Monopoly No More! Happiness Here To Stay?

It was more than five years ago that this article in New York Times [Link] was written. Time flies! If all the justification for the indecent salary were valid, poor Gerard Ee would not be in such a hard place now. With the crap that's thrown at him as 'the man in charge' of the Ministers' Salary Committee, he's between the devil and the deep blue sea! While on the subject of money and salary, may I ask if Gerard is paid for his effort? Is he just paid an honorarium or do the taxpayers have pay a king's ransom for his unique service? Or is he doing it gratis, for charity?

Braggarts who lamented that there isn't enough talented Singaporean politicians/political leaders must be wondering where did parliamentarians like Chen Show Mao, Pritam Singh and other non-PAP politicians come from. The arrogant notion that only PAP has an inalienable right and monopoly to political talents in Singapore has proven to be false after we hear and see the opposition MPs spoke recently in Parliament and during the hustings in May. The PAP politicians of the LKY kind (who must be paid well) may be good but most Singaporeans must be happy to know that the better and the brave, not tainted by the 'kiasu', 'kiasi' and hubristic PAP, are in other parties!

LKY threatened in May 2011 that should voters of Aljunied voted for WP, they would have 5 years to repent for their 'misplaced' courage and contempt for PAP. With the demise of PAP in Aljunied GRC, Singaporeans are less afraid and more vocal in voicing their unhappiness caused by the policies of PAP. PAP may consider it unnecessary 'noise' but the expensive and inefficient transportation; ongoing changing of goalposts in CPF resulting in members not able to own and use what's rightly theirs; nonsensical 'market subsidised' HDB housing that costs a bomb; tough competition in jobs and low salary caused by the relax immigration and foreign talents policy and the deadly inflation are causing much unhappiness amongst my fellow Singaporeans.

Coincidentally, while the Bhutan King is visiting Singapore, another Bhutanese, Passang Tshering (Pen name: PaSsu) has written a an interesting reply in his face book (read here) to Khaw Boon Wan's retort to Sylvia Lim's take on Bhutan's happiness.

I thank PaSsu for adding several notches up my happiness index with what he wrote! He has taught me some. I hope our ministers can learn some too!

Lesson 101: "Mai keh kiang. Mai how lien. Mai sia sway!" (Hokkien)

. . . translated in English: "Don't act smart. Don't show off. Don't create shame!"

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