Update 21 Apr 2020
"Given that the 4G leadership especially the 3 front runners for the next PM, largely come from the SAF or the Civil Service, does it not a sign that there is now a Political Elite Class in Singapore?"
"Is it bad to come from the Civil Service or the SAF, no. Is it necessary to come from there, no. Is it good to have people from a wide range. Yes, we do have a wide range, people from the private sectors, doctors, lawyers, new people from back-benches. We are looking for people wherever we can find them."
Ministers should accept pay sacrifice as job is 'form of NS': Blackbox survey
Nearly seven in ten Singaporeans (67 per cent) feel that ministers should be “willing to make a sacrifice” and accept a lower pay than what they may earn in the private sector as their job is a “form of national service”, a recent Blackbox Research survey showed. Nearly two in five, or 36 per cent, also disagreed that an important criterion for ministers should be “the likelihood that they would earn a high salary if they were working in the private sector” while 27 per cent agreed with the statement and 37 per cent expressed neutral views, according to the survey conducted between 17 and 24 August.
Last month, Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong sparked a heated debate on ministerial salary after a dialogue he had with South East District residents. During the dialogue, he said that ministers are not paid enough and also spoke about the difficulties in attracting top talent to join the government. He had said, “You are going to end up with very very mediocre people, who can’t even earn a million dollars outside to be our minister. Think about that. Is it good for you, or is it worse for us in the end?”
Currently, the annual salary of an MR4 grade (entry level) minister stands at $1.1 million, while the Prime Minister earns $2.2 million. This is based on the assumption of an Annual Variable Component of one month, good individual performance and the national bonus indicators being met.
Are frontrunners for PM post a sign of Singapore’s ‘political elite class?’: Low Thia Khiang
Opposition veteran Low Thia Khiang asked in Parliament on Wednesday (16 May) if the “three frontrunners” for Singapore’s next prime minister are an indication of a political elite class.
The Aljunied GRC Member of Parliament noted that the front runners come from the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and the civil service, without stating the identities of those he considered as the leading candidates to succeed Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
Political analysts have identified the trio as Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing, who was formerly the Chief of Army in the Singapore Armed Forces; Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat, who was formerly a senior civil servant and the managing director of the Monetary Authority of Singapore; and Education Minister Ong Ye Kung, who held top positions in the civil service such as chief executive of the Singapore Workforce Agency.
read more
Can Singapore's elite circle turn around growing social divide?
It is a pledge we have heard from the government time and again: to build an inclusive society where no one is left out. Lee Hsien Loong echoed this promise when he became Prime Minister in 2004.
But 14 years on, Lee has acknowledged that Singapore is actually in danger of becoming more exclusive.
The alarm bells have been ringing to the extent that the Ministry of Education had to even intervene to curb the rising trend of exclusivity within schools. MOE is working with Raffles Institution and other elite schools to ensure that they do not become “self-perpetuating closed circles”, said Lee in Parliament on Wednesday (16 May).
read more
The Ruling Elite of Singapore: Networks of Power and Influence
Michael Barr explores the complex and covert networks of power at work in one of the world's most prosperous countries – the city-state of Singapore. He argues that the contemporary networks of power are a deliberate project initiated and managed by Lee Kuan Yew – former prime minister and Singapore's ""founding father"" – designed to empower himself and his family.
Barr identifies the crucial institutions of power - including the country's sovereign wealth funds, and the government-linked companies – together with five critical features that form the key to understanding the nature of the networks.
He provides an assessment of possible shifts of power within the elite in the wake of Lee Kuan Yew's son, Lee Hsien Loong, assuming power, and considers the possibility of a more fundamental democratic shift in Singapore's political system.
read more
Survey points to social class divide among Singaporeans
More than half of Singapore residents have a higher chance of mixing with people of other races & age groups than those of a different social standing, according to a new survey by local think tank, the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS).
And the social class divide among Singaporeans is more apparent than it seems. The survey, called ‘A Study on Social Capital in Singapore’, examined social ties here & found private housing dwellers tend to mix with people living in the same housing type, instead of those in public flats.
People from so-called “elite” schools tend to socialise with those who went to similar schools. Dr Gillian Koh, IPS’ deputy director (research) & one of the three researchers behind the survey, said there is a “natural tendency for people to gather like with like”.
read more
More can be done to facilitate mixing among people of different social classes, IPS survey finds
More effort could be made to encourage Singaporeans from different school backgrounds & housing types to mix together, according to researchers behind a Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) survey which was released on Thursday (Dec 28).
