Recently the press and the public are hot over the issue of raise in civil servants' pay. Now our dear Prime Minister is going to be paid five times the salary of the US President.
Of course anyone in the low-to-middle class will be unhappy with this raise. Why the F* are the ministers getting millions of dollars a year in salaries while I get barely enough to survive? Of course, credit should be given to them for running the country well, but isn't $3.1 million a year abit too much?
I had a little discussion with a friend not long ago, and I think maybe I am too idealistic; I expect those ministers to serve the country out of their interests and love for the country rather than for the pay. If I were to question them then I will have to question the CEOs and talents of commercial companies and top professions as well, in which their salaries are being pegged to by the benchmark used. It makes no sense for me to question, since they have already gone ahead with the pay hike and they are not going to listen.
I find it amusing that they are debating about their own pay in Parliament. They can't possibly object to a raise in their own pay right? Quoting from CNA: "In the debate that followed the announcement involving civil service pay revisions, Members of Parliament generally agreed with paying competitive salaries for top talent in the civil service. "
The lust for money and power blinds all.
Then there is also the issue of the use of means testing in hospitals. During the elections two years back the Health Minister, standing for his party in a GRC, said that there may never be means testing at all. Now the same person is saying means testing will be carried out within the next 12 months.
I can't fault him anyway, for he said there may be no means testing at all, meaning there may still be. They give all sorts of reasons to back up their actions, leaving no room for arguments and flaws to exploit. What to do, bo bian accept lor.
In two days I will be enlisting into National Service. I am saying this here so that readers have the time to know and give me all the good luck I need. Haha. Perhaps if I am enlisting on another day there will be no need for me to do this, but sigh, I am enlisting on the Friday the 13th. Its a just-in-case kind of thing. Haha.
Time passes very fast; not too long ago I was still cursing the whole world why I am going in April instead of January when many many others are going in. Work has blurred my prespective of time, and very soon now its my turn.
National Service will be the start of another phase of my life, which will last two years. While I have already heard alot from my friends how BMT is like, hearing is still different from having to personally experience it myself. Its like orientation all over again, and orientation has always been nerve wrecking to me, because I have a big problem with going to a totally new place and talking to strangers [Recall that ECG test during my medical checkup].
Except this time, I am living with strangers. Hopefully I can adapt quickly.
