Why only NOW the ministerial and presidential paycut? It was on deaf ears??
Parliament sits again on Monday 16th 2012 to debate and Teo Chee Hean will deliver a speech and table for the paycut to be approved . Is it not a little Shakespearean stage display of the Merchant of Venice (a pound of flesh!) ?
Why? many will ask and be bewildered why PAP or for that matter PM Lee is so magnanimous to over-rule his father to decide what LKY had vehemently and with unreserved authority bulldozed the salary increase by at least a 60% jump after the 2006 GE. Even when then NCMP Sylvia Lim's passionate speech (one of the best) in parliament about why the ministers should not draw such obscene pay, came to no avail. But we could see that most minsters' shame dejected and guilty downcast look on their countenance. In those ministers mind, they got the message but they dared not go against or even utter a word against our S'pore IRON MAN LKY. Whatever he said was law..Though PM LHL was running the country, everyone knows LHL was in total consultation and obeisance to the father, the Iron Man of S'pore
It is a SAVING GRACE to reduce the ministerial pay after the 'mini watershed GE' in May 2011 when PAP lost Aljunied GRC and one of the strongest GRC to fall in one swoop. Many though George Yeo and his team was invincible..They were totally disillusion to have that surreal belief...because PAP had not tasted defeat before. And the devastating bombshell was dropped when WP's Low Thia Khiang made a brilliant tactical move to helm Aljunied and also brought in Chen Show Mao..With Sylvia Lim (WP Chairman) having that special harm to mesmerise any lau Ah Pek, (like me)...hahahaa!
The rest was history!
PAP lost small but actual BIG time (with bruised EGO) with George yeo's KO. Yet many cronies could not accept the fact that "such a nice guy" could lose...It was a real simplicity of people with such superficial thinking !! They forgot nothing is permanent in life! Only the integrity and dignity of a person in life and in death is permanent!
So, to cut many things short, A Review Committee was convened with of all person Gerard (the yesman) Ee to chair it...Well! a very pertinent question to all..Do you all think that if PAP did not lose the Aljunied GRC, they will go to this length to reduce their pay by one third and Speaker of parliament (a part time job from $1.1 million to $550,000 and president's pay by 51%?)....A tall order and citizens can hope till the ivory towers kept on multiplying!! hahaa!
PM LHL is not stupid and so are the citizens of S'pore. Many of us, simple folks know what is the next move on the 'intellectual chessboard' of PAP's game.
At this stage of political awakening, PAP is all out to pacify , to soothe and to even just swallow 'a dead cat' to the citizens albeit our rational 'demand.' They know the choice do not lie on the absolute power to bulldoze policies down our throat anymore. With due respect, Lee Kuan Yew (LKY's) legendary Ironman figure had reduced to a frail old man , the other day (9th of Jan 2012) when I looked from the public gallery of the parliament in session...My heart really aches for a great man strolling weakly out of parliament only after about 30 mins when he walked just as weak and slow in, no more the bold confident steps of yonder years . The ravage of time, regardless of the greatness of a human!
A calm and formless disposition of life devoid of clinging, desire, greed and lust...listening to the music of the sutta is a sure way to eternal bliss. My Iron lady Mom did that and lived to a right old age of 95 years and died in her sleep only two weeks ago...God bless!
The mantra of his life is to "LET GO" completely..LKY had (many may dispute,) done S'pore proud on the world arena...This credit cannot be denied! LKY just CANNOT LET GO! Many may comprehend his sentiments, many may not.
DESIRE IS SUFFERING , CLINGING IS SUFFERING, many of us empathize with his feelings..But PM Lee is seen as now capable of running the country with plenty of obligation to the citizens reasonable 'demand' and feedback. We can see, how the ministers have changed their attitude towards solving the bigger issues that affected S'poreans..Though a few up and coming newbie MPs or even back-door ministers behaved in great showmanship and 'softer-arrogance'.
PAP had gone a long way to meet the sentiments of the citizens since the day the pay increased but they always have their rhetorics of absolute argument on their right to draw such obscene pay!
Why is PAP as a party suddenly awakened and with the baptism of fire transformed into a people's party of listening and participating and not before?? And the biggest sacrifice is the pay-cut into their 'pound of flesh!' (Portia is a charming lady in 'The Merchant of Venice.')
On that note, we still think that if Aljunied GRC was not taken by WP...is there any political awakening and transformation of PAP ?? I would say...No Sir, Mr postman...
A parting shot, Transport minister (Ah Tuck) Lui Tuck Yew, is prime minister's calbre if the SMRT fiaso is handled in consistency and in full accountability to the citizens of S'pore. Not because of just that...He has the IQ and EQ in him.
The salary cut is a SAVING GRACE to try to win back the emotional anger and deep-set dislike of PAP who never listened up till now...and 'Is Now or Never.' for them to die die want to win back their lost and is that not a spat of 'kiasu-ism' in the hegemony of PAP? And for that matter, in any party who has ABSOLUTE control...SOLE POWER is a "HIV' positive disease. It is morbidly frightening to see how the might of SOLE control can manipulate and 'destroy' the lives of so many!
Is the ballot vote the answer to greater reform and rational performance of PAP and its ministers to listen loud and clear? When in the past, the citizens cry was deafened by the howling of Serengeti Africa wind in that vast wilderness of roaming beasts and animals !
THE VOTE IS THE ANSWER TO REFORM AND TRANSFORMATION and character change in PAP....I rest my case, your honour!
~THE VOTE IS THE ANSWER TO REFORM AND TRANSFORMATION and character change in PAP~
ReplyDeletekeep on exerting pressure in the next General Election through votes even the party fine-tune POLITCS and POLICIES until they truly transform?
Well said!..Market garden, I rather amused , is there a garden in the market...hahahaha!
ReplyDelete