The nationwide survey, which was done in partnership with the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), asked 3,000 Singapore citizens & permanent residents about the nature of their social ties.
The face-to-face survey was conducted between January 2016 and October 2017, & selected respondents through a random sampling of dwelling types.
read more
The Government needs to do more to bridge the class divide, but so do we
With class divisions in Singapore now far more pronounced, more steps need to be taken to expose our children to those whose realities are different from ours, says Channel NewsAsia’s Bharati Jagdish.
Examine your social circle. If you come from an elite school, it’s likely most of your friends, even in adulthood, come from one of those schools too.
If you live in a private estate, you’re not likely to have friends who live in the heartlands, according to a recent Institute of Policy Studies' (IPS) survey.
read more
SMRT: We did engage executive search firm to "globally search" for new CEO
In a letter to the ST Forum today (21 Apr), Ms Margaret Teo, the Vice-President for Corporate Communications of SMRT Corporation, revealed that SMRT had earlier engaged an executive search firm to conduct a comprehensive "global search" for its CEO position.
She was replying to an earlier ST Forum letter sent by Dr Michael Loh Toon Seng, arguing that experience in the transport industry should have been counted in choosing the SMRT Chief, in light of yet another ex-SAF general Neo Kian Hong who was recently chosen for the job.
Ms Teo said that SMRT interview panel finally decided on Neo Kian Hong as they were "particularly impressed with his personal values and leadership qualities".
read more
SMRT confirms ex-general Neo Kian Hong as new CEO
SMRT confirmed on Wednesday (April 18) that Neo Kian Hong will succeed Desmond Kuek as chief executive from Aug 1, a day after The Straits Times reported the news.
SMRT chairman Seah Moon Ming said Mr Neo, a former general & permanent secretary, was chosen following a global search.
The Straits Times understands around 20 candidates were considered.
read more
Experience in transport industry should count in choice of SMRT chief
I am disappointed that yet another chief executive of the SMRT will be someone without the relevant experience (SMRT confirms ex-general Neo Kian Hong as new CEO; April 18.)
- When I visited Russia a year ago, I was impressed by its metro.
- The lavish Moscow metro system was built way back in 1935 while Josef Stalin was in power.
- Today it is over 300km long & consists of 12 lines serving 212 stations & transports about 10 million passengers daily.
- Trains run more speedily than those we have here, there is free Wi-Fi, carriages are longer & the frequency of trains faster (minimal interval between trains is 90 seconds).
- The former head of the Moscow Metro, Mr Dmitry Pegov, graduated as an electrical engineer, but did an MBA, and earned a law degree too.
- He started his career as an assistant engineer in a locomotive depot, then worked as a train driver and even became a driving instructor of locomotive crews, and was eventually promoted to head of the St Petersburg-Moscow October Railway railcar depot and several other senior positions before being appointed as head of the metro in 2014.
related: New head understands commuters' needs
read more
Neo Kian Hong the man for the top job, as he met ‘all the criteria’ sought by SMRT board
Mr Neo Kian Hong will succeed Mr Desmond Kuek as SMRT Group CEO from August
While SMRT said the "global hunt" for its next group chief executive officer (CEO) was a months-long effort that included candidates from reputable metro systems, the board finally settled on former top military man Neo Kian Hong because he ticked all the boxes.
SMRT’s decision to go with Mr Neo — who will assume the top job on Aug 1 — had drawn flak from some quarters owing to his lack of experience in the rail sector.
Responding to TODAY’s queries after Mr Desmond Kuek’s impending departure was confirmed on Wednesday (April 18), SMRT’s vice-president for corporate communications Margaret Teo said the board had picked Mr Neo after a comprehensive hunt as he possessed “personal values, leadership qualities, engineering knowledge, track record in operations & people management, and ability to collaborate with multiple stakeholders”.
read more
Appointment of paper general as new CEO follows PAP’s protocol
When we said we conducted a “global search” for my successor, we were not lying. 20 top CEOs with real rail experience were headhunted but all did not even bother to repond. We suspect it was because they were told that this was going to be a volunteer job.
We then decided to search for a true leader among Singaporeans and Neo’s name repeatedly cropped up.
