Thursday, 24 April 2008
He says ministers should not be automatically removed for lapses down the line'If we go overboard in trying to solve one problem, the chances are we will inadvertently commit other mistakes which we will regret later,' PM Lee said. -- PHOTO: ZAOBAO SINGAPORE should not encourage a culture where officials and ministers resign whenever something goes wrong on their watch, regardless of whether or not they are actually to blame, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in Parliament on Tuesday.'
That would be the easy way out. It may temporarily appease an angry public, but it will not fundamentally solve the problem,' he said in his statement, which addressed the Government's overall approach, its responsibility and accountabilty over fugitive terrorist Mas Selamat Kastari's escape from the Whitley Road Detention Centre on Feb 27.
In the aftermath of the escape, some Singaporeans have criticised the Government, the minister and senior officials in charge for the major lapses that enabled the Jemaah Islamiah militant to flee and some have called on the Home Affairs Minister to take responsibility for the incident and step down.Responding to these, PM Lee on Tuesday urged the people not to 'over-react to one bad incident'.'If we go overboard in trying to solve one problem, the chances are we will inadvertently commit other mistakes which we will regret later,' he said.'For example, encumbering an organisation with unwieldy rules and processes may look good on paper, but in practice will simply generate a false sense of security, while hindering the organisation from functioning efficiently and achieve its goals.'
VIDEOMas Selamat: PM cautions against witch-hunt(4:17)RELATED LINKSClick to read PM Lee's full speechPM Lee said when something goes wrong, the first priority is to respond to the immediate crisis and then identify shortcomings and put them right.
Besides corrective measures to ensure that the problem does not recur, he said the Government will give as full a public accounting as possible, especially if it is a major lapse.
'Singaporeans need to know what went wrong, and what the Government will do to fix things,' he said.While the minister is ultimately accountable for the policies and operations of his ministry, PM Lee cautioned: 'But this does not mean that if a lapse occurs down the line, every level in the chain of command, up to and including the Minister should automatically be punished or removed.''
Based on the facts, we have to decide who fell short in performing his duties, and what is the appropriate disciplinary action for each officer involved. We also have to follow due process, giving officers the chance to defend themselves. Otherwise we will demoralise the organisation and discourage officers from taking initiatives or responsibility, for fear of being punished for making mistakes.''This same principle of responsibility and accountability also applies to Ministers.'Mr Lee said when a lapse happens, it is his duty to decide how the minister in charge has performed - whether he has been incompetent, negligent and if he is able to put things right.'The basis issue is whether the person is culpable,' added Mr Lee.'If so, we must act against him, however senior his position. But if he is not at fault, then we must have the moral courage to state so, and support him.''This way, everybody within the organisation can be confident that when something goes wrong, they will not be sacrificed for politcal expediency.'
I am not the sort of person that dwells into politics and analyse every string of sentence that pours out from our ministers’ mouths. Ultimately, I look at the whole picture instead of picking up minute details that are of negligible significance.
Let’s talk about POLITICS.
No doubt that the model of our governance is ever-efficient.
No doubt that our capable leaders have steered the nation into a developed one growing at a rate equivalent to that of a developing one.
No doubt many foreign countries are singing praises and trying to adopt our system.
No doubt we have a nation of complainers and whiners who, despite our general political apathy, are capable of blowing simple matters out of proportion with our seemingly analytical minds.
No doubt that that we are capable of organizing a ministerial panel discussing the complacency of the whole nation and not the the competency of our government, and whether ministers should be shown the cabinet door, when everything started off with a man limping out of jail.
Casual griping is a beloved Singaporean pastime, so is mine. I am neither spewing criticisms nor turning to armchair speculation, not least representing any organization but solely my personal thoughts.
Just take a look at the Mas Selamat incident. People are condemning the government for its lapse in security. Our dear MM, PM, and DPM would of course have their say of words. But the message they are putting across to me is “It’s not our incompetency as leaders, but your complacency as a nation, let’s not blame anyone in this matter, let’s just learn and move on.” Is this convincing or not? You decide.
Can Singaporeans find our own Obama or Clinton that shakes us out of our deeply entrenched political apathy? We really need someone with the charisma and eloquence of an inspirational leader to do so.
