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TOC's Andrew to BG Perm Sec 'Chef' Tan: Empathy, where?

Porfirio Rubirosa

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Empathy, where?
Wednesday, 7 January 2009, 6:53 pm | 3,870 views
Andrew Loh


Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Friday that the current downturn Singapore is facing is nothing quite like what the country has experienced before.

Speaking to the Singapore media at the end of his visit to Latin America, Mr Lee said that while there is still bitter medicine to be taken, the Singapore government has put a bit more sugar coating on the pill. (Channel NewsAsia).

The above report was on the 28 November 2008, less than two months ago. The Prime Minister was seeking to assuage Singaporeans’ concerns about the worsening economy and particularly about job losses. In the last few weeks, several companies have already started to lay off staff, including DBS and Panasonic.

The PM, as reported in CNA’s report above, even spoke about Singaporeans having to accept “ bitter medicine” in these bad times.

Thus, it was with much regret, to say the least, when two reports came out in the Straits Times on Tuesday. The first was about the former CEO of Seksun Corporation, Mr Felix Ong, who spent $50,000 of his own money in having calendars made for himself. The calendars had pictures of him assuming various personas. He had also employed models for the calendars. (See picture below).

The second article in the Straits Times, perhaps, is the more controversial one. It was a piece written by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources (MEWR), Mr Tan Yong Soon. In it, he described his attendance of a cooking class in Paris, at the renowned Le Cordon Bleu, as part of a 5-week holiday. The basic course, which he signed up for, costs 7,750 euros (S$15,500).

Perhaps a little too self-engrossed, he said:

Taking five weeks’ leave from work is not as difficult as one thinks. Most times, when you are at the top, you think you are indispensable. But if you are a good leader who has built up a good team, it is possible to go away for five weeks or even longer.

While not many Singaporeans can afford to take 5 weeks off work to go on a holiday, or afford the price tag for such a holiday (especially to a place such as Paris), one would not normally chide the rich for doing so either. After all, they do work hard for their success and rewards and are entitled to enjoy them. However, Mr Tan is no ordinary, rich Singaporean. He is a senior civil servant. And he is one of those who just had his pay cut in the recent announcement by the Public Service Division.

In short, he is seen as part of the governing elite – and one who would be able to empathise with ordinary Singaporeans who are going through tough times. Indeed, the PM is preparing Singaporeans for some belt-tightening and ‘bitter medicine’.

Mr Tan’s revelation, in a national newspaper, at a time of anxiety for most, is insensitive, to say the least.

And this coming on the back of the People’s Action Party town councils’ nonchalant attitude towards the loss of millions of dollars in investments in discredited financial products.


Perhaps it is true – in fact, I feel it is – that the rich in government has lost touch with Singaporeans and lost it totally. For anyone who has any sense of empathy for the average working person struggling to survive would not be splashing his story of luxurious holidays in full spread in a national newspaper. Least of all a senior civil servant.

While I applaud the government for the pay cut, I cannot but be entirely disappointed that, as Mr Tan has shown, it is only cosmetic.

How else can it be if one is willing to spend thousands on a cooking course on a 5-week holiday and then boast about it in a national newspaper?

Where is the empathy and sensitivity among our elite for the average Singaporean?

Finance Minister Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, when asked about whether civil servants would lead by example and take a pay cut, said, “We are not here to grandstand.” (Straits Times)

One can only hope that someone will tell Mr Tan that while it may be true that “if you are a good leader who has built up a good team, it is possible to go away for five weeks or even longer,” Mr Tan should realize that sometimes a little empathy and sensitivity goes a longer way.

Ditto Mr Ong.
 

