TR EMERITUS

作者:莫之许 据媒体报道，“新加坡内阁资政李光耀在接受最新一期《国家地理》杂志专访时，为 新加坡采取的高薪养廉政策辩护”。不过，仔细研读该新闻，却不难发现，李光耀先生确实在为高薪政策辩护，却一字不及于养廉。原来，与许多中国人所想象的相 反，新家坡高薪制度的设立，并非为养廉而来。 新加坡总理和部长们的薪水一直为全球之冠，2007年，又为总理、部长和国会议员平均加薪了25%，但是，高薪只属于少数人，1994年新加坡 实行顶级公务员高薪制以后，全国年薪在100万新元以上的公务员只有30名左右，与之相比，新加坡中级官员为10多万新元，而低级官员不过八、九万新元, 与企业单位相比并无特出。各级官员皆有相当权力，若真高薪养廉，又何以只及于这30多人，这就表明，这一制度另有其目的。 事实上，新加坡政府也多次强调，给予顶级高官以高薪，首要目的并非是为了养廉，而是吸引人才“弃职从政”，有意思的是，对于“弃职从政”的人士 而言，世界第一水准的官员薪水其实是“低薪”，从1994年开始的顶级公务员高薪制度，采用的是与6个私营企业界前4名高级人员的平均工资挂钩的政策，“ 弃职从政”的部长和高级官员拿到的所谓高薪，与其在企业时的收入相比，也就五分之三到三分之二，根本不是什么高薪。 对此，或许有人会大惑不解：公务员往往出身名校，又经过严格考试选拔，加之久在政府部门，自然见多识广，何以还要到外面去吸引人才，而这些人才 又为什么会“弃职从政”，弃高就低？对此，笔者的理解是，新加坡政府试图吸引的是那些公务员体系很难造就的具有决策能力的人才。一般而言，公务员制度更注 重执行力，各级公务员的主要工作为上传下达，其知识和视野都相对专化；相对而言，决策却需要面对不断变化的形势作出各种判断，需要更加宽阔的知识面和视 野，尤其重要的是需要反复比较权衡各种方案而加以选择，显然，在竞争性的企业环境中，这样的人才要更容易涌现，而如果能将这样的人才吸引到政府部门中来， 对于提高政府决策能力当然大有裨益。而对于这些人才来说，“弃职从政”的主要动力在于为国效力的荣誉感，以及运用自身能力促进社会发展的抱负心。 当然，“弃职从政”并非新加坡所独有，著名的越战期间的美国国防部长麦克纳马拉，就曾是美国福特汽车公司董事长，因应对全球金融危机而名声大噪 的前美国财政部长保尔森，也曾担任大型投资银行高盛集团的主席和首席执行官，不用说，担任部长的薪水与他们在企业的薪酬相比是相去甚远的，对于他们来说， 出任政府高官旨在实现平生抱负，附带收获的是社会声望和荣誉，薪水之高低与廉洁与否，倒未必有多少直接的关系。 回到养廉问题上来，其实，早在1994年实施顶级公务员高薪制度以前，新加坡其实就已初步解决了廉洁问题。采取的所有措施是对贪污贿赂行为进行 严厉处罚。首先，根据1960年新加坡政府修改的《预防腐败法》，新加坡对官员腐败采取有罪推定，一旦发现其生活方式和财产状况与收入不符合，法院就可以 作为证据，给予严惩。其次，由于新加坡面积狭小，行政层级和公务人员相对较少，公务员的贪黩行为败露几率也就更大，这也震慑了不廉洁的企图；在新加坡，官 员腐败被抓的概率高出菲律宾40倍。最后，由于新加坡公务员退休公积金相对优厚，每月积存为工资额的40%（其中政府积存22%，个人积存18%），且随 着年资和级别越来越丰厚，一旦因不廉洁而导致退休公积金被没收，损失将是巨大的。因此，以上三端从奖惩两个方面，使得新加坡在不借助于高薪的情况下，就已 经基本解决了一般公务人员的廉洁问题。 可见,对于广大公务人员的养廉而言，更需要的是良好的制度设计，从奖励方面，以对廉洁奉公的公务人员有所报偿，丰厚的退休公积和完备的医疗保 障，应为首选；而在惩戒方面，重要的可能不是对特定官员惩罚的强度，而是要尽量做到贪黩必纠，而这自然就需要自由的舆论，完备的财产申报制度和独立的司法 审判体系。 而所谓的新加坡高薪养廉政策,其实只是一个美丽的传说。而在我看来,这种为了吸引人才“弃职从政”而特别推出的政策，其实也是大可不必，因为， 对于这些高级精英而言，薪水再高也未必是吸引力，如现任纽约市长彭博，就把自己的薪水定为一美圆，其出任公职更多的是一种人生的追求。事实上，2007年 新加坡再一次加薪后，也受到了国民的非议,所以才有这则新闻中李光耀的辩解,只不过,这辩解与养廉一点关系都没有。 来源:中国江苏网 (http://review.jschina.com.cn/a/201001/t282906.shtml)  Read More →

Written by Our Correspondent Chinese tabloid Lianhe Wanbao dedicated one entire page today on the complaint lodged by Mr Alex Tan against YPAP members Sear Hock Rong and Fong Yoong Keong on possible conflict of interests in their business dealings with Eunos grassroots organizations (page 5). Both Mr Sear and Mr Fong are business partners in an education service provider company  set up on 15 July 2009. They are also active grassroots leaders in Eunos grassroots organizations. Mr Sear is the Chairman of Eunos Community Club Youth Executive Committee while Mr Fong is the Assistant Secretary of Eunos Zone "3" Residents' Committee. In less than six months, Mr Sear's company managed to get 24 clients, nearly a quarter of which are grassroots organizations in Eunos including Eunos Zone "3" RC. Since the stunning revelation was made online, netizens have been questioning Mr Sear if there are any conflict of interests between his company being involved in providing services to Eunos grassroots organizations where he served. The Temasek Review compiled 10 questions based on the People Association's standard operating procedures on acquisition of services from external vendors for Mr Sear Hock Rong to answer, but he declined on the grounds that we are not the "right platform" for him to do so and that he "does not need to explain anything to anybody." Mr Sear also challenged netizens who question his integrity to lodge a complaint against him which Mr Alex Tan duly obliged by sending an email complaint to key government agencies such as the PA, CPIB and AGC as well as all the MPs in Parliament. The PA gave a written reply to Mr Alex Tan this week promising to investigate the matter. Lianhe Wanbao was unable to contact Mr Sear while Mr Fong declined to be interviewed. PAP MP Lee Bee Wah said there are no rules forbidding grassroots leaders from doing business with the grassroots organizations they are serving in. Another MP Dr Lim Wee Kiat said there are no reasons not to engage the services of companies owned by grassroots leaders so long as they are not directly involved in the decision-making process of the tender. The Temasek Review has earlier asked if Mr Sear or Mr Fong was sitting on the Constituency