Letter to Prataman

I e-mailed a letter and an amended letter to the Honourable President of the Republic of Singapore.

January 26, 2007

Your Excellency
The Honourable President of the Republic of Singapore
Istana
Singapore
[via e-mail s_r_nathan@istana.gov.sg]

Dear Sir,

Re: The Compensation for the President

I was surprised and shocked to hear that the Parliament of Singapore considered it necessary and/or appropriate to increase the annual salary for the President of the Republic of Singapore. It appears that an annual bonus is also paid to the said President, regardless whether or not it is necessary, without consideration for the numerous needy and financially or medically or physically challenged citizens.

Any fair minded compassionate individual who cares for his or her fellow citizens would decline to accept the raise regardless whether or not Parliament approved the increase and the amount of the increase. It is not a matter that the President should be paid a sufficiently high salary to ensure that he is not corrupt, because I have heard that you are a person with integrity and one of the most trusted and respected citizens of the Singapore. In addition, any individual (who is retired) with a net worth of more than $2 million, if not $5 million, would humbly notify the government and the citizens that $2.6 million a year is too much, and perhaps suggest that he or she would gladly accept $365,000 a year or $1,000 a day (because almost everything is provided at the Istana), and designate the difference of approximately $2.2 million a year for fellow needy citizens. Otherwise, I urge you to forthwith donate the said amount per year to your favourite charitable organizations, and encourage others to do the same.

With respect, I urge you to consider changing the perceived materialistic attitude amongst Singaporeans, including the extravagantly paid Ministers, very generously paid members of the judiciary and senior civil servants, who do not consider service to country and citizens before "market value based" compensation. Please consider leaving a legacy by changing the perceived materialistic image of Singapore and Singaporeans.

Yours respectfully,

CKL
http://singaporeelection.blogspot.com/2007/01/letter-to-president-sr-nathan.html