I posted on 18 Jan. Today (27 Jan), I decided to include a link over here, which talks about free press and corruption, and I'm even more uncertain of Singapore's political future.
I couldn't resist myself from blogging about this, so here I am. I am POLITICALLY AGNOSTIC - I see individuals rather than parties, for good reason.
Chen Show Mao's debate in ministerial pay cut was fantastic. I heard some really unintelligent debates on the ruling party's side, and was disappointed. Disappointed because it didn't produce as many political eagles as they had decades ago. Disappointed because I do think its contributions - or track record - in Singapore, was admirable. Let me sidetrack and come back. Ms Grace Fu is most admirable, and here's why.
My mother, unlike most privileged NUS students' parents, is a cleaner, at PAP Kindergarten (PCF). She's old, weary, and aching everywhere. She's working after 18 years of housewife-ship, because Singapore's increasingly expensive to live in. I'm studying in NUS. My father earns less than $1.5k. My brother is in Poly. And my little brother (yes, I've a big family), is only 12.
Cut the long story short. Grace Fu invited staff of PCF my mother to her house during Chinese New Year last year. My mother was ashamed to turn up, but she did anyway, and she was accepted amidst a myriad of political hotshots at Ms Grace Fu's home. That to me was impressive.
What's more impressive. My mother, as a staff of PCF, had the chance to travel to a nearby island for retreat with Ms Fu. In my mother's words, "I was sitting around with other aunties, chatting. Grace Fu walked up to us, carrying a big plate of food, and served us, telling us 'Eat! Eat'. I was so embarrassed, and so were my colleagues. Fancy an MP serving food to cleaners... But she did it very sincerely, with a broad smile and enthusiasm..."
My mother tells me Ms Fu speaks good mandarin. That's quite amazing, considering that many undergrads now, not to mention the very educated, do not.
Every year, Yuhua would host some Chinese New Year celebration the Sunday morning after Chinese New Year week. She would always be there, EARLY, to shake hands with every old folk who queues up for free mandarin oranges and lucky draw tickets. And she does it excitedly and warmly. I know it cuz I've been there many times.
I do not know if she helps the homeless, jobless, or hopeless in my constituency. I do know she is a good MP in many ways.
Let me now come back. Should ministers be paid that much? Firstly, why the debate now?
1. It will never happen again. Once everything is set in stone, life moves on, and citizens can never influence ministers' pay again.
2. Privileges can never be withdrawn. The pinch is very, very great. It's understood. Who in Singapore likes pay cuts? "Kee Chew!" (Raise your hand! A tribute to our dear MG)
2a. Those who are new feel it less, but given the plans they have, just like the plans we all humans have about our little bonus end of every year, it's still painful.
I'm not here to say whether it should be further cut, or not. I'm still confused in that sense, though Chen Show Mao made a great case. The premise of a politician:
1. It's not for the money
2. It's the willingness, coupled with ability, to serve.
[3. They represent the people.]
Point 3 means that if politicians are paid that much, they cannot empathise with citizens' financial woes. But most politicians don't empathise with citizens' woes in this manner. Not Obama, not Aroyo, not Lee Hsien Loong. Let's delve a bit deeper.
THE SOCIAL CONTRACT
According to the Social Contract (which arose from Hobbes and Locke, and evolved since the Enlightenment era with Rousseau), citizens give up a bit of their freedom for order and security, and if ever, prosperity as a nation. However, it's very difficult to measure order in Singapore - it's a culture to be ordered! We don't need politicians for that now. Security? Singapore's very safe. Social security? Hardly any [AND IT'S A BIG PROBLEM.] Prosperity? Yes to the top 10% of Singaporeans, no to the lower 50%. The income gap is widening, and the median income of Singapore $2.5k. GNP per capita is $52,000. That's a problem. Singaporeans don't feel rich enough to support high paying ministers. The prosperity of the nation's secure though, but that's another business for another day.
No one would admit they join politics for money. No one with brains would join politics for money, because one's life is suddenly scrutinised, and that means wearing a mask every second which also includes your children performing well in school, lest he/she gets questioned by the public. Strange, but true. The good thing (and actually bad thing) about Singapore is that THERE IS NO FREE PRESS. So that's not so bad, as compared to UK or US.
But Singaporeans, being Asians, hate being publicly scrutinised, because of our Confucian-influenced culture (or Chinese cultures). That's still a big sacrifice to make. Let me add that there are endless people enticed by fame and glory, but those aren't all good. Even the best fall from grace sometimes, as my study of British Prime Ministerial history has proven.
So I'll leave a few questions here:
1. To what extent is the pay necessary to attract talents who are headhunted into politics, people who are capable, but shun politics because they hate the entanglements that come with "serving the people" (eg being publicly scrutinized, having to answer to the nation, etc)?Those who are USELESS AND THERE FOR FAME or money and produce nothing amazing, GET OUT.
2. How good are all our ministers and members of parliament? - Scrap the GRC to find out, and keep only the VERY BEST in the Cabinet. No Mas Selamat, No SMRT vandalism... Security of the nation should not be compromised, and keep people who genuinely want to (and have the ability to) serve the nation. Those who are USELESS AND THERE FOR FAME or money and produce nothing amazing, GET OUT.
3. Confucian tradition - To what extent is our politicians capable and virtuous? In medieval China, those who are CAPABLE (passed the imperial exams) and VIRTUOUS were selected as officials. They were respected, and therefore unquestioned.
3a. It's a question of faith - Singaporeans feel that our politicians aren't as fantastic as to deserve being paid that much.
3b. Assumptions like that aren't baseless. Truth is, Singaporeans are feeling compromised in their lives. Gone were the days of 1980s when Singaporeans felt like they were in the best country in the entire world - safe, clean, green, efficient, wealthy, morally upright.
Virtue - If politicians are virtuous, they would not take public funds for themselves. If politicians are virtuous, they wouldn't even need to be paid that much. Very unfortunately, to err is human, and the mass media makes a mistake really big, and virtue really small. Money's the only compensation. How much? I don't really know. But if you did read closely, I wasn't questioning how much they should be paid. I was questioning whether they deserve to be paid as much as they currently are.
Grace Fu is a good minister. I would close an eye if she's paid very highly (sigh, but I'll still accept it). But not all ministers and MPs are that good. My friend's constituency has a really incapable MP who couldn't help her and her family and she has to stop school to earn money for the family.
REMEMBER, THE SOCIAL CONTRACT - If you make sure citizens are happy, citizens will close an eye as to how much politicians are paid.
