TR EMERITUS

OPINION Singapore's low level of corruption as measured by its third place ranking on Transparency International's Corruption Perception Index in 2009 is often attributed to both the incorruptibility of its leaders as well as the strength of its institutions. In fact, Singapore is the only non-democratic state among the thirty least corrupt nations in the world, an anomaly among developed nations. It seems to defy the global pattern that democracies tend to occupy much lower rankings on the corruption scale than autocratic ones which is not surprising as there are more checks and balances within democracies to hold the political elite accountable to the people. As a result, Singapore is often quoted as a shining example that a country can attain high standards of public governance comparable to democratic states under a "benign despot" too. On closer look, one will realize that Singapore's success in combating corruption is not due to the strength of its institutions but to a strongman who adopted an uncompromising stance against corrupted practices right from the very beginning. The first prime minister of Singapore Lee Kuan Yew had taken tough actions to eradicate corruption upon assuming power in 1959. Harsh laws were put in place to punish offenders and to deter others from doing so. Even a few ministers from his cabinet were not exempted either with one committing suicide while under investigation for corruption. History has shown that it is entirely possible for corruption to be tackled effectively under a strong, determined and bold leader who showed no mercy towards anybody found guilty of corruption. The third Emperor of the Qing dynasty, Emperor Yong Zheng is one classic example. Like Lee, Emperor Yong Zheng displayed a ruthless streak in tackling the rampant corruption in his administration. Many officials were executed, banished and jailed during his reign for misappropriating public funds including his own relatives and trusted aides. In a short span of 13 years, he managed to bring the perennial problem of corruption which plagued his father the Emperor Kangxi under control, not a mean feat in a such a vast and complex country like China. China was a feudal dynasty and surely it would have been ranked highly by Transparency International had it existed then, but its rare accomplishment was short-lived as it is personality-based rather than system-based. After the demise of Emperor Yong Zheng in 1735 A.D., corruption raised its ugly head again within a few years during the reign of his son the Emperor Qianlong. One of his favorite officials He Shen amassed so much wealth from corruption that he was richer than the Emperor himself! While Singapore's low level of corruption can be maintained so long Lee is around, questions must be raised whether Singapore has the system in place to combat corruption after he is gone. The greatest single flaw in the Singapore system lies in the over-concentration of power in the hands of a few people within the ruling party itself. The Corruption Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) lies directly under the purview of the Prime Minister's Office. The PAP not only dominates Parliament, but controls all important institutions of the state as well - from the police, media, civil service, grassroots organizations to trade unions. There is no opposition to check on the PAP. Neither can the enfeebled and apathetic citizenry hold it accountable as a series of repressive laws are put in place to curtail the political and civil rights of the people. The end result is a ticking time bomb: if a Chen Shui Bian were to assume power one day, there will be no way Singaporeans can remove him from power. The drawback of Singapore's system is evident in the disastrous loss in national reserves suffered by its two sovereign wealth funds GIC and Temasek Holdings. In any democratic states, an independent Commission of Inquiry will probably be convened to investigate the losses and the results released to the public. To this day, Singaporeans are still kept in the dark on the real extent of losses. Urgent political reforms are needed to ensure more checks and balances within the system to promote the good practices of public governance such as accountability, transparency and competency. Singaporeans should not trust their leaders blindly. Without a free press to expose their wrong-doings, an opposition to hold them accountable and laws to compel them to release confidential information to the public, we will have to take Singapore's third place ranking by Transparency International with a pinch of salt.  Read More →

By Mustafa Shafawi from Channel News Asia Singapore on Friday raised its economic growth forecast this year as countries that buy most of its exports emerge from recession. The upgrade from 3.0-5.0 percent to 4.5-6.5 percent came after economic growth gathered pace in the fourth quarter, allowing the economy to contract by a slower-than-predicted 2.0 percent for 2009, the Ministry of Trade and Industry said. But the ministry said the outlook is fraught with uncertainty, especially in the second half of the year with the recovery in the United States, Europe and Japan expected to be weaker. Debt risks in some European countries are also potential minefields for economic growth, it said. "The Ministry of Trade and Industry expects the Singapore economy to grow by 4.5 to 6.5 per cent in 2010. This upgrade from the earlier 3.0 to 5.0 per cent forecast largely reflects increased strength in the near term growth momentum," the ministry said in a statement. "Major economies around the world have emerged from recession. Financial markets have stabilised and trade flows and industrial production have also picked up strongly. "Asia should experience a strong recovery, but the pace of the rebound in the United States, Europe and Japan, collectively called the G3 countries, is likely to be weaker. "In addition, several downside risks remain, including sovereign debt risks (especially in Europe) and asset price inflation in Asia. These factors could weigh on the pace of growth in major economies, especially in the later part of 2010," the ministry said. Read rest of article on Channel News Asia  Read More →

Written by Our Correspondent In an interview with Straits Times today, former Barisan Sosialist leader Dr Lim Hock Siew claimed that his party would have provided more welfare for Singaporeans had they won the elections in 1963. A splinter group from the PAP, Barisan Sosialist was led by the charismatic Lim Chin Siong who would have become the Prime Minister of Singapore had not for the wave of arrests launched by the ISD under "Operation Coldstore" which crippled the party. Dr Lim was one of those arrested and he would spend the next 19 years of his life under detention without trial. Pulling no punches, he criticized the ruling party's policies and says Barisan would have done more for the poor and working class. "There would be legal safeguards for workers like minimum wage, retrenchment benefits, social welfare and retirement benefits," he says. He added out that his party would not have priced flats at a subsidised rate below market rate but would have provided cheap housing at cost. "CPF is meant for pensions, not to tie people down to a housing project," he explains. Echoing the views made earlier by prominent U.S-based political economist Professor Huang Yasheng, Dr Lim said Singapore should have encouraged small and medium enterprises, so that entrepreneurship would flourish as in Hong Kong instead of attracting foreign MNCs. He also hit out at the obscene ministerial pay and noted that the young will come forward to serve Singapore when "they feel they can speak out and decide their own future": "Leaders should not be discovered by inviting and enticing them with high pay and high office... you harness the people, let them decide. They'll do wonders." Singapore's ministers are the highest paid in the world. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong earns in excess of $3 million dollars annually, or more than 5 times the salary of U.S. President Barack Obama. Despite the astronomical wages Singaporeans are paying their ministers, life has not become better for many of them. Singapore has the widest income gap between the rich and the poor among developed nations and it ranks a pathetic 70th in the world in terms of quality of life.   Related articles: >> Temasek Review to kick-start political education for Singaporeans >> Interview with Dr Poh Soo Kai in Chinese by Merdeka Review >> Photo Gallery: Book launch of “The Fajar Generation” >> Interview with Dr Lim Hock Siew and Dr Poh Soo Kai >> Dr Lim Hock Siew on “immorality” of the political situation in Singapore today >> VIDEO: Dr Lim Hock Siew speaks of his detention >> Book launch: The Fajar Generation  Read More →