That would be the easy way out. It may temporarily appease an angry public, but it will not fundamentally solve the problem,' he said in his statement, which addressed the Government's overall approach, its responsibility and accountabilty over fugitive terrorist Mas Selamat Kastari's escape from the Whitley Road Detention Centre on Feb 27.
In the aftermath of the escape, some Singaporeans have criticised the Government, the minister and senior officials in charge for the major lapses that enabled the Jemaah Islamiah militant to flee and some have called on the Home Affairs Minister to take responsibility for the incident and step down.Responding to these, PM Lee on Tuesday urged the people not to 'over-react to one bad incident'.'If we go overboard in trying to solve one problem, the chances are we will inadvertently commit other mistakes which we will regret later,' he said.'For example, encumbering an organisation with unwieldy rules and processes may look good on paper, but in practice will simply generate a false sense of security, while hindering the organisation from functioning efficiently and achieve its goals.'
VIDEOMas Selamat: PM cautions against witch-hunt(4:17)RELATED LINKSClick to read PM Lee's full speechPM Lee said when something goes wrong, the first priority is to respond to the immediate crisis and then identify shortcomings and put them right.
Besides corrective measures to ensure that the problem does not recur, he said the Government will give as full a public accounting as possible, especially if it is a major lapse.
'Singaporeans need to know what went wrong, and what the Government will do to fix things,' he said.While the minister is ultimately accountable for the policies and operations of his ministry, PM Lee cautioned: 'But this does not mean that if a lapse occurs down the line, every level in the chain of command, up to and including the Minister should automatically be punished or removed.''
Based on the facts, we have to decide who fell short in performing his duties, and what is the appropriate disciplinary action for each officer involved. We also have to follow due process, giving officers the chance to defend themselves. Otherwise we will demoralise the organisation and discourage officers from taking initiatives or responsibility, for fear of being punished for making mistakes.''This same principle of responsibility and accountability also applies to Ministers.'Mr Lee said when a lapse happens, it is his duty to decide how the minister in charge has performed - whether he has been incompetent, negligent and if he is able to put things right.'The basis issue is whether the person is culpable,' added Mr Lee.'If so, we must act against him, however senior his position. But if he is not at fault, then we must have the moral courage to state so, and support him.''This way, everybody within the organisation can be confident that when something goes wrong, they will not be sacrificed for politcal expediency.'
I am not the sort of person that dwells into politics and analyse every string of sentence that pours out from our ministers’ mouths. Ultimately, I look at the whole picture instead of picking up minute details that are of negligible significance.
Let’s talk about POLITICS.
No doubt that the model of our governance is ever-efficient.
No doubt that our capable leaders have steered the nation into a developed one growing at a rate equivalent to that of a developing one.
No doubt many foreign countries are singing praises and trying to adopt our system.
No doubt we have a nation of complainers and whiners who, despite our general political apathy, are capable of blowing simple matters out of proportion with our seemingly analytical minds.
No doubt that that we are capable of organizing a ministerial panel discussing the complacency of the whole nation and not the the competency of our government, and whether ministers should be shown the cabinet door, when everything started off with a man limping out of jail.
Casual griping is a beloved Singaporean pastime, so is mine. I am neither spewing criticisms nor turning to armchair speculation, not least representing any organization but solely my personal thoughts.
Just take a look at the Mas Selamat incident. People are condemning the government for its lapse in security. Our dear MM, PM, and DPM would of course have their say of words. But the message they are putting across to me is “It’s not our incompetency as leaders, but your complacency as a nation, let’s not blame anyone in this matter, let’s just learn and move on.” Is this convincing or not? You decide.
Can Singaporeans find our own Obama or Clinton that shakes us out of our deeply entrenched political apathy? We really need someone with the charisma and eloquence of an inspirational leader to do so.
Left a memory at 12:50
Train rides
Train rides have never been more eventful with unexpected sightings and experiences. They never fail to portray the cosmo political nature of our state with a mix of a dozen different tongues and practices interacting under a common roof. Even when I was catching the last train home late at night, the queer settings of been part of a globalised population has made us unique.
