TR EMERITUS

Dear Bloomberg editors, I refer to your 25 Jan 2012 editorial on why Singapore has the cleanest government money can buy which was reproduced by the Straits Times on 27 Jan 2012. Our public service has no lack of the best and brightest; many of them take up scholarships at the age of 18 and by the time they are accelerated... 

Dear Professor Rappa, I refer to your 13 Jan 2012 Straits Times article. If you deem people’s sense of envy as having run wild when they compare their salaries with those of the ministers, wouldn’t you also deem ministers’ sense of envy as having run wild too when they compare their salaries with those of the top... 

Dear Mr Calvin Cheng, I refer to your 10 Jan 2012 Straits Times article. You refer to hospitalization benefits, housing benefits and tax exemptions as hidden perks in other countries. But hospitalization benefit is not a perk. No one will want to stay in a hospital for two weeks every year just to claim hospitalization... 

Dear Zaobao’s editor, I refer to the 11 Jan 2012 Straits Times translation of your 9 Jan 2012 Zaobao’s commentary on ministerial pay. The Economist Intelligence Unit’s Democracy Index classifies Singapore as a hybrid regime between flawed democracy and authoritarian regime. Many other international rankings... 

Dear Mr Lee Kuan Yew, I refer to the 19 Jan 2012 Straits Times report of your comments on ministerial salaries. You said unless we have high quality men and women to serve as PM and ministers, Singapore the little red dot will become a black spot. Belgium reportedly had no government for more than a year, yet Belgium didn’t... 

Dear MPs and Straits Times, I refer to the 19 Jan 2012 Straits Times report “Heated words over hot topic”. I applaud the Straits Times for making the right report instead of echoing the mistake of the PAP with the sentence: “The base salary that the WP proposes for entry-level ministers, of $55,000 a month,... 

Dear DPM Teo, I refer to four 17 Jan 2012 Straits Times reports of your speech in parliament: Why pay was not benchmarked to that of foreign leaders You said since salary is pegged to the middle of the top 1,000 earners, it won’t change even if the salaries of the top 499 rise. You mean the 500th top earner in Singapore... 

Dear Mdm Halimah, I refer to the 18 Jan 2012 Straits Times report of your parliamentary comments on ministerial salary. You said a government is only as good as the people that comprise it. In the same way, a nation is only as good as the people that comprise it. Can a nation with good government but lousy people be good? You... 

Dear Ms Indranee Rajah, I refer to the 19 Jan 2012 Straits Times report of your speech in parliament. You said when citing UK ministerial salaries, a whole host of allowances specified in the Green Book should also be included. That may not be the right thing to do. For example, the Green Book spells out the eligibility... 

DPM Teo Dear DPM Teo, I refer to the 19 Jan 2012 Straits Times report of your closing speech on the ministerial salary debate. You hope to put an end to salary comparisons between our ministers and those of other countries because you feel they are misleading as other countries provide unquantifiable benefits. Actually,...