Tender Committee which is involved in the granting of tenders to external vendors, but have yet to receive a response from them. The controversy is a PR disaster for the YPAP which is unable and unwilling to clarify matters and has to resort to the usual dirty underhanded tactics commonly employed by PAP leaders to fix its online critics. Mr Sear and Mr Fong are moderators of the YPAP Facebook, an important role reserved only for trusted YPAP members who belong to the "inner circle. Mr Sear appeared to enjoy a cozy relationship with PAP MP Zainal Abidin judging from the photos he took together with him during an overseas trip two years ago. Last week, the Temasek Review, which has been reporting on the matter received a complaint to our hosting provider that we have leaked "sensitive personal" information of individuals on our site. Two days later, an anonymous poster threatened Mr Alex Tan on his blog to "stop harassing YPAP members" and a "report" has been made against him for "intimidating PAP MP Sam Tan". As expected, Lianhe Wanbao tried to cast aspersions on Mr Alex Tan's credibility by playing up his "feud" with both Mr Sear and Mr Fong to give the erroneous impression that he is taking "revenge" against them when it is a matter of intense public interest to all netizens. Fortunately, with alternative news sites like The Temasek Review having a sufficiently high readership to counter its lies, it is unlikely that netizens will fall for its ruse to smear Alex's character. Copyright © 2009 – 2010 The Temasek Review (If you are going to reproduce this article on your blog or forum, please provide a link back to ours) Related articles: 1. Sear Hock Rong berates TR for “associating” with Alex Tan 2. PA’s operating guidelines for acquisition of services 3. Netizen questions if there is a conflict of interest between Mr Sear Hock Rong’s job and grassroots work 4. YPAP member demands Temasek Review apologize for “putting PAP in a bad light” 5. Identity of YPAP member who leaked Alex Tan’s DB record on Facebook 6. Alex Tan to YPAP members: Don’t be cowards on Facebook 7. Alex Tan challenges YPAP to public debate at Speaker’s corner 8. YPAP member slammed by netizens for revealing critic’s detention record 9. YPAP member resorts to smearing critic’s character to silence him 10. PAP MP De Souza: More robust debate from PAP than opposition MPs  Read More →

OPINION In his first media interview on the fire-bomb attacks on four churches in Malaysia which shocked the entire nation, Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak was quick to deflect the blame from UMNO: “Don’t point the finger at Umno or anybody. We have always been very responsible......Don’t say that these attacks were motivated by Umno. That is a very scurrilous statement that you have just made. You are alluding to it. Please stop that,” he said. There was not a single word of apology, regret or condolence from the Prime Minister who claimed to represent all Malaysians. Only Najib, his kawans in the cabinet and UMNO members will believe him. Would the attacks have occurred if Najib had been tough with the racist elements within UMNO who have been making noises over the High Court's decision to allow the Christian publication Herald to use to term 'Allah' in the first place? Less than 24 hours earlier, Najib was quoted in Malaysiakini saying that "the government cannot stop people from gathering at mosques tomorrow to protest." Isn't this "endorsement" by the Prime Minister as good as telling the protesters to go ahead and take "action" against the Christians? As the leader of the country, Najib should nip the problem in the bud instead of letting it foster and grow like a tumor. He should have told the protesters in no uncertain terms that anybody who took part in the protest will be arrested or detained under the ISA immediately. This is the first time in the history of Malaysia that a place of worship has come under such flagrant attack. Are we becoming another Sulawesi or Ambron where Muslims torched churches and massacred Christians openly in the streets? It is downright