Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Singapore. The position of Minister Mentor is illegal.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Lee Kuan Yew has once called the citizens of Singapore, "digits", meaning that they can be pushed around at will. He said it in one of his Parliamentary speeches about two decades ago which insult has now become famous. It is quite clear that he still feels that way by his actions. One of which is to give himself the position of "Minister Mentor".

Officially we are told Singapore is a constitutional democracy. Nothing can be further from the truth. In a constitutional democracy, the persons forming the government have to hold their positions in accordance with the Constitution. Therefore the position of the Prime Minister, the Ministers, the members of the Cabinet, the Members of Parliament all have authority because these positions are approved under the Constitution.

But in the entire Constitution, you will like to know that there is not a single reference whatsoever for "Minister Mentor". Lee Kuan Yew has created this position for himself without any legal authority, and furthermore decide to pay himself for a position which is itself illegal, $3 million or so a year. Totally downright illegal and unconstitutional.

This Minister Mentor is 83 years old. Let alone the fact the position of Minister Mentor is itself illegal, we should ask Lee Kuan Yew, the Minister Mentor, how much mentoring has he done to justify this salary of $3 million. He has not provided any time sheets to show how much mentoring he has done, how many hours exactly and why that amount of mentoring is worth this huge colossal amount of $3 million a year. All that he does, as we see, is giving some unsolicited speeches on what and how the world should be, which most us find tiresome and boring beyond endurance and very often, down right silly. Second he goes around the world telling every one else how they should run their countries when no one else has even asked. If this is the sort of mentoring he provides, it is totally useless to anyone.

But what is even more puzzling is why should he be mentoring anyone. If we are to assume that his self imposed duties as Minister Mentor includes mentoring his son, the Prime Minister, to whom he has given that position; why is it that his son, can only do the job if he is mentored by someone? Is he not then, unfit for the job, and should he not let someone else be prime minister who doesn't need mentoring. Furthermore, this would save the taxpayer of $ 3 million a year, which now goes to pay this self proclaimed mentor, which should be ordinarily unnecessary. Look around you. Does the British Prime Minster Gordon Brown have a mentor on how he should govern? John Howard of Australia does not have one either. No other country has this professional position of mentor.

And it downright silly for a government to claim to have been voted into power and yet say that they can only do the job if they are "mentored".

As we know Mr. Lee Kuan Yew is 83 years old. He has to die some day. When he dies who is going to mentor his son? No provisions have been made for this, since it does appear from his son's total lack of ability, that he indeed needs a full time mentor, and even a nanny perhaps, to show him how to be Prime Minister. It should be the responsibility of Mr. Lee Kuan Yew to look around now for a suitable mentor for his son, before he dies, otherwise, without mentoring, Singapore will be in a worse shape than it already is.

Gopalan Nair
39737 Paseo Padre Parkway, Suite A1
Fremont, CA 94538, USA
Tel: 510 657 6107
Fax: 510 657 6914
Email: gopalnair@us-immigrationlaw.com

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

My Dear Friend,

You are too focused on the MM and like everyone else in the blogsphere is "awe-fully" critical of him.

By "awe-fully" I mean you guys think he is some sort of superman but to be hated.

Nothing is further from the truth. Can't you see that what the MM has been building is nothing but a big bubble based on his own nameless fears and egoism?

If he does not see that, surely his critics should be able to understand this. So why be in awe, albeit a negative one, of him.

Can't you see what a stupid man he is?

You see, as the founding leader of modern Singapore LKY has already made his name in history. There is no denying that he struggled for the country during the early years.

True his dictatorial style had been high questionable and he has made serious mistakes, known and unknown, that our people had to accommodate and pay for.

But on the whole no one can deny him his place in history.

However the fact that he continues to control the government as MM at his ripe old age of 80 - and add to that his own son is now the PM - the history books will write a different story of him.

If he just kind of retire like Deng XiaoPing, his influence will in fact have greater moral authority. However he prefers direct political influence, which is inferior to moral authority when it comes to gaining admiration from others.

However as any Singaporean can tell the bubble that he has painstakingly built to immortalize his name will burst after his death. Therefore it would have been better had he not gone to such great lengths because as I said he already made his name.

If so many people are critical of him right now, what do you think the rating will be after his death?

So I say do not bother too much about him. As an opposition politician just concentrate on tackling the things that really matter : policies. Through them you can whack up the PAP because its credibility ultimately rests upon its ability to convince people that those policies are really good for them.

Getting personal like JB and Chee is not wide-visioned and merely betray a lack of concern for society as a member of the opposition.

Anonymous said...

LKY will be turning 84 this coming September.

Anonymous said...

LKY will be turning 84 this coming September.

Anonymous said...

It's obvious LKY wants to die with his boots on.He's addicted to the vast power and the humongous money and also needs his 10 bodyguards around him at any one time.He's afraid of being assasinated as he has throughout his life made more enemies than friends.Come the next GE 2011 and he's still kicking, guess what new post he will think out for himself? His son already indicated he wants to leave the PM post...so he'll be the SM, Wooden GCT will be the new MM and LKY will be the ZMM(Zombie Minister Mentor)!

Gopalan Nair said...

Hi Anonymous,

I like that one, ZMM (Zombie Minister Mentor!)

Gopalan Nair

Anonymous said...

i can't wait for the day that he dies. but unfortunately, i don't think that will change anything. the damage that he's done to this country is...well, eternal. the average singaporean is no smarter than the close-minded, right-winged, ill-informed Republican who gobbles up any trash the neo-cons spew on their TV and believe that to be the truth. most singaporeans are not even aware of the politics, the policies, the racism/deny the racism and the countless other sins the "best government in the world" have done