She peeked into the dustbin at the bus stop. Slowly, she puts her hand into dustbin, rampaged a little, and picks up a coke can. Draining the contents of the drink, she squashed the can with her weak legs (she needed 6 stomps), and kept the flattened can in a NTUC plastic bag. A smile formed on her wrinkled face as she walks away, towards another public dustbin.
He rides a freight bicycle in the midst of sunnys and lancers. Slow yet steady, his eagle eyes sweeps the area. Then, in the corner, he saw a cardboard lying on the ground. An adrenaline rush engulfed his body. With his new found strength, he cycled towards the cardboard. He picks it up, dust it a little, and put it away in the carrier. The amount of cardboards collected is overwhelming. He cycles away, and just like the old lady, a smile formed on his face.
In the busy coffeeshop, she wasn’t planning on eating. Carrying a big bag, she walked from table to table, selling tissue papers. One by one, people shunned her, many waved her away. She looks dejected. Walking over, she looked at me, gave a smile, and asked, “tissue paper? 3 for 1 dollar?”
All these scenes in my eye for one day.
In the midst of all these, our ministers are getting a pay rise. The rich gets richer, the poor, poorer. $290 is enough for the poor and needy, they say, but 1.2 million is not enough for us. What’s bigger? 1.2 or 290?
We stood up and spoke. Online petitions were set up. Faces of ministers on asiaone.com.sg were changed from happy smiling ones to grim looks (source: Mr Brown). The government made a huge decision. The prime minister decided to donate his increments to charity, due to moral standings, while our minister in charge of civil service feels “It is wrong to think that a bigger pay would undermine the moral authority of the government” (source: CNA)
The debate continues, but we know the result will never change. So much for “to build a democratic society, based on justice and equality, so as to achieve happiness, prosperity and progress for our nation”. We are certainly happy and prosperous now, surely democratic.
Well, one thing’s for sure, we might not be paying for better leaders, but definitely paying our leaders better.
Question Is a Government an MNC? How do you run it? Does it run to serve “itself”? or for “Itself”? who created this system of running? do we blame the creator or the people who use the system? And in so in this way sort of remind me of the recent incident wouldn how our current government be run similarly like the previous NKF which was run by the ex boardmembers? even tho its an charitable organization? In a way this put me to ask Is the Money so to say Earn by Singapore “Public Money” or “Public Money”?
I Salute the PM for donating his extra pay increment raise of 5 years to the charitable organisation. Although it may seem like he was doing it to placate the public i feel that what he did was the first action ever done in singapore by a minister. changes should be done by action not just verbal. examples should be followed especially excellent examples, but most not certainly unresponsible examples.
We can’t really kill the whole government saying that it is useless due to the fact that a couple of undesirable “elements” got into the system.
nothing is perfect, you cannot blame the system for recruiting some people who have lower education background then you and be placed in a position higher then yours due to the only reason that they have contributed more then you or dared to make their voices heared pleasing or unpleasing to the users of the system.
so you can only strive for the best as my superior often tell me. right now what would shock me or please me is that the rest of the parliment are willing to follow the PM lead and donate their Salary increments of 5 years into charity, and in a way make charity autonomous partly with the government so that the money used into it will be transparent as the money can be claimed as “government” money and that they have a responsibilty to come through on the expenses it incurr annually.
Hate not the system as it doesn have a conscious as it cannot tell what is right and wrong as it have no mind, but instead hate the people who misabuse the system as they have a conscious or what they are doing for they know what is the right and wrong in their mind.
To add to the statement from the press regarding how the economy recovery has gone on for the last three years. its not exactly true. recycling money and dispensing money outside due to the influx of “foreign talent” that are not willing to spend money in singapore and to add on that there are none or almost zero notable investment that are invested into singapore ( ps. the Sands resort doesn count as its a government project) this mean that it isn’t recovering it means you are wasting funds which will only be rolling out of the country on a red carpet. if the guy who made this sweeping statement to the press regarding the recovery he should make some friends who are in the banking industry they will tell him how stagnent the money in singapore is, bringing to a point why you see such a big boom in construction industry.
why? its a cheapest method or business that cost the lowest as land is free building material are cheap but still it will yield the highest growth only for a SHORT TERM period after u sell the space and the effect after the construction? Zero chance of help to the economy other then extra space for you to go to.
Thinker,
Thank you for your time to comment (a hell lot, i might add)
First off, I do not believe the government is useless. If they were we wouldn’t be what we are today in a short span of 41 years. I am only disappointed in their decision.
Still, to take back a decision would mean to concede, and that is something the government cannot afford to do.
The PM’s decision to me is simply to placate the people. This decision to rise minister’s pay is getting out of hand IMO and something need to be done. So what is the next best solution to it? Donate charity lor.
The good thing is other MPs are following suit.
If you haven’t realize, the leadership of Singapore going on an all time low. Take a look at Nicholas Lazarus’s comments post of the green eyed monster. See how Elaina Olivia Chong is making people in Havard laugh with a utopia of “A platoon with the acumen of Bill Gates, risk appetite of George Soros and the heart of Mother Theresa”. See how minister’s are unknowning (maybe knowningly, i don’t know) rebutting each other (eg, on moral grounds between LHL and TCH; ostentatious generosity between Dr Balakrishnan and LHL)
With such narrow and idealistic thinking around, I see a bleak future.
I unwillingly accept this decision. If not how? riot ah? Then go prison? Gahmen not stoopid one u know?!
You say not to blame the system, blame the people who abuse it. But these people make the system what. When we blame the sytem ain’t we blaming the people too?
I hope my “Econo-mee to suit everyone’s economy” will help ease the pockets of everyone concerned. Let the poor have free or subsidised econo-mee, and let the rich pay $100 a bowl for my noodles. What is $100 when their pay ends in 9 zeros.?
ganchau, almost remember the golden secret rule of the gahmen: “I give u one dollar, I take back 2 from you”
The people will always be pwned
Ya, so different from the way God blesses. Givers get their blessings 10 times in return!