I will let Neo’s achievements speak for him.
read more
Kuek steps down as CEO
It has been reported that SMRT Chief Desmond Kuek is stepping down after 5.5 years at the helm. Another ex-Chief of Defence Force Neo Kian Hong is taking over him.
When Kuek was appointed CEO of SMRT in Oct 2012 to replace former CEO Saw Phaik Hwa, then Chairman Koh Yong Guan said, “After an extensive search and selection process, we are pleased that we have someone of Desmond’s background and calibre joining SMRT as the new CEO. SMRT is undergoing considerable change, not just in the way we operate transport services and serve our customers, but also how we will continue to grow as a company. Desmond has the attributes and proven qualities to lead SMRT through these challenges.”
Kuek had stepped down from his position as Chief of Defence Force in 2010 and took up the appointment as Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources from 2010 to 2012 prior his appointment as SMRT CEO.
read more
Former defence chief Neo Kian Hong to replace Desmond Kuek as SMRT CEO
Former chief of defence force Neo Kian Hong (left) will replace Mr Desmond Kuek (right) as SMRT CEO on Aug 1
GLOBAL SEARCH FOR SUCCESSOR - Mr Neo's appointment comes after a "global search" for a successor for Mr Kuek, said SMRT chairman Seah Moon Ming.
He said the SMRT board was impressed with Mr Neo's appreciation of interdisciplinary collaboration, as well as his vision and experience in leveraging new technologies for public service.
"I have had the opportunity to work alongside Kian Hong during the SARS crisis & witnessed his sense of mission, hands-on approach to problem-solving & decisive leadership," Mr Seah said.
read more
Was previous rail industry experience not one of the criteria in selecting new SMRT CEO?
SMRT’s confirmation that they have appointed yet another ex-Chief of Defence Force after a supposedly global search has garnered criticism from several quarters.
The new CEO, Neo Kian Hong, who will be replacing Desmond Kuek is the same man who succeeded Kuek as Chief of Defence Force while they were both in the Singapore Armed Forces. The pair even took on a similar career route, after retiring from the military, becoming permanent secretaries in Government ministries before joining SMRT.
Neo’s appointment as the incoming CEO of SMRT comes after months of speculation that Kuek will be stepping down after a nearly six year tenure at the corporation that was marked by controversy – from the deaths of two trainees who were struck by an oncoming train, to the unprecedented flooding of an MRT tunnel and a collision between two trains that injured over 30 individuals, besides countless train service breakdowns.
read more
In perverse fashion, the Malaysians might have done the PAP a favour
The consensus is that the PAP government has been dealt a major blow. But in one sense, it could be argued that the Malaysians have actually gifted a favour to the PAP. The toppling of Barisan Nasional after 61 years in power has certainly woken the PAP up big time.
Prior to the shock election results, the PAP was seeping into a state of we-know-it-all complacency and omnipotence. Its stance was that Singaporeans should place unconditional trust in the government. Critics were being belittled (think Thum Ping Tjin) and the Opposition being intimidated (think Sylvia Lim) and even laughed at (Low Thia Khiang when he said in Parliament that the GST hike would be debated at the next elections). But the Malaysian government got swept aside, and lo and behold, the PAP started playing a totally different tune.
Last week, in Parliament, the likes of PM Lee Hsien Loong, Chan Chun Sing and Heng Swee Keat were communicating in ever so soft and measured and cordial tones:
- heaping praise on Low Thia Khiang for his contributions to Singapore
- welcoming the Workers Party to play a role in Singapore’s political landscape
- promising that 4G leaders would listen with humility and respect
- assuring Singaporeans that they are free to disagree with the government
- imploring Singaporeans to put the interests of the country first
read more
Ho Ching Temasek CEO, Nearly a decade after failed leadership succession plans
The head of Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund is a familiar face to many and interest in the fund’s chief executive has always been rife, considering that she is also Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s wife.
This year, Ho Ching will complete 16 years at Temasek. She joined the organisation, then called Temasek Holdings, as a director in January 2002 before she was promoted to executive director just four months later, in May. Two years after she joined Temasek, Ho Ching became its Chief Executive Officer on 1 January 2004 – a role she has held for the past 14 years.