Porfirio Rubirosa

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Living the Singapore Dream indeed, perhaps alos cooking it and eating it as well:biggrin:
25) joe on January 8th, 2009 1.25 am Mr Tan wrote a book titled “Living the Singapore dream” and it is foreworded by Mr Goh Chok Tong [IBSN 9789812481467].

http://www.ura.gov.sg/pr/text/pr01-10.html

BG(NS) Tan was the PPS to PM from 1 Mar 95 to 14 Apr 97 before he assumed the appointment of DS (Revenue) and subsequently, DS (Policy) in the Ministry of Finance (MOF). BG(NS) Tan has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Engineering Tripos from the University of Cambridge, UK, 1977. He also obtained a Master of Business Administration from NUS in 1987 and a Master of Public Administration from Harvard University, USA in 1988.

http://www.mindef.gov.sg/scholarship/os_hall.asp
1974 SAF Overseas Scholar
 

Porfirio Rubirosa

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31) gemami on January 8th, 2009 9.15 am I have been rummaging through the blogs of some of the contributers here in TOC and I came across one whom I think might be a civil servant who quite possibly have been in the service for quite some time to enjoy some of the perks she wrote in her blog.

It gives us an idea of their lifestyle and whether these people can really make good representation for the less well-off and poor people like you and me.

I am only highlighting their dining habits.

This particular blogger felt wonderful when dining at Sheraton Tower’s well known Italian restaurant, DOMVS. You know why? Because sitting next to her were: “the sepia financial big wigs of yesteryear, such as Peter Seah, ex-OUB, and Ng Kee Cho, ex-DBS“.

Friday is the lunch group’s monthly get-together, and it was confessed that:
“ we’ve been meeting n eating like this since the 1970s (where) we used to go to a restaurant in King’s Hotel; then moved to various Teochew restaurants and finally settled at the American Club with occasional forays to Demsey Hill.“.

As for the price of a meal, this is the comment: ”

The America Club’s 3-course set lunch with coffee for around $25 per head is considered to be a steal.”

Even their own TC member found it abhorable seeing their own kind dining so late into the night to show off. At the Tanglin Club, the blogger encountered a TC member who remarked while passing her table; “ Eating salads at this time of the night“; implying that raw to semi raw food wasn’t good for health at 11pm

Next up was brunch at the Pyramid Club.

Following that was this, in her own words:

“The next eating event of note was another buffet — this time at the Singapore Conference Hall on Nov 21 when a well-known woman philanthropist commemorated the birth anninversary of a better known philanthropist. The annual event comprised a slew of high profile awards with a lot a razzmatazz, media coverage and the de rigeuer ministerial Cabinet in attendance.”

This next event she described as a budget experience at Oriole Crescent home.

“So, here we were tucking into a roast turkey, S’s liquor laden trifle cake, other goodies and a good slosh of great wine from BK“.

Nearing the end of the month, this is what she lamented:

“After having started the month with champagne brunch at the Equinox and then to come to this over-priced, low quality and poorly serviced meal was a complete let-down. Sure the Tanglin c-brunch is just $75 per head, compared to the $128+++ at Equinox.

But note that the Tanglin charges a hefty monthly membership sub while the Equinox brunch, after using the Feed at the Raffles discount card, costs around $75 per pax.

And while the price difference disappears, the value for money chasm between the two brunches remains so huge that as our current AG Walter Woon once said, u can drive an SMRT bus thru it.”.

So you tell me, do you think TYS thinks it is a big deal to brag about his cooking course? Even the kuching-kuraps are lapping up the good life by paying themselves with monies collected from us. What is $15,000 to him?
 

lockeliberal

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Dear Porifirio

Nothing wrong with the good life, and again nothing wrong with enjoying the good life and blogging about it. There might be something wrong about a senior civil servant being ostentatious about his consumption in the national press, but can we say the same thing about yuppie civil servants aspiring after the good life :_)))



Locke
 

leetahbar

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if one could afford, it's alright to splurge. if one couldn't, it's not very right to be envious.
 

The_Latest_H

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Rich people got the right to spurge money on almost everything. That doesn't mean its morally right though. Therefore if there are people- maybe including myself- who thinks that behaviour like this aren't really reflecting of normal moral principles, then its clear we know the line that separates what is one's legal rights, and what's one moral rights.

In any case, I don't see what is the reason on why these rich people are so star struck about with such a lifestyle. But each to his own, and I probably won't live the life of these folks anyway.
 

guavatree

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if one could afford, it's alright to splurge. if one couldn't, it's not very right to be envious.

old faggot fake monk PAP dog Bob Sim Kheng Hwee, temple thief, swindler, fraudster, cheat, