Opposition reacts to PAP manifesto

Some party chiefs express scepticism over promises others see similarities with their own

Hetty Musfirah and Wayne Chan

hetty@mediacorp.com.sg

SINGAPORE

manifesto drew varied responses from the

Opposition parties yesterday, with some

taking credit for parts of it while others

cast doubt on the ruling party’s ability to

fulfill its promises.

Reform Party chief Kenneth Jeyaretnam

was scathing in his assessment of the manifesto:

“The PAP have failed to raise median

household income significantly over the

last decade, so why should the electorate

trust them to do better over the next decade

when global economic conditions are

likely to be worse?”

In an email to MediaCorp, he added:

“The PAP talks about raising productivity

but the fact is that we are still falling further

and further behind the advanced nations ...

and there is no clear blueprint for how we

can stop the gap from continuing to widen.”

Mr Jeyaretnam was also sceptical of

the PAP’s pledge to raise educational levels

of the lower income groups “when we do

not have universal free education or the

investment to improve teaching standards

or lower class sizes”.

Commenting on the PAP manifesto, the

National Solidarity Party said there would be

no future for Singapore if the PAP cannot provide

cheaper housing for future generations.

During a walkabout yesterday, veteran

Opposition MP Chiam See Tong told reporters

that some of the points raised in the

PAP manifesto were similar to his party’s,

including the pledge to offer more help for

the lower-income group, senior citizens,

as well as the need to get Singaporeans

involved in shaping their own future.

Said the Singapore People’s Party chief:

“We will be happy to dialogue with the PAP

on those points.”

Similarly, Singapore Democratic Alliance

(SDA) secretary-general Desmond Lim

said his party was glad the PAP is singing

the same tune as the SDA in hoping to

build a better Singapore for Singaporeans.

To achieve this, Mr Lim said, would mean

including more Opposition voices among

the country’s next generation of leaders.

Said Mr Lim: “Whatever points the PAP

has presented, I will say it would be very

good for this country ... they had mentioned

securing the future together, which means

that they alone cannot actually (accomplish)

what they have listed.”— The People’s Action Party’s

MANIFESTO HAS AN EYE ON POTENTIAL ‘FAULT LINES’

Non-partisan political observers noted that the PAP manifesto places more emphasis on inclusiveness, compared to previous editions.

One reason for this could be the recognition that fault lines may appear as society becomes more open and complex, former Nominated MP Zulkifli Baharudin noted.

Said Mr Zulkifli: “There’s a fear that some of the population may not find their aspirational goals reflected in the PAP and, therefore, I think PAP has tried very hard to make sure that every segment in society, their aspirations and wishes are reflected in the manifesto.”

Singapore Management University law lecturer Eugene Tan pointed out that “the challenge for the PAP is, how do you craft a manifesto that suggest that you could have done a lot more in the last 40-odd years”.

Unlike some Opposition manifestos which try to address hot-button issues such as housing prices and transport, observers noted that the PAP manifesto does not spell out the specifics — given that its track record is evident.

Said Assistant Professor Tan: “I suspect voters might want more clarity, more detail, instead of a big-picture approach.”

Disagreeing, Mr Zulkifli said that the PAP “clearly presents its manifesto knowing very confidently that it will still form the Government after election”.

He added: “PAP has a greater burden ... its manifesto will have to be realised in the form of public policies once it gets voted in. In the case of the Opposition, certainly, that’s not the case. I think they’re just trying to provide fodder for more debate during the elections.”

Additional reporting by Hoe Yeen Nie and Evelyn Choo

Not cutting older worker’s wages can boost firm’s competitiveness

Rachel Kelly

rachel@mediacorp.com.sg

SINGAPORE

Human resource experts said a more flexible policy to embrace an older labour pool will help companies become more competitive given the current tight labour market

and increasing wage pressures.

Under the Retirement Age Act, employers can reduce an employee’s wage by as much as 10 per cent — assuming the reduction is based on “reasonable factors” like the employee’s productivity.

“In this tight labour market, organisations should also ensure that the needs of all their employees are taken care of and that older workers get to enjoy the same benefits as their younger counterparts where possible, in order not to lose their valuable talents to market competition,” said Mr Tim Hird, managing director of Robert Half, Singapore and Japan.