Interestingly, next year (2019) will not only mark a decade and a half since Ho Ching took the reins of Temasek, it will also mark a decade after leadership succession plans for a new CEO to replace Ho Ching fell through in a boardroom bust-up in 2009 – just three months before the new CEO was supposed to take over.
related: WHY DOESN’T TEMASEK DISCLOSE MANAGEMENT COSTS
read more
Not sure if fake but good points nevertheless
Excellent read written by my retired Friend. .... Seven pieces of advice Mahathir probably gave to Hsien Loong on his short visit to the comeback man in Putrajaya:
- Next time when you partying with your new friends, don’t forget your old friends outside the gates. When you were eating Durians with Najib and Rosmah you did not even pay a visit to the old man Mahathir to say hello? Well I guess I was a pariah and you did not want to be associated with me. I understand. But good and insightful politicians never assume fallen leaders people can’t make a comeback. So don’t just visit me or Anwar, make time for Najib later after all he is still your Friend is he not and who says he can’t make a comeback? Look at what I have done at 92. Najib still has some years to go.
- There is no need to wear a batik shirt and smile all the time when you come to congratulate me. We are both PMs and are equal in status. If you are filled with humility and respect it will show in other ways so no need to put it on show. I did not care much for your father and disagreed with his policies but I respected him for his firm resolve and standing up to other countries when it mattered. He was a true leader and had balls.
- Be wise in placing your bets and if you lose it is Ok but never do a Tony Fernandez. When your horse doesn’t come in don’t go around telling people it was a mistake or you were forced to make the bet. People will lose respect for you. Don’t forget the same horse may win the next race. I am a good example.
- Choose your cabinet ministers wisely. Scholars and Generals may be fine in intellect but are they leaders with courage and conviction who care enough for the Rakyat? Look at my team. Many have been imprisoned, persecuted and ostracised by BN and their henchmen but they stayed and fought for the Rakyat. Guan Eng has done wonders for Penang. He was jailed twice but he had steel in him. He did not migrate but stayed on to fight because he believed in Malaysia. Now that’s what I call true leaders of the people not those who have high IQs and come out with fantastic income generating policies that contribute to GDP and GNP but with no real benefit for the Rakyat.
- Choose men and women with backbones. Don’t choose people who always say yes to you. Look at Khairy, BN’s former Youth Minister. He is an Oxford grad and highly intelligent. But what did he do when BN was thrown out? He said “Oh we should have spoken out and it was a mistake not to tell Najib that his policies were wrong, etc.” What bullshit! He had no guts to say no to Najib because he was a Yes man and enjoying all the perks of a Minister. You know what happens when you have Yes men in your cabinet? They think only of themselves. Like Judas they will disown you when the chips are down because now they hope they will be absolved of their past crimes.
- Always remember to govern your country with a paramount emphasis on the rule of law. I admit I did not do so in the past when I was PM and that was a bad mistake. When you politicise the police, the attorney general, the civil service, heads of statutory boards, etc, they take the liberty of enforcing your rule with strong-armed and undemocratic tactics and practices. That is not only wrong but harms your integrity, your people’s integrity and the reputation of your country. The world distrusted us because of it. I realised this when I was in the wilderness and part of the Rakyat.
- Don’t get your wife too involved in the affairs of the state. Look at Rosmah. She did not hold any official appointment but she did give orders to many government officials and they obeyed because she was the PM’s wife. Plus Najib was under her spell. Your Father was wise, your Mother played a very supportive role. I do the same with Siti Hasmah. She like your Mother are highly educated women but they stay in the background and are detached from any form of role that has a say in government, state investment or what to do with the state’s coffers.
Lee Hsien Loong has yet to identify a clear successor – but what about Ho Ching?
While the lack of an identifiable successor for next Premiership has concerned Singaporeans, another critical entity – Temasek Holdings – also seems to face a lack of a successor.
According to the Government, the national investment entity manages $198 billion of our reserves. The weight of this organization was also emphasized by former Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, who said in Parliament that the government has a clear interest in Temasek continuing to have strong leadership, so that it can deliver good returns over the long term”.
Yet, there appears to be no successor for Ho Ching who has been Temasek’s CEO since 2002. While we have no details as to when the search for her successor started, some reference can be made to a Parliamentary response which stated that Temasek’s Board and the current CEO Ho Ching has “set about the process of CEO succession review since 2005”.
read more
Why our Leaders continue to earn Heavenly Income and Pensions
While all you guys are focusing on the salary and bonuses, what you guys missed is that our dear gov had removed ALL pension scheme from Singapore BUT kept it only for themselves.