A train ride depicts the tale of a life journey applicable in most of us. The origin station is left trailing miles behind after our train departs, whenever we initiate to something from our current situation. The destination station is already pre-determined since we know where we are going to alight. Along life’s journey, we are faced with a myriad of challenges and experiences, which are parallel to the pleasant and disgustingly forgettable moments in that packed carriage.
The sight of a lady with a protruding belly beats any anesthetics administrated by doctors to put patients to sleep with unprecedented, immediate shut-down effects. The tranquil journey to work is sometimes interrupted by high-decibel, phone chatters that transcend carriages, a feat which few are capable of. Nobody likes to be caught in a sardine-packed carriage during peak hours, but my frustration is compounded by the selfish acts of some commuters who can’t seem to stop leaning their back against the holding poles, thus depriving others of a supporting handle. I am not stereotyping any particular group because I have seen Bangladeshi, PRCs, Sickaporeans and Sillyporeans doing it. These 2 terms aren’t coined by me, but are gaining popularity stakes as net lingoes.
Left a memory at 11:31
Wednesday, 16 April 2008
Change
Finally!!
It has been almost a month since my last post, and this is wholly attributed to my increasingly hectic, yet meaningful lifestyle. Work commitment and new tuition assignments are starting to unfold before me, leading me to a whole new array of experiences and elevating me to a higher temple of thoughts.
Just yesterday, I was invited to a corporate event organized by Prudential in its effort to increase awareness and credibility of its company. I felt comfortable with the light settings at the Singapore Arts Museum where the event was held. It didn’t seem like a mass recruitment campaign where managers and new agents were out there desperately trying to paint us a bright picture of the career prospects in Prudential.
I would not have attended if not for Adam Khoo, the star speaker for the event. Unveiling a slice of his background, he was one of the youngest self-made multi-millionaires in Singapore who is currently managing his education business in the region. He is paid to give motivational talks to many affiliates, schools and organizations, and has written some of the best-selling books which I have read through some.
He is a very energetic and experienced trainer, and every audience of his would definitely have felt the kind of positive energy that he radiated. Probably because I have read a couple of books and attended other seminars in which the insights resonate with his speech, the effect I felt might not be tantamount to what others felt.
Nevertheless, I shall share a few key points that he so effortlessly brought out. It is interesting, yet unfortunate to hear of cases of people who do not want to succeed in life, who do not have dreams and just hope to lead a stable life. After all, we have to die, so why go through your life without a purpose?
It is imperative to have a goal in life and also strategies mapped out to eventually help you achieve it. A study conducted in Yale University many decades ago found out that only 3% of Yale graduates in that particular year had a goal in life, while the majority didn’t. 20 years later, the 3% of the same graduating cohort earned a combined income that was 3 times that of what the 97% earned! That is the power of goal.
I shall end this paragraph with a story illustrated by him to create an awareness that job security no longer applies today like it did 20 years ago. Instead, he is actively promoting the spirit of entrepreneurship that he so strongly advocates.
“The villagers in a town have been threatened by the presence of monkeys and one day, they set up a trap to eradicate them one by one. Some peanuts were dropped into a coconut that had been cut open, and sprinkled along a straight path leading to the coconut. This led one of the monkeys who followed the trail of peanuts to the coconut. It eventually reached out its hand into the coconut and was trapped by some kind of mechanical tongs placed in the coconut. The villagers, on hearing the scream of the monkey, rushed over and captured it.”
We are just like the monkey in the story, very determined to work our way up the corporate ladder and not willing to let go of the “peanut income” that we so dearly hold to, just like a monkey who will not never let go of its peanuts. We don’t know what lies ahead of us, which is analogous to the booby trap in the coconut. We are not in control of our lives by working for others, let alone the income we desire. We are clouded by the concept of job security, an idea once highly-regarded after the Industrial Revolution. We carry a price tag of $2500/month with a Bachelor’s degree, yet satisfied that we spend 4 years and $25000 to achieve it.
I am not encouraging people to quite their corporate job or to give up their college years. But it certainly raises one’s eyebrow at the thought of going through a systemic life planned out by others and not by you. We live in the new age, and change is the only constant. Need me to say more? How to change? I am still in deep thoughts….
Left a memory at 13:53