Did you notice the rows and rows of empty seats in Parliament last week?

Should Singapore’s Members Of Parliament Still Hold Full-Time Occupations?

Mr. Paul Chan (blog) explained his perspectives back in 2007. He postulates:

“Assuming a [Member of Parliament] holds a managerial position[:] by the end of the day, wouldn’t she be really brain tired? … I mean, she could physically be there, but mentally she might have switched off already. By the time she meets her residents, her mind would have already been working for more than [nine] hours. She is giving the best slots of her mind to [her parent company], instead of her residents” (Link).

The question is not whether the day job would negatively affect the roles and responsibilities of a MP (because our politicians commonly counter these arguments by claiming that they have the innate capabilities to multi-task and multi-commit); rather, the obvious proposition is that our representatives would be able to contribute more – quantitatively and qualitatively – without these plethora of commitments.

- http://guanyinmiao.wordpress.com/20...-parliament-still-hold-full-time-occupations/

The guy is a complete idiot. The very foundation of the parliamentary system is that MPs are part of the community they represent.

Being a backbench MP is not supposed to be a full time job.

I now understand why Singapore is such a mess. It's full of ill informed and downright ignorant people masquerading as intellectuals.

Pay cut so all on strike.

Leongsam said:

The guy is a complete idiot. The very foundation of the parliamentary system is that MPs are part of the community they represent.

Being a backbench MP is not supposed to be a full time job.

I now understand why Singapore is such a mess. It's full of ill informed and downright ignorant people masquerading as intellectuals.

Click to expand...

Cannot blame him. LKY Singaporeans are the lost generations.

The extent of damage caused by LKY is clearly evident.

PAP MPs also see their Opposition as Enemy who should not enjoy the same extra parliamentary privileges.

Singaporeans idea of a change of government is one of riots and upheavals. Not the peaceful transition post General Election. That is how lost they are.

Leongsam said:

I now understand why Singapore is such a mess. It's full of ill informed and downright ignorant people masquerading as intellectuals.

Click to expand...

hahaha....ya lor boss, they are not like me who will admit that "i am a kuku"...
lidat PLP got ang pow or not???

Leongsam said:

The guy is a complete idiot. The very foundation of the parliamentary system is that MPs are part of the community they represent.

Being a backbench MP is not supposed to be a full time job.

I now understand why Singapore is such a mess. It's full of ill informed and downright ignorant people masquerading as intellectuals.

Click to expand...

You are definitely one of those "Intellectuals".

Leongsam said:

The guy is a complete idiot. The very foundation of the parliamentary system is that MPs are part of the community they represent.

Being a backbench MP is not supposed to be a full time job.

I now understand why Singapore is such a mess. It's full of ill informed and downright ignorant people masquerading as intellectuals.

Click to expand...

It's not surprising considering the fact that your system in this forum also created another stuck up, asshole masquerading moderator

I can tell you that their full-time occupation pays peanuts compared to the directorship fees they get.

Some of them hold multiple directorships.

Their so-called 'full time job' may be one in non-profit, educational sector, holding some professional or middle management post.
The job is laid back, with plenty of leave days for lengthy vacations (and business trips unrelated to the company which they're working for) and golf 'half-day offs'.

Theoretically they could just quit their full-time day job and not dent their quality of life.

They are on a totally different level compared to lowly Sinkies. Lowly Sinkies cling onto their job like a lifeboat.

These people, on the other hand, make money mainly through investments and business dealings.
Their kind of investment is different from Sinkies buying shitty stocks on the SGX for paltry dividends, or scrambling for some hyped up IPO.
No, these people fly to China, throw a few million into the startup of a factory, then fly back on the same day.

Certain (ex-?) PAP MPs do this. I can tell you that it is entirely true and in no way exaggerated.

Leongsam said:

The very foundation of the parliamentary system is that MPs are part of the community they represent.

Click to expand...

Ya man. Besides having a full time job, they should hold as many directorships as possible for the business community they represent.