Angeles already has more than 10mil population. I also wonder if we really need so many Ministers and MPs to run a little red dot, especially those Ministers without Portfolio.

Honestly, since they are already up there, would they be willing to take a pay cut to show solidarity with normal folks suffering from rising cost of living?

I can agee that there are strong Ministers inside the cabinet whom I don’t mind paying them well but there are also deadwood MPs and non-performing Ministers. We have a strong civil service and a lot of work are done by the ground civil servants.

cool_hi:

With living cost forever rising,petrol is now at $2.34, versus $2.19 just half a yr ago(?)..electrical & water bills increase..
etc

& my hubby lost his job twice & now may face it again(big fear coz high chance no job after this loss,partly due to mid age etc..)
I really dread to see GST increase..sigh..
(Sorry, but i see it as an easy way out to get more funds to support & pay our super expensive govt,with the So-Many ministers up there..if they are so capable, i think don't need so many? 能者多劳,不是吗?)

mum_sugoku:

In the first place, why compare? Why must our politicians compare how much more wealth other countries - in particular US's - political leaders can acquire from commercial deals than they could upon retirement, and use it to justify their far-higher-than-POTUS' salaries? What makes them believe they also deserve whatever benefits that their (superpower countries') counterparts stand to enjoy, and upon reckoning that they are unlikely to also enjoy similar benefit, they must therefore make taxpayer pay them more while they are still in office?

In the first place, the comparison came from some disgruntled Singaporeans. Singaporeans not only like to complain, they also like to compare. When they compare, be sure there'll be Singaporeans coming up to explain to them the differences. Did you read those Singaporeans' comments in the quora link? Methinks they are quite sound leh...

https://www.quora.com/Why-is-the-salary-of-Singapores-Prime-Minister-so-high-Considering-U-S-President-Barack-Obamas-base-salary-is-400-000-and-considering-Obama-governs-a-country-that-is-more-than-50-times-more-populous-than-Singapore-isnt-a-1-7m-salary-absurd

2. Our retired office holders, beside receiving a handsome pension (for those who took office before 2011), many proceed to take up well remunerated appointment in the commercial world after they retired from politics. Eg, MBT and WKS:

MBT: https://www.pacificstargrp.com/profile/mahbowtan.html

WKS: https://sbr.com.sg/financial-services/people/united-overseas-bank-appoints-wong-kan-seng-chairman-board

Is that not a \"benefit\" as well?

I don't know if our ex-PMs, not cabinet ministers like MBT and WKS, had ever become IDs in private companies and made extra income after stepping down. May I know if LKY and GCT were ever in such positions? I recall some honorary positions here and there only? Please help to CSI for us. Thanks!

In any case, I think PM of SG should be compared to POTUS, not ministers (wait, should they be MPs cos they became backbenchers from 21 May 2011) to POTUS. Not too sure if US Senators got those sorts of lucrative perks like ex-POTUSes. Gotta check then do a fair comparison.

Before retirement, MPs (office holders not likely, right?) are allowed to be IDs. Max 6 appts I recall. Personally, I do not think they get a lot of director fees, as compared to the millions of USD generated from global booksales and talks. Do you know how much the Clintons had made by travelling around the world to give talks?

Any idea how much MBT and WKS are getting based on the annual reports of Pacific Star Group and UOB? These part-time show-face roles aren't like the lucrative full-time job GY had snagged.

Edited: WKS joined UOB in Nov 2017, right? By end of this year, I think he'll get SGD158k Any more extra income, praytell. :evil:

3. Being office holders enable others to see their (office holders') spouses' talent easier. Take for instance, HC. Had she not been PM's wife/LKY's DIL, then most likely, nobody would have noticed that the engineering-trained HC possesses the talent to manage our SWF (it's meritocracy at work, of cos). And I remember you mentioning/suggesting that she's even better remunerated than her husband. Isn't that a kind of \"perks\" too?

Are you suggesting there's corruption involved?

Yes, it's a fact she's certainly making more money than her hubby. That's a fact recorded in the annual reports and Forbes' List. She's not a politician but a career woman earning her own keep. Since when has it become a 'perk' of her PM hubby?

We're talking about PM's post-retirement perks, not the missus' own salary.

Lastly, I find the \"high pay to prevent corruption\" justification just as unconvincing: When you goggle \"world's least corrupt countries\", you'll find 5 countries ranked higer (less corrupt) than SG: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/singapore-6th-least-corrupt-country-in-the-world-annual-index-9979996

None of the listed 5 countries need to pay their politicians such high salaried to achieve that.

Also, political leaders of these 5 countries also do not normally get the lucrative commercial deals that ex-POTUS normally get, do they? If ours want to compare, why not compare with them instead? Why must we compare only with US - or whichever countries whose politicians receive more perks/benefits than ours do?

mum_sugoku, are you serious? The other 5 countries? Why don't you spell out so people know which 5 countries you're referring to?

'Nordic countries dominated the top of the table, including Denmark at second place, Finland and Norway tied for third with Switzerland, and Sweden in sixth alongside Singapore.'

I think it's a no brainer. Someone from that quora link can explain to you why leaders there don't need to be paid that much. I shall leave you to pore over this, as I'm not very convinced that our Cabinet ministers and PM are overpaid.

.zeit:

These express promotions over the last 5 years have turned a few noobs into overnight millionaires. Some of them sure don't look like they can command such a high salary out there in the private sector.

I'm ok with those within the Cabinet. Just not happy with some lacklustre ones at Parl Sec, SPS and MOS levels.

lee_yl:

cool_hi:

I really dread to see GST increase..sigh..
(Sorry, but i see it as an easy way out to get more funds to support & pay our super expensive govt,with the So-Many ministers up there..if they are so capable, i think don't need so many? 能者多劳,不是吗?my hubby is already doing multi-job coz company don't want to employ more staff. Say need to cut cost,but their top management still getting super scale pay wor..& are siam to take on responsibilities etc..sounds familiar??:)

We are only a little red dot. A county like Los Angeles already has more than 10mil population. I also wonder if we really need so many Ministers and MPs to run a little red dot, especially those Ministers without Portfolio.

Honestly, since they are already up there, would they be willing to take a pay cut to show solidarity with normal folks suffering from rising cost of living?

I can agee that there are strong Ministers inside the cabinet whom I don’t mind paying them well but there are also deadwood MPs and non-performing Ministers. We have a strong civil service and a lot of work are done by the ground civil servants.

lee_yl:

I can agee that there are strong Ministers inside the cabinet whom I don’t mind paying them well but there are also deadwood MPs and non-performing Ministers. We have a strong civil service and a lot of work are done by the ground civil servants.

cool_hi:

& my hubby lost his job twice & now may face it again(big fear coz high chance no job after this loss,partly due to mid age etc..& in this stressful job,already got signs of depression,but have to \"dong\" for the salary..but can i ask him to quit? If he been getting million $ salary,our reserves will be built up,of course i will ask him to quit..but..ya sure, we are just mediocre folks la..already contented with a job..ya?)