What keeps corruption away is the moral fibre of the leader and/or high official. That cannot be bought with high wages.
SCDF commissioner suspended, CNB chief under probe
The Commissioner of the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), Peter Lim (left) , has been suspended from his duties and the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) chief, Ng Boon Gay (right), has been questioned by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB), according to Chinese daily Lianhe Wanbao. -- PHOTOS: SCDF AND MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS
The Commissioner of the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), Peter Lim, has been suspended from his duties and the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) chief, Ng Boon Gay, has been questioned by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB), according to Chinese daily Lianhe Wanbao.
In a front page story on Tuesday, the paper quoting reliable sources, said that Mr Lim had been suspended for nearly a month and six other SCDF officials, including two of senior rank, are also under investigation. The paper quoted sources as saying the case is 'linked to money and women'. Mr Lim had his use of the official SCDF car taken away from him, said the report. Mr Ng was said to have been called in for questioning by the CPIB but no further details were given on when exactly he did so.
Mr Lim, 51, became the SCDF Commissioner in May 2009, moving up from the rank of Deputy Commissioner. He has been in the SCDF for 24 years. He was an engineering service officer, rising through the ranks to become deputy commissioner in June 2005.
Mr Ng Boon Gay, 45, has been in the Police Force for 20 years. A local government merit scholar, he was previously in the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) before taking over at the CNB in January last year. In his term as the CID director, he oversaw the setting-up of the Casino Investigation Branch to deal with casino-related crime amongst other responsibilities.
Next time PM or any other PAPpy member tries to tell you that high pay eradicates corruption, tell them that morals cannot be bought.
If you can buy someone with high wages to serve high office, you have bought someone who is already a closet corrupt.
That's why the high wages needed to stop corruption argument never convinces me. Never.
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News update - Don't be quick to judge CPIB probe? How about telling that to PAP?
12 comments:
tell me which society or government of morally upright man or woman has eradicate corruption.
Whatever high or low wages is paid, there will be corruption. The difference is rampant or isolated corruption.
>>tell me which society or government of morally upright man or woman has eradicate corruption.
>>
Exactly my point! So what is this silly argument that if we don't pay high, we will have a corrupt govt?
>>Whatever high or low wages is paid, there will be corruption. The difference is rampant or isolated corruption.
>>
One govt's corruption is another govt's goldmine haven for digging.
Hypocrite PAPpy govt calls Indonesian govt corrupt, but when the corrupted gains and money come to our shores through their corrupt tycoons to be laundered, Singapore gladly accepts those corrupt money, and refuses to extradite those tycoons back to Indonesia to face trial.
Not only that, Sinkie govt also allows corrupt Burmese Junta money to be laundered here.
The diff between paying high and low is that you are making the payment to the high officials legally in the former, and in the latter, the high officials get paid illegally.
In other words, "corruption" is just a legal term. Nothing to do with moral character of officials.
Like I said, I am never convinced with the argument high pay can attract talent. It only attracts the morally and closet corrupt to begin with. The arrest of two high officials in two stat boards supports my case.
Should read:
"The investigation by CPIB in relation to two high officials in two stat boards supports my case."
(No arrests made so far).
Barrie.
Disagree as people should be paid comfortably at least and well at best so that there is no excuse for greed. They than if found guilty should be thrown the book. Regards
Its hard to gauge the actual corruption index in Spore because the press is muzzled and there is no tradition of whistle blowing in Spore.
No one is foolish enough to claim that high pay eradicates corruption. Only a very big fool will hold such an extreme and indefensible position that Barrie is desperately trying to foist on to the government.
Can someone name a single country where public servants are paid inadequately low salaries and enjoys a similar or lower level of corruption than Singapore?
Can someone name a single leader or high office with the requisite moral fibre that has successfully eradicated corruption in his/her country?
"What keeps corruption away is the moral fibre of the leader and/or high official."
Barrie, please name one leader and/or high official that has successfully kept corruption away through his moral fibre.
Doc, can you stick to just one nick?
Who is talking about lowly paid ministers not being corrupt? I am saying that the the argument that high pay removes corruption is flawed.
As for for politicians who don't need high pay and have moral fibre in them, you forgot that some of our very early leaders of the first gen PAP were exactly that. In Malaysia, we have the spiritual leader Nik Aziz and ex-PM Abdullah Badawi.
But that is not the point. The point is that the argument that high pay removes corruption is pure bull.
The cases involving high officials in LTA, SCDF and CNB support my point.
The Doc is quite a PAP dog.
Singaporeans should be aware that corruption happens in every corners of the world.
Sin is no exception and why should
it be so?
Corruption is a norm in human society. No?
Update - according to ST online on 25 Jan, published at 6:58 pm, both men were actually arrested.
SCDF and CNB chiefs on bail, in separate investigations
Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) chief Peter Lim Sin Pang and Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) director Ng Boon Gay were arrested on Jan 4 and Dec 19 respectively, by officers from the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB).
The bureau, responding to queries from The Straits Times on Wednesday, said both men were arrested under the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA) but were released on on bail and are now assisting the CPIB in what are 'separate investigations'.
So my earlier comment that they were arrested is correct and my correction that they were just under investigation is wrong.
High pay or what Kuan Yew said, correct pay is irrelvant to deter one from perform an act of corruption.
Corruption to me is bsacially borned out of greed, whether your salary is $2k pm or $20k pm.. Look at rich businessmen who evaded GST, or those who cheated MOM via claiming payment for phantom workers? Look at the clerks who cheated or frauded $1,000s.
High pay is only meant to perpetuate PAPs grip on power. High pay only denotes one is capable of economic capability in earning wages or compensation, but irrelevant to tell one a higher earning person is capable of serving..Serving their pay, then yes, it is! Not serving their fellow men.
How about those who serve in not-for-profit social organisations? Are they not capable to serve? Why not if they are highly qualified - CSM is a classic example who forgo his very lucrative pay.
Honesty will prevent corruption - this is the only point/factor to prevent corruption. If one is honest, whether on salary of $2k pm or $20k pm one do not practise graft.
Terence.
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