Apparently, all ministers of more than 2 terms will get Full Pension till death. So you kick them out all you want, they will still be laughing all the way to the bank everyday till the end of their life.
I wasnt able to believe it when I was told about this, can someone please tell me I was wrong
read more
Why the Current Leaders Are Mediocre
The present government must understand that Singaporeans of our fathers’ generation lived through a tumultuous time pre-independence. LKY dispensed bitter medicine and they accepted it. Why because our leaders went through the same hardship as them.
These were political leaders who did not come in on the merits of others. They fought in the hustings and came out tops. They worked the ground and knew the people’s sentiments and hardships. Look at how LKY punched the air when he shouted “Merdeka” in his rallies and you will know why the people followed him and the PAP.
I still remember Dr Goh Keng Swee going about in Mindef in 1973 dressed like any other civil servant. He was like one of us. Besides he loved mess games and an occasional tipple with his military officers.
read more
High pay for better talents?
In late 1994 the Goh Chok Tong government adopted a policy of giving cabinet ministers, parliament members, senior civil servants and other public sector employees (e.g., at the time university professors were included, but they were subsequently decoupled from civil service salary scales.) higher levels of pay, on the twin grounds that salaries competitive to those prevailing in the business and professional sectors are necessary to attract managerial and other talent into politics, and better paid public employees are less likely to engage in corruption. (The old article by Catherine Lim was triggered by the action, but it then went into territory sufficiently controversial to produce a reprimand from Goh Chok Tong himself – a major event then but today mostly forgotten.)
The need to match political salaries with business levels reflects a basic feature of the Singapore “system”, namely the inter-twining of public and commercial sector careers. With the government in control of a large sector of the Singapore economy through share ownership, many civil servants, army officers, even some professors, receive board directorships and executive positions in commercial companies, while in the reverse direction business executives, professionals, and, again, academics, have been recruited as PAP parliamentary candidates. Going into politics is largely an extension of one’s previous career, like promotion from line staff into the executive circle as reward for good performance, rather than a separate calling due to strong ideological commitment to a particular set of political beliefs.
The assumption underlying the system is that the Singapore government’s main task is to manage the economy, so that parliament members and cabinet ministers need to have the relevant experiences, which are best judged by their previous educational background and management related performance. One could say that the cabinet sees itself as the board of directors of Singapore Inc, working on behalf of its citizen shareholders, with parliament acting as a kind of “nominating committee”, since you need to get its majority support to gain power.
read more
MR4 Minister Salary
17 Based on Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) YA2017 income data, the benchmark figure is $1,224,700, i.e. the median income of the top 1,000 earners who are Singapore Citizens after 40% discount. Thus, we recommend setting the annual salary for an entry level MR4 Minister at $1,200,000. This represents his total annual salary package if 1 month AVC is paid in that year, he is a good performer and targets for the National Bonus indicators are met (please see illustration below). This would be an increase in salary of $100,000 or 9% from the current MR4 salary (or a year-on-year increase of 1.5% between 2011 and 2017).
Salary for Other Political Appointment Holders
19 The annual salary for all the other political appointment holders are set at a ratio to the MR4 annual salary, as shown in Table 2. Following the recommended adjustment to the MR4 annual salary, the annual salaries for the other appointments should similarly be adjusted. For a comparison between the current salaries and recommended salaries, please refer to Table 2.