disappointing that Najib still has the mood to defend his party at such a crucial juncture when racial tensions are at a all-time high due to irresponsible leaders in the ruling coalition playing the race card in order to appeal to their political support base. The signs have been on the wall for quite some time ever since Najib took over as Prime Minister from an equally inept Badawi last year. From the "kaum pendatang" remarks made by Ahmad Ismail to the cow-head protests, the situation was allowed to spiral out of control due to the reluctance of Najib and his ministers to take firm action against the perpetrators out of fear of losing support of the Malays. Najib's inability to rein in the racist warlords within UMNO is hampering his efforts to reach out to the ethnic minorities in Malaysia. If Najib cannot even command the respect of his own members within UMNO, how can he claim to be the Prime Minister for all Malaysians. That the attacks should coming after he has unveiled "1Malaysia clinics" for the rakyat is nothing but a tight slap on his face. For the last few months, Najib's administration has been promoting the "1Malaysia" concept to woo the Chinese and Indian community, especially the former which flocked to the opposition during the 2008 elections, dealing a blow to Barisan Nasional's electoral fortunes. While Indian support for Barisan Nasional has climbed up to 70 per cent, support among the Chinese continues to hover around 25 per cent. With this unfortunate episode, Najib's credibility in the eyes of the people is completely demolished. We now know that "1Malaysia" is nothing more than a slogan bereft of any meaning or substance.   In the aftermath of the bloody racial riots in the May 13 incident in 1969, then Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman was forced to retire to take responsibility for it. Najib and his cousin Hishammudin have lost the moral authority to continue as leaders of the country and should follow the example of the Tunku Abdul Rahman and stepped down. Institutionalized racism in Malaysia which began during Dr Mahathir's tenure as Prime Minister has come to a head under his protege's reign. This country has gone to the dumps. Either we abandon the entire ship or we change its captains altogether. If churches are attacked today, how can we be sure that other places of worship will not be the target tomorrow? Can we trust Najib, who once swore to wash the blood of the Chinese with his keris and his cousin - "kerrismuddin" to continue leading Malaysia? Will "1Malaysia" turn out to be "1Malaya" for the "bumiputras" only while the other races end up as "squatters" in their own country of birth? Knowing how thick-skinned these two jokers are, it is impossible to expect them to even apologize for the fiasco let alone resign. Malaysians must all make their voices heard come 2013 and vote Barisan Nasional, led through the nose by the racist UMNO out of office to prevent them from raping our beloved homeland again, again and again. Enough is enough! If we really want our children to live in a country without any racial or religious conflict, we have to put in the right leaders who will care for the interest of all Malaysians regardless of their race or religion. EDITORS' NOTE: With our readership increasing in Malaysia, we will be venturing out into the Malaysian new media landscape as part of our long-term strategy to branch out regionally due to the small size of the Singapore market. We are currently looking for Malaysian freelance journalists and bloggers to cover major events in Malaysia and to produce original news articles and stories for us. They will be paid at the same rates as our Singapore journalists at between RM$120 - RM$240 per article. Payment is via paypal. Please contact us at [email protected] if you are interested in our offer. At the same time, Malaysian readers and bloggers are most welcomed to contribute articles to our site. Though we are equally knowledgeable in Malaysian current affairs and politics, we have to concentrate on Singapore which will still be our primary focus.  Read More →