Comments, opinions and an occasional ramble
What does it take for a Singaporean minister to be sacked?
I’m not a history expert but from my limited knowledge of Singapore’s political history, there are a couple of precedents.
The first way to get sacked is to engage in corrupt practices. Teh Cheang Wan, former Minister of National Development is an example, although he was never formally charged and sacked because he committed suicide before any proceedings could be brought against him.
The second way is to be an alcoholic. Of course, the ex-president Devan Nair was not a minister and neither was he sacked from his presidency but apparently, he resigned from his position as Singapore’s President to get treatment for alcoholism.
So, as long as you don’t take bribes and you don’t drink alcohol excessively, as a minister (or any other high ranking public official) in Singapore, you will never lose your million dollar job. I wish I had such a diamond rice bowl.
Is there a Dummies’ Guide to becoming a minister in Singapore? I need one.
| Print article | This entry was posted by Aaron Ng on 29/05/2008 at 12:56 pm, and is filed under Ramblings. Follow any responses to this post through RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site. |
about 2 years ago
“So, as long as you don’t take bribes and you don’t drink alcohol excessively, as a minister (or any other high ranking public official) in Singapore, you will never lose your million dollar job. I wish I had such a diamond rice bowl.”
Do you really want to take bribes in the first place if your salary is designed to pay multitude of time more than a bribe and is officically legal and glorified ? Not to mention it is totally risk free.
Do you really want to prevent yourself drinking when no one will investigate you anymore as recently a law is passed down to prevent investigation of the coffers ?
Not millions , billion because the coffers run GIC, GLC as though it belong to them without accountability and transparency to citizen…
about 2 years ago
Aaron, you don’t need any Dummies Guide. All you need to do is to guide yourself towards the centre of gravity, i.e. the Master Mind. And if you are close enough to be able to rub shoulders with him, you have made you millions!
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Alternatively, try setting up a Toto-4D Booth and you can be assured of a steady flow of income of between $300,000-$400,000 a month, i.e. about $4 million a year. In order to do that, you need a license. And do you know who controls the issue of the gambling license? Of course, it is the Ministar for Gambling, residing close to God, the Almighty.
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Those are two easiest ways, but also hardest ways. Give it a try. There is nothing to lose.
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Hopeful Millionaire-to-be.
about 2 years ago
Here’s an easy way: attend a top-ranked secondary school and JC, get perfect ‘O’ and ‘A’ level scores, clinch a PSC President’s Scholarship, go overseas to study engineering on taxpayers’ dollars, maintain a 3.8 GPA, and then life’s a cinch after that.
What? You failed the PSC interview? You went to *NUS*? You didn’t major in life sciences or engineering? OMG. Try again in your next life.
about 2 years ago
Oh god, Elia. I am doomed. You are right. I should just walk into a monastery now and chant sutras for the rest of my life, hoping that I will do enough good and accumulate enough merit to be reborn with the correct surname in my next life. Then, I don’t even have to attend a top-ranked secondary school and JC, get perfect ‘O’ and ‘A’ level scores, linch a PSC President’s Scholarship, go overseas to study engineering on taxpayers’ dollars, maintain a 3.8 GPA and have life to be a cinch after that.
about 2 years ago
Ministers getting sacked? Very difficult.
Once the Party identified that you are ministrial material, you are pathed to be one. Remember that some guy could not get elected in a SMC, so in the end, this guy got elected via GRC. He is a Minister now.
Also, another guy was charged in court. He is a Minister now.
Our recent MSK case has shown the amount of efforts used to keep a Minister in employment.
What to do? It’s happened.
about 2 years ago
Tak boleh tahan?
Just remember, come general elections, vote wisely! you get what you voted for. Fall for the threats of PAP – foreign investors scared away, lose yr std of living, yr HDB flat,no estate upgrading etc – and you will be suckered for another 5 years!
Vote for them means a vote for:
1. million dollar salary Ministers in ivory towers and palatial castles
2. no need to be accountable to parliament or for errors
3. higher ERPs, GST, medical premiums, oil, food prices from NTUC
4. subsidies? what subsidies? They dont want to kill yr work ethic, goondu.
5. defamation suits for anyone badmouthing the gahmen MIW
6. yr balls always in a screw clamp.
about 2 years ago
why does everyone think that it takes just good grades to get a PSC scholarship? doesn’t anyone realise the extremely high and wide-ranging criteria involved? the psc scholars that i know are truly exceptional people.
anyway, li hongyi also had to go for a psc scholarship. oops, but we don’t know he’s gonna be a minister do we?
about 2 years ago
Hopeful millionaire,
Those who set up Toto-4D booths either work for a fixed wage for Singapore Pools, or pay a few hundred thousand dollars (borrowed with interest from a bank) for the license fees and as a deposit they cannot withdraw.
Independent operators don’t earn much. All the money goes to Singapore Pools. They are merely custodians of the money.
about 2 years ago
in the criminal world, the bigger the crime, the bigger the pay out and the smaller the crime, the smaller the pay out.
what kind of world this will be under the reign of capitalists in another few decades??we have to wait and see.
by then, it maybe too late.