Annual "Norm" Salaries of MR4 minister (Good Performance & National Bonus targets are met)
Fixed monthly pay: 12 months
13th month bonus: 1 month
Variable pay AVC (0.95 - 1.5 months): 1 month
Performance bonus (3 - 6 months): 3 months
National Bonus (3 - 6 months): 3 months
Total: 12 + 1 + 1 + 3 + 3 = 20 months
$1,100,000 divided by 20 months = $55,000 per month
Lowest Annual Salaries of MR4 minister without any bonus (Targets not met)
Fixed monthly pay: 12 months
13th month bonus: 1 month
Variable pay AVC (0.95 - 1.5 months): 0 month
Performance bonus (3 - 6 months): 0 month
National Bonus (3.4 - 4.9 months): 0 month
Total: 12 + 1 + 0 + 0 + 0 = 13 months
Lowest Annual = 13 months x $55,000/mth = $715,000 per annum
Lowest Annual Salaries of MR4 minister with bonus (Targets met)
Fixed monthly pay: 12 months
13th month bonus: 1 month
Variable pay AVC (0.95 - 1.5 months): 0.95 month
Performance bonus (3 - 6 months): 3 months
National Bonus (3 - 6 months): 3 months
Total: 12 + 1 + 0.95 + 3 + 3 = 19.95 months
Lowest Annual = 19.95 months x $55,000/mth = $1,097,250 per annum
Maximum Annual Salaries of MR4 minister with bonus (Targets exceeded)
Fixed monthly pay: 12 months
13th month bonus: 1 month
Variable pay AVC (0.95 - 1.5 months): 1.5 month
Performance bonus (3 - 6 months): 6 months
National Bonus (3 - 6 months): 4.9 months
Total: 12 + 1 + 1.5 + 6 + 6 = 25.4 months
Maximum Annual = 26.5 months x $55,000/mth = $1,457,500 per annum
Average Annual Salaries of MR4 minister (2013 - 2017)
Fixed monthly pay: 12 months
13th month bonus: 1 month
Variable pay AVC (0.95 - 1.5 months): 1.3 month
Performance bonus (3 - 6 months): 4.3 months
National Bonus (3.4 - 4.9 months): 4.1 months
Total: 12 + 1 + 1.3 + 4.3 + 4.1 = 22.7 months
Average Annual = 22.7 months x $55,000/mth = $1,248,500 per annum
Salary for Other Political Appointment Holders
19 The annual salary for all the other political appointment holders are set at a ratio to the MR4 annual salary, as shown in Table 2. Following the recommended adjustment to the MR4 annual salary, the annual salaries for the other appointments should similarly be adjusted. For a comparison between the current salaries and recommended salaries, please refer to Table 2.
Annual "Norm" Salaries of MR4 minister (Good Performance & National Bonus targets are met)
Fixed monthly pay: 12 months
13th month bonus: 1 month
Variable pay AVC (0.95 - 1.5 months): 1 month
Performance bonus (3 - 6 months): 3 months
National Bonus (3 - 6 months): 3 months
Total: 12 + 1 + 1 + 3 + 3 = 20 months
$1,100,000 divided by 20 months = $55,000 per month
Lowest Annual Salaries of MR4 minister without any bonus (Targets not met)
Fixed monthly pay: 12 months
13th month bonus: 1 month
Variable pay AVC (0.95 - 1.5 months): 0 month
Performance bonus (3 - 6 months): 0 month
National Bonus (3.4 - 4.9 months): 0 month
Total: 12 + 1 + 0 + 0 + 0 = 13 months
Lowest Annual = 13 months x $55,000/mth = $715,000 per annum
Lowest Annual Salaries of MR4 minister with bonus (Targets met)
Fixed monthly pay: 12 months
13th month bonus: 1 month
Variable pay AVC (0.95 - 1.5 months): 0.95 month
Performance bonus (3 - 6 months): 3 months
National Bonus (3 - 6 months): 3 months
Total: 12 + 1 + 0.95 + 3 + 3 = 19.95 months
Lowest Annual = 19.95 months x $55,000/mth = $1,097,250 per annum
Maximum Annual Salaries of MR4 minister with bonus (Targets exceeded)
Fixed monthly pay: 12 months
13th month bonus: 1 month
Variable pay AVC (0.95 - 1.5 months): 1.5 month
Performance bonus (3 - 6 months): 6 months
National Bonus (3 - 6 months): 4.9 months
Total: 12 + 1 + 1.5 + 6 + 6 = 25.4 months
Maximum Annual = 26.5 months x $55,000/mth = $1,457,500 per annum
Average Annual Salaries of MR4 minister (2013 - 2017)
Fixed monthly pay: 12 months
13th month bonus: 1 month
Variable pay AVC (0.95 - 1.5 months): 1.3 month
Performance bonus (3 - 6 months): 4.3 months
National Bonus (3.4 - 4.9 months): 4.1 months
Total: 12 + 1 + 1.3 + 4.3 + 4.1 = 22.7 months
Average Annual = 22.7 months x $55,000/mth = $1,248,500 per annum
Sometimes I start doing an evaluation of my life.
In one of those I came across the story of the racing driver, Michael Shumacher.
