[AFP] Singapore PM's salary stuns White House official
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wtf.. old news got revived again.
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Originally posted by LazerLordz:
Singapore PM's salary stuns White House official
Tue Apr 10, 6:50 PM ET
WASHINGTON (AFP) - A senior White House official on Tuesday admitted he was floored by the news that Singapore's prime minister earned five times more than US
President George W. Bush.
"I'm going to emigrate and run for office in Singapore," the official said on condition he be identified only as "a senior administration official who sits in disbelief after reading that story."
On Monday, the Singapore government had announced a fresh 25.5 percent pay hike for Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, boosting his salary to 2.05 million dollars per year.
Bush gets paid 400,000 dollars per year for doing his job, according to the White House.
Combined with personal investment income, he and his wife Laura reported 618,694 dollars in taxable income in the 2005 fiscal year. They had to pay 187,768 dollars in federal taxes.
But maybe Bush shouldn't feel so bad. The Singaporean's paycheck is eight times fatter than Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's.
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Now look and see what we have done, sown seeds to get others to leave their country and work for another country. Bravo. Absolutely sweet.
in lieu with govt campaign on luring foreign talent mahz
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I don't even want to delve into this topic: was that 3 peanuts (forex rate: S$600K = 1 peanut; 3 peanuts = S$1.3mil) worth the anti-corruption tactic?
I think we should all convert our money into peanuts. It'd be like a reverse Turkish lira.
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While... actually its a matter of whether he deserves it or not.
If he is the person who can drastically improve singapore i think he deserves his paycheck. However, if he is kns, then i think his paycheck gotta be reconsidered. Its just like working in the private sector, ur pay rise is equivilant to how much you can earn for your company.
I admit that his salary is quite imba ( considering that sg's GDP per capita only 50+k ), but we must consider that there are many others who earn more than he does.
We can't always compare ourselves to other countries' standard, rather it would be much better if we create our own standard.
While... he still has 3 yrs ( if i'm not wrong ) to prove his worth till GE. When the time comes, the people will decide if he keeps his rice bowl or not.
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FI is the best!
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Theres a different concept that US people take to governance as compared to whats been accepted in Singapore. I seriously think that this article's trying to mock Singapore's government.
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Is time to revise your PM salary now, seem the economy is slowing down. When time is good, they revise their salary so fast, when time is bad, they take their time to cut their salary. WTF.
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in the 1st place why do we need high slary to attract good people, the most effective ones are those who have a passion for this country, a genuine want for it to do well, what we dont need is people who serve in th public sector bcos the pay is good, if the motive for serving in the government is wrong, it is useless no matter how qualified the person is, frankly LKY did a good job, cos he was devoted to this country, apart from freedom of speech and whatsoever, our economy is working and thats it
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Just feeling boring and like to share some renowned philosophies / theories about human psychology:
1. Herzberg's theory - increase in hygiene factors need not necessarily increase motivation. An example of hygiene factor is SALARY.
2. Maslow's Hierarchy - Self Actualization is on the top of the pyramid. You reach there only after you are satisfied with your Self Esteem.
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i think it is hard to judge them by salary ,becoz some of their expense will go to government expenses
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Originally posted by Joker1986:
i think it is hard to judge them by salary ,becoz some of their expense will go to government expenses
Some of their expenses will go to the government's expenses?
Kid, I don't know what you're trying to convey, but you seem to be in need of immediate psychological attention.
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Originally posted by LazerLordz:
Singapore PM's salary stuns White House official
Tue Apr 10, 6:50 PM ET
WASHINGTON (AFP) - A senior White House official on Tuesday admitted he was floored by the news that Singapore's prime minister earned five times more than US
President George W. Bush.
"I'm going to emigrate and run for office in Singapore," the official said on condition he be identified only as "a senior administration official who sits in disbelief after reading that story."
On Monday, the Singapore government had announced a fresh 25.5 percent pay hike for Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, boosting his salary to 2.05 million dollars per year.
Bush gets paid 400,000 dollars per year for doing his job, according to the White House.
Combined with personal investment income, he and his wife Laura reported 618,694 dollars in taxable income in the 2005 fiscal year. They had to pay 187,768 dollars in federal taxes.
But maybe Bush shouldn't feel so bad. The Singaporean's paycheck is eight times fatter than Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's.
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Link
Now look and see what we have done, sown seeds to get others to leave their country and work for another country. Bravo. Absolutely sweet. They should compare the salaries between both Presidents. Try comparing bush's salary with our president's salary.
Maybe then they won't feel so bad afterall.
Why even try to compare something which are not supposed to be equal?
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Originally posted by parn:
They should compare the salaries between both Presidents. Try comparing bush's salary with our president's salary.
Maybe then they won't feel so bad afterall.
Why even try to compare something which are not supposed to be equal?
They should compare the salaries between both Presidents. Try comparing bush's salary with our president's salary.
Is it???
- The President will receive $119,520 per month, up from $104,840 currently (14% increase).
- The Prime Minister will receive $115,920 per month, up from $101,680 currently (also 14% increase).
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Originally posted by parn:
They should compare the salaries between both Presidents. Try comparing bush's salary with our president's salary.
Maybe then they won't feel so bad afterall.
Why even try to compare something which are not supposed to be equal?
Singapore is a more complex country to govern than USA.
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If average salary of Singaporeans is $
US President = $$$$$$$$$$
Singapore PM = $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
That's just the basic salary. add in the perks and bonus and it will be much more
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Originally posted by maurizio13:
Singapore is a more complex country to govern than USA.
