Got this from littlespeck.com. Not sure where is this Andrew Tan
from, Singapore presumably.
Leadership Renewal
Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew stressed the need to continually
induct younger talent into political leadership in a recent
interview with China's CCTV.
There are a few ministers, now in their late 50s to mid-60s, who
should retire by the next general elections after having served
umpteen years.
It would be audacious to question their competence and commitment.
But anyone too long in the job, in political office or in the
private sector, risks becoming fossilised, mainly doing maintenance
and slow to accept let alone initiate change.
Sure there's value in accumulated experience but a smug "I have
done/seen it all before" attitude diminishes the experience.
There's a deliberate policy of early retirement for very senior
officers in the civil service: permanent secretaries still in their
youthful 50s have to make way for younger colleagues to facilitate
rejuvenation of the public sector. (A great idea, but not so great
to those told to move on.)
Similarly, as a general practice, ministers should serve not more
than, say, three terms.
Starting as a junior minister in his or her late 30s to mid-40s and
graduating later to full minister, such a minister would have had a
compact, intensive tenure. And he or she would still be young
enough to resume a previous career.
I suggest that the tenure of MPs should also be shortened lest some
become fixtures too.
Do we have enough younger, capable and honest people to succeed the
older political leaders if leadership renewal is accelerated?
Much has been said about the difficulty of finding the right people
with a rare composite of scholastic excellence, proven ability,
strategic thinking, integrity, political acumenÂ… I daresay the pool
of qualified people is getting bigger, not smaller.
Salaries of ministers, once an impediment, have in recent years
been pegged to the top performers in the professions and in the
private sector.
They are no longer sacrificial as in the 60s to 70s; indeed they
have been attractive enough to convert some into professional
politicians not imbued with the same passion as the pioneers
were.
Further being a politician under the PAP banner is hardly a
hazardous job unless one were to wantonly do something
stupid.
Getting people in is less difficult than getting people out.
For leadership renewal to proceed seamlessly, political (and
corporate) leaders must know when to relinquish their power and
accompanying perquisites. Don't imagine life will be worse in your
absence.
Andrew Tan
Jun 29, 2005