When I studied his resume as an athlete I saw that he was:
Winner of the Grand Prix in 1991.
He was 7 times world champion of Formula 1.
Happiness was in his Being, but on a fateful day his story and his destiny completely changed due to a ski accident.
Today, just 44 kilos of weight struggling to "survive" since December 2013.
His wife begins to sell the goods to cover the expenses and thus be able to keep him alive in a room adapted in his house, where he lies like a vegetable.
Here comes a question:
Who is better than who?
Life can take directions never imagined.
It's amazing how everything can change in an instant.
No one is exempt from anything.
And in no circumstances are they of any use:
Money,
Titles,
Fame,
Success,
Power.
We are all the same.
Then why the pride?
Why the arrogance?
So why so much attachments to material goods and wealth?
All we have is the day to day so that we can live it with passion and happiness, doing good, serving our God, our family and neighbors with full of Joy and Gratitude.
We need to stop creating problems, claim insignificant things, and always avoid everything that "takes our time and lives".
Be careful not to lose someone who loves you and accepts you as you are.
As in the game of chess, in the end both the King and the Pawn are kept in the same box. In the end, we will all meet our end the same way.
It is worth examining what we have done or not yet do.
We are born without bringing anything. We die without taking anything, absolutely nothing!
And the sad thing is that in the interval between life and death, we fight for what we did not bring and even more for what we will not take. Think about that.
Let's live more, let's love more. Let's always understand the other and be more tolerant.
I wish we never forget that to be great *You have to be humble*.
related:
Singapore in bottom 10 of countries tackling inequality
What is happening in ‘Clean’ Singapore?
Social class divide among Singaporeans
A Political Elite Class in Singapore?
When will Singapore next PM be unveiled?
ESM Goh: "Ministers are not paid enough"
Top 20 Highest Paid Government Leaders
Govt debunks falsehoods on ministerial salaries
Ho Ching remains Temasek CEO
Order of Succession And Baton Passing
The politics of power dressing
The famiLEE feud: Rise of the 'First Lady'
Ho Ching's refreshingly chill approach to social media
Chan Chun Sing: "But be careful, Don't anyhow say things"
The Chan Chun Sing Puzzles
Next Prime Minister “likely” to be already in the cabinet
Free the Singapore Media and Let the People Go
The People's Association is not Partisan
From Chan Khaw Teo to Vivian
From Yao Chan Chiam to Chee
Chan Chun Sing & Lee Kuan Yew
Govt debunks falsehoods on ministerial salaries
Top 20 Highest Paid Government Leaders
The 'Dr Mahathir-Activists KL Meeting' Saga
Is the ground sour?
ESM Goh: "Who are going to clean the tables?"
ESM Goh: "Ministers are not paid enough"
Can Singapore “Do a Malaysia”?
Goh Chok Tong & Tan Cheng Bock ‘do a Mahathir’?
An Opposition alliance under Tan Cheng Bock
ESM Goh wants 4th-Gen PM to be picked this year
Old Mahathir could be frosty with Singapore: New Mahathir?
GST hike: Damned if they do
In perverse fashion, Malaysians might have done PAP a favour
A Political Elite Class in Singapore?
The Chan Chun Sing Puzzles
Dawn of a new era, in our own backyard!
The protege toppled by his mentor
Paying high salaries to mitigate corruption
Maintaining Standards of our Civil Service
Singapore’s Corruption Control Framework
Business and Rules of Prudence
3 veteran ministers step down for 4G leaders
Singapore 2018 Cabinet Reshuffle
ESM Goh wants 4th-Gen PM to be picked this year
Next Prime Minister “likely” to be already in the cabinet
Fourth generation of political leadership
Fourth generation political leadership taking shape
PM Lee in Focus
PM Lee the Latest “Victim” of Donald Trump Handshake
The politics of power dressing: Ho Ching
PM Lee Hsien Loong at G20 Leaders' Summit in Hamburg
Singapore must ‘steal other people’s lunches’
Singapore PM draws laughs in US speech
PM Lee on BBC's HARDTalk
A Post-LKY Singapore?
Lee & Lee - The job has changed
Order of Succession And Baton Passing
PM Lee In The Limelight
ESM Goh Chok Tong in the limelight
Former PM Lee Kuan Yew in the limelight
A Political Elite Class in Singapore?