I'm not too sure about that. There is no one country more complex than another. It's about the policies that holds the Govt & the public together.
Singapore is a small country, hence, the population & the national border control is probably easier than the US. However, we are a small country that depends on foreign trade & human resource to keep us growing, with a very small domestic market compared to the US.
US' domestic market is so big that (I believe) without much foreign trade, it can sustain itself quite nicely by the domestic market. Its administration challenges comes from the "big brother" policies that affects other countries' matters so that it can remain as a military and financial superpower of the world.
--- blah blah blah... --
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sometimes i wonder why a person have to earn so much, does he have so many things to spend on?
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Originally posted by icyboiz:
sometimes i wonder why a person have to earn so much, does he have so many things to spend on?
P-membership for everyone in SgF
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From the general response, I suppose most of you are enraged over the absurdity of our minister's payslips. Still one has to wonder how is it they can pay themselves so well and the people do nothing about it, so whilst you're complaining, they are still getting paid well aren't they? Will nobody ask them to justify their pay in a more reasonable manner (For example stating the expected costs of living in singapore and how their expenses justifies their pay, afterall they are our public servants and what they recieve is not a salary but an allowance for having served the people) or at least lower their pay so as to appease the people?
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Ministers must have high pay to remain competitive.
Singaporeans must have low pay to remain competitive.
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It's as someone stated earlier in this ongoing discussion, the idea of democracy is that it's for the people, and that it's an honour to serve them. What kind of ministers are we hiring, when their main concern is money? Their beliefs and methods of governing are reflected in the ways they present themselves to their own people.
To tell me that, it is to prevent corruption is to say that our ministers are already corrupt, forthey are not insulted to recieve such a high pay to sustain their loyalty to their own nation. How then will they govern our nation? Without morals or scruples? To be macheviallian in all their deeds? Shameful.
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So what if SG ministers are earning big bucks compared to you.
They worked to that position. Did you work to their position to get their pay.
If you think you are not capable of doing so, then it means that you dont deserve their pay but they deserve it better than you.
Earning $50,000 to $100,000 a month is no big deal.Good for them. They deserve it. If not Singapore wouldnt be what it is today.
If you arent happy with it, then go make that kind of money. It's possible. Even there are teenage millionares. Dont come saying there are so few. It's because that few stopped complaining and fought for what they wanted. The rest, have no idea what's happening. They're clueless. If you think you are not up to it, then blame youself for not being a capable person.
If you wanna make $100,000 a month or more, then go make it. The SG govt isnt stopping you.
If people arent happy with the ministers salaries because of the drastic difference compared to theirs, then do a self check why you arent earning as much as them. Blaming anything or anyone or any circumstances other than yourself will only waste your time and will NOT MAKE YOU RICHER OR WEALTHIER.
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Dragee
I believe you are missing the entire point of the debate. The people here resent the ministers being paid so much, because they feel that the ministers do not deserve their pay. If you haven't realised the majority of the people here dislike the current way Singapore is being run. As you wouldn't raise the salary of a person who is not doing his job to your satisfaction, so would you not want to raise the salary of a minister who you are displeased with as you feel that he has failed you. Afterall every single cent he earns is from YOUR and every other Singaporean's pocket. Go research up on the word "Democracy", you'll come to find that it has it's roots in the greek word dimokratia which means "popular government"...which is again derived from the words "demos" people and "kratos" rule, strength. Don't believe me? Wiki it... Sorry for the font, it doesn't seem to go back...
If the minister is meant to serve the people and people are displeased with him, then would you not say he has failed his job, and thus did not "work his way" up to the position? There are no real elections in singapore, that is no secret, so if we didn't choose him or anyone else to be minister, why should we pay them? Especially if we do not feel that he is up to the mark, as well as the fact that I do not remember anyone of the general public ever having agreed to pay the minister this large sum of money.
My point is not whether or not the minister has done his job, but rather the fact that, a minister should be proud to serve his nation and ask for a modest salary as it is the tax payer's money. To be paid such a high amount, to help govern in the interests of the people doesn't seem very fair. We "supposedly" put this prime minister in charge of our affairs along with an entire parliment to help him, and he takes home a salary that could be better distrubuted to the poor or to the future developments of Singapore. Using the excuse that it is to prevent corruption amongst our ministers, do you not think it reflects poorly on their character that you would actually have to take that into consideration?
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Like fishes in a fish tank; increase the temperature and some fishes will die; provide less fish food and some fishes will die. Some folks have selfish individualistic behaviour, they think only for themselves, without care for the other fishes in the tank.
Singapore is where it is today not because of one man, Hong Kong was under the British rule till 1997, but her achievements surpasses that of Singapore.
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Can you or anyone say how hard, difficult or demanding a minister's job is?
Why is the current ruling party still around then for the previous GE when people do not like their salary as well as the way the run things is the country?
So if the current ruling party were to win the next GE again, does it mean that "the majority of people" who do not like the way the government runs the country isnt actually the "majority" of the population?
If you think, really that the "majority" do not like things being run then what is your take on the chances of the current ruling party winning the next GE?
Democracy - popular govt as u said. In a some sense yes the current govt is popular because it won the most votes.
"so would you not want to raise the salary of a minister who you are displeased with as you feel that he has failed you" - who is the minister(s) who failed us?
I think it's our perception of the salary they get. We're comparing it to the middle income earners and lower income earners. In an most organizations, would you expect the directors or ceo to be paid like their admin and etc workers?
Yes it is the tax payers' money. But the government doesnt just sit down and do nothing nor nothing useful.
But dont you see, the ministers come from the ruling party. So then do we need an election for all the ministries