He said the recent decision of Singapore Airlines (SIA) to scrap its policy of cutting wages at 60 for all its 13,500 employees — confirmed by a spokesman on Wednesday — will send a positive signal for the labour market.

Other Singapore blue chips that currently do not cut the wages of employees who turn 60 include United Overseas Bank, Keppel, SingTel and Sembcorp.

SingTel said that, since July 1 last year, employees who turn 60 have not been subject to wage reductions.

The Keppel Group of Companies has also realised the importance of older workers.

Last year, it had a total of 232 retired and rehired employees in Singapore.

“We neither cut the wages of our employees who turn 60, nor implement a pay cut for re-employed workers post-retirement performing the same job,” said Ms Wang Look Fung, general manager (group corporate communications), at Keppel Corporation.

A spokesperson at fellow conglomerate Sembcorp Industries said: “The company initiates discussions with the employee six to nine months before he reaches retirement age to understand if the employee wishes to retire or continue on with the company.”— Companies that forgo policies to cut wages of workers who turn 60 could likely benefit in the long-run.

My Point

S-chips racing against time to meet May 31 deadline

Lois Calderon

loiscalderon@mediacorp.com.sg

SINGAPORE

These so-called S-chips, or Chinese companies listed on the Singapore Exchange (SGX), might be able to comply with the May 31 deadline, according to industry observers. But other issues might haunt them and force the SGX to put more teeth to existing regulations.

Recent accounting and management scandals that hound Chinese companies listed here have led the SGX to require the firms to clearly lay down rules on hiring and firing their top management, including CEOs and company founders, who might have unlimited legal authority to enter into contracts and manage the company’s finances.

There are 155 China companies listed on the SGX and high-profile cases involving accounting controversies include names like Sino-Environment Technology Group, Oriental Century, Falmac and CDW Holding.

“We often find that the legal representative from China is not doing the right thing. When we need to replace them, we find difficulties because the articles of association did not provide for that,” said Mr Lim Lee Meng, tax expert at accounting firm RSM Chio Lim.

Experts said most S-chip firms will be able to meet the May 31 deadline set by the SGX to revise their articles of association.

They are also given leeway to explain if they fail to do so.

But while the new measures look good on paper, their implementation might hit a snag.

“If you don’t have the cooperation of the legal rep, then you might not be able to go through the whole procedure and then to effect the removal of the legal rep because you can foresee that the legal rep will not give full cooperation in helping you to remove himself,” said Mr Lin Song, co-head of international China practice group at law firm KhattarWong.

The lawyer was referring to the paperwork involved in effecting the removal of the Chinese-backed legal representative.

Company transactions become binding only when they bear the firm’s corporate seal and the power to affix this seal is vested only in the legal representative.

“The issue is more on the execution level even though you might have in the articles of association all these provisions when you really need to remove the legal rep … you may face difficulty,” Mr Lin said.

“For example, the listed company might be required to present the local authority a stamp registration form and other documents which might require the legal rep to sign,” he added.

Mr Robson Lee, partner at Shook Lin & Bok LLP, echoed the same sentiment that the SGX ruling might not be enough to clip the wings of Chinese-backed executives.

Mr Lee, who also sits as a director for S-chip firm Youcan Food International, said there are practical enforcement difficulties to ensure compliance by the executive management that are based in China.

“It would be better to put in place the necessary legal provisions in the articles of association to give the board of the listed company the legal right to intervene when things go wrong,” he said.— Listed companies with operations in China are racing against time to put in place strict new measures that could give them more control over their mainland-based legal representative or top executives.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Class of 2011 not an ordinary slate, says PM

Up to half could become office-holders and at least five are minister material

Leong Wee Keat

weekeat@mediacorp.com.sg

# # # #

EXCELLENT  for  PERSONAL  FUTURE OF  OVER PAID SALARIES ? ? ? ?

NON OF THEM  currently  EARN    MP level or SALARIES ? ? ? ?

* * * *

BAD    NEWS  for the  POOR  PEOPLE  as  PRICES  WILL  SURELY  CONTINUE  FLYING  SKY HIGH  ? ? ? ?