Virgin Rally

The Sg Elections are 6 days away, and I went to my first ever political rally today!!

I feel like I've totally entered adulthood, and the mysterious club of the 'Politically Aware'. =). Actually, probably neither of the above is true, but I feel pretty good nonetheless.

The rally was at Pioneer stadium, held by the National Solidarity Party (NSP). We heard Steve Chia (running in Pioneer), and two other guys whose names I can't remember. The guy who spoke in Hokkien was quite humorous, and even though I didn't understand most of it, the other people around seemed to be enjoying themselves. I came to the realization that Hokkien is a great way to connect with the Heartland masses, partly because complaints just sound a lot better and funnier in Hokkien. (Am now reminded of the Hokkien Star Wars clip that was on radio a few yrs ago)

Atmosphere: we were up in the bleachers, where people were sitting down and mostly passive. But the crowd on the field were very vocal, and obligingly chanted 'NSP! NSP!' at all the right moments. I started booing and cheering, and the others became more responsive also. (I went all the way to Pioneer for this rally.. 17mins by train hor... if it's only to sit and listen I can do that on Youtube. So must create some atmosphere right?)

Speeches: not bad. a mix of Minister bashing (Mah Bow Tan is a hot favorite), number crunching (median income in 2010 was only $1400/mth!! am not sure if this refers to Singaporeans only, or all income tax payees), and specific policy points.

They raised some interesting points:
- some ministers are not just receiving their million dollar salaries, but a pension as well. According to the Prime Minister, this is part of their contracts and cannot be changed.
- the CPF contracts were changed so easily to raise the withdrawal age from 55 to 60. Yet, ministerial contracts remain unchangeable.

- The bottom 20% of households have seen their incomes fall, and costs rise. Currently, they face a deficit of $100/mth.

- Ministers' bonuses are pegged to absolute GDP growth. The easiest way to grow the size of an economy is to increase the number of workers. Thus the huge influx of foreign workers into Singapore. Their assumptions are a little shaky, but the NSP estimate that only 1 in 2 jobs in Singapore are held by Singaporeans.

- In conclusion, the PAP has lost its way. They are self deluded and no longer in touch with ordinary Singaporeans.

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I agree that the issue of ministerial salaries need to be revisited. Even if we accept the bizarre assumption that any one of our ministers can waltz into industry and become a CEO of a Fortune 500 company, it is hard to accept that they should be paid according to the top 10 performing industries, when these top 10 will constantly change. So if you were a CEO of say a construction company, some years the industry might be in the top 10, some years it will not. But as a Singaporean minister, you are always guaranteed a spot in the top 10.

But never mind. Worse still is the basing of the bonus on absolute GDP growth. Incentives are very powerful. The PAP believe that GDP growth is the single most important measure of their success (also stated in MM's book. Vulnerability = need strong defense = need money = need taxes from GDP). So it doesn't matter so much if GDP per capita holds steady or falls, as long as absolute GDP increases. However, GDP per capita more accurately measures productivity and standard of living. One reflects real increases in worker quality and can form the basis of sustained growth, while the other is an indication of population happiness. In fact, I think inflation/cost of living has to be included into the equation as well.

So, a more accurate measure of the government's performance should be A) are people better off and B) do we have a more productive economy? The last point especially will totally kill their bonuses. Our productivity growth has been nearly zero since the 1980s. [In contrast, the French worker is one of the most productive in the world. Maybe we should mandate a 35hr work week? This will force all companies to become more efficient. Hmm.. not sure that this is the best strategy. but from personal experience, the more I procrastinate before a dateline, the more efficient I eventually become.]
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Post is too long already. Till the next blue moon... Adieu.