TWENTY years in the making, Deputy Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will take over the helm of the Government on Aug 12. Along with Singaporeans from all walks of life, I look forward with optimism to more years of political stability and economic prosperity under his leadership.

This scenario is not happenstance. Kudos are due to Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong and his team for the smooth passing of the baton.

Apart from the success of self-renewal, Mr Goh’s legacy is, not unlike Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew’s 14 years ago, the effectiveness of Singa-pore’s foreign policy. Scant credit is usually given to this but, since 1965, it has been par excellence and the corner-stone of our success as a nation. PM Goh described it recently as our ‘friends first, business later’ approach. It is this strategy that has contri-buted much to our success in attracting global investments, paving the way for our economic development. Long may this continue.

With DPM Lee’s appoint-ment as Prime Minister, the focus will now be on the roles of PM Goh and SM Lee.

No doubt, popular sentiment will once again clamour for SM Lee to be the next Elected President. Although largely ceremonial in nature, proponents will argue, with justification, that as the President is elected by the people and also serves as the custodian of the nation’s reserves, it is only fitting that the Senior Minister performs this role. While my heart agrees, my head says other-wise. SM Lee will better serve Singapore’s cause as the much respected world statesman that he is, connecting and supplementing our foreign policy at the highest economic and political echelons world-wide, maintaining a high profile for Singapore, and winning hearts and minds for us. I foresee a similar role for PM Goh after he leaves office.

My wish, then, is for both to play supporting roles in the Prime Minister’s Office. With a combined prime-ministerial experience spanning half a century, both can be expected to provide not only guidance when necessary, but also useful insights into demand-ing local expectations, and the ever-changing, increasingly complex, global economic and geopolitical landscape.

Never mind what the poli-tical pundits and wags will say. The triumvirate of ‘prime ministers’ in one office with the single-minded goal of leading Singapore to conti-nued economic prosperity will no doubt triumph.

As for those concerned over the titles, just plain Senior Minister Lee and Senior Minister Goh will do.

CLINTON LIM ENG HIONG

Is this a phantom person arrh !!

Pay able, honest leaders what they are worth

I SUPPORT the views of Mr K. Kalidas (‘Don’t begrudge ministers a pay hike’) and not those of Ms Vanessa Teo (‘NZ govt took heed of public views in setting pay’; ST March 28).

What exactly is the worth of our ministers? To me it is the quality of our lives, and those of our children and future generations. Is this not worth the couple of million dollars being proposed as ministerial remuneration?

Some years ago, a former colleague from Sri Lanka told me that the variety of canned food for cats and dogs available on our supermarket shelves brought tears to his eyes, when he thought of the little that they have for their children.

As a leading First World country, we must continue to get the best and ablest to lead our nation and this requires that our leaders are paid what they are worth, so that they do not succumb to corruption.

Singapore prospers or perishes by the ability and integrity of its leaders.

Opponents of a pay hike for the ministers should realise that what makes Singapore tick with clockwork efficiency is the system of governance that has evolved since 1965. And this includes the recruitment, grooming and testing of future leaders and how they are rewarded and motivated. The system may not be perfect but it works admirably well.

Mr George Yeo and Mr Lim Hng Kiang were trawled from a batch of 200 scholars and groomed over many years before becoming ministers. The system also ‘prepared’ Mr Lee Hsien Loong for 20 years before he became Prime Minister.

In this age of globalisation, where talent is truly mobile, benchmarking our salary figures against our Asian counterparts’, as suggested by Ms Teo, is like paying the fruit vendor for bananas and expecting to take home durians. I would think that it is only prudent for New Zealand to pay its prime minister what works for the country’s system. So, too, Singapore.

Unlike other countries, few in Singapore aspire to be politicians. The sacrifices that Singapore ministers and politicians make cannot be measured in just monetary terms. Wives of politician-designates were reported to have cringed and cried on learning the ‘dreaded’ news.

Let us not begrudge ministers a pay hike.

Clinton Lim Eng Hiong

Mr Lim has always been very supportive. This letter was expected.

lol, whats new.

The scarry part is we have 66% percent of the populations think like this joker!
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I believe it is closer to 46% now. There is much unhappiness with the policies of the MIW now. Singaporeans just don’t show it. Many are waiting for the GE vote for change.

is this idiot for real? The APEC is one BIG game of charade!
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Not he is not. The MIW have a team of idiots to write in to the forum pages in support of government policies. Stop reading the Shitty Times. Makes you want to vomit.

The scarry part is we have 66% percent of the populations think like this joker!

I’ve been informed that the newspapers of both countries carried more stories on the India and China trips, but merely acknowledged that the meet was held in Singapore.