I have not worked in the civil service, but I suppose in an important way it isn't a world apart from the best of the private sector. Even as a young executive in some of the leading global firms, I have noticed that there are far too many positions of leadership and financial responsibilities than there are enough competent and honest people to fill them. Why should it be any different in political leadership? Forget about the developing countries around us, just look at the established democracies. There are no lack of scandals.
I feel that the response from all the opposition parties to ministerial pay committee recommendations were too idealistic and impractical.
I am pleased with what the WP has just put out which caused me to write this. It strikes a good balance between the ideal and the practical.
It is impossible to always fill Parliament and the Cabinet with selfless men and women who only worked for the good of our people. There will always be very talented people with skills we need but their hearts may not be in the place. They may not have their hands in the cookie jar, but often they are self serving. It would then fall on the other members of the team to check and restrain them. Of course we shall always run the risk that the self seekers might out flank the rightly centered ones. It is a risk we must accept.
The proposals of the other opposition parties are doomed to fail because it ignores human nature. They assume we can always find perfect human specimens to fill position of power and heavy financial responsibilities. I am confident that enough Singaporeans are able to judge them to be unrealistic.
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