Is it legal for government to approve their own salaries?

last SG · 2007-11-12T01:51:42+00:00

Mr Ngiam, a former permanent secretary has opinion on the govt's plan to increase the population until six million. He emphasized more on quality of the imm...

robertteh SG

We all know that parliament is supreme in that it has the power to pass laws to govern the country.

However when it comes to paying Ministers; and MPs' own salaries, bonuses and life long pension from the public funds do they have the same right to put up any such motions or benchmarking for approval by their own members.

In the case of NKF's Durai using his power to pay himself and his subordinates peanut salaries even with the unfailing support and sanction by government patron Mrs. Goh Chok Tong the court obviously has censored the board and Durai for such self-reward as conflict and improper conduct.

Our leaders are trustees of public funds. They have apparently even without voting given themselves self-rewards beyond their originally contracted salaries and payments which were essentially tied to the salary structures of the public service.

The ministers have therefore committed a serious error by introducing such motions and have their own members to approve such rewards.

Even if there is voting the votes may be declared null and void by the court.

Citizens have the right to check on such wrong doings They are not being jealous as our politicians have been calling the people. What is immoral and not right cannot be made right by propagandas.

Even PM Lee felt so embarrassed lately with people's strong objections to such self-writing of ministers' own pay cheques that in order to retain a sense of propriety and morality to govern he had decided to donate his own increments to charity.

If such salaries and bonuses and life pensions were taken in this manner sooner or later they will have to be adjudged by the court and the monies so taken may have to be returned to the people.

The proper thing for our leaders to do is to put forward such self-rewards as manifestos of the party in the election and specifically have the votes taken based on such public sanction.

Two wrongs do not make a right so the fact that when a mistake has been made it will not be right to allege that just because the ministers and MPs have won the election they could write their own pay cheques or approve their own bonuses or life pension as they like.

reddressman SG

As long as WP cannot attract more good people like Sylvia,

I am confident of status quo.

Spartans SG

For other democractic nations, it is illegal. For Singapore, it is legal. Lee’s decision is final. End of story.

kramnave SG

Better ask the French and the Irish..they just increased their pay also Laughing

kramnave SG

Robert Teh,

Seriously speaking, since you have so much issues and have so much ideals why don't you consider joining an opposition party, if you haven't already. Of course i'm not asking to to kamikaze and join SDP though.

robertteh SG

Let us see their Hansard or Gazette will you.

kramnave SG

If you can find the hansard then good for you lah...i'm just stating a fact that they did, it was reported in the news and internet also can find those reports.

robertteh SG

Must anyone be asked to join a party just because of speaking up on wrong doings or wrong policies? I thought the ministers have been lamenting a lot about people and youths having no view or being apathetic. So which is the problem now - having an apathetic people like Li Ao is saying about Singaporeans or denying problems in this manner.

The proper thing to do is for ministers to change mindset first before advising people to do the same. Ministers should serve the people with honesty and integrity and not demand to be paid any amount of salaries out of jealously of any CEOs in the private sector and approve their own salaries like winning a public lottery without going through draw of luck.

kramnave SG

I'm not saying that you must...i'm just suggesting since they truly need people and since you seriously have ideals and concerns. If people who have serious concerns and ideals don't join then who join ? Those that want power and money ?

maurizio13 SG

I hate to think what would happen if everybody that has issues and ideals join an opposition party.

We will be up to our necks with politicians, some just voice out concerns in Speaker's Corner to enlighten the less enlightened Singaporeans.

I suppose since you defend the ruling P4P party so much, you must be a politician.

royston_ang SG

It take much more than ideals and concerns to join opposition party. It take a lot of courage and sacrifice to do so, knowing that the ruling party will do whatever possible to crush you.

I think voicing your opinion in forum is a good start. As least it let more people know about the political situation in SG apart from the local media.

kramnave SG

If everybody that has issues and ideals join the opposition party, then they have more manpower and can contest more seats...but don't lose the deposit Very Happy .

Sometimes people say things that are untrue and i believe so, why shouldn't offer my views ? Further, i may ask questions that may seem like a defence but isn't it good to evaluate both sides of the argument before coming to a conclusion ? What good is a discussion if its purely one-sided ? Its as good as grouping together and wallowing in self-pity.

I have been called derogatory terms like "ass-sniffer", "pap dog" etc for offering some defence and asking some questions. Does it mean that everything PAP does is wrong ? Cannot be right ?

Whats wrong with offering some balance to a heavily biased forum ? Doesn't mean that i'm a die hard PAP fan..i can side with WP too..

Trump_Card SG

Laughing

kramnave SG

False, WP is doing fine.

royston_ang SG

WP is doing fine cause even the WP chief don't dare to challenge PAP directly. Rolling Eyes

kramnave SG

False. They have raised issues in parliament. What they don't do is mount accusations that can't be substantiated.

robertteh SG

When we questioned the policy of ministers' approving their own pays and bonuses as wrong we have actually substantiated what we said with logics and arguments and facts. Clearly such self-rewards by the ministers involve a conflict of interest in the exercise of power and can be set aside as null and void in any court of law.

Have you done so with similar substantiation of your views claimed to be necessary to counter bias to reach better conclusion. All I am seeing so far is just your one-line denial without any facts or substantiation.

kramnave SG

I haven't really explored on whether its right or wrong thats why i refrained from directly answering your question. I was just responding to spartan who said it is illegal in other democratic countries. I was just offering the example of France and Ireland.

robertteh SG

If you make a claim that you are here to counter views of people so as to balance them to reach better conclusion then be prepared to be shown where you have failed to justify such countering with facts and substance. Be honest in your views and opinions if you want to take a higher custodian role to correct people's views.

kramnave SG

What evidence you want ? If you read the Straits Times or even bothered with news on the internet then you would have known that.

Canadian Pay Hike
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=ea318a9c-4e24-4556-847e-2c162a7f1d36

Irish Pay Hike
http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/frontpage/2007/1026/1193348363404.html

Sarkozy Pay Hike
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22681188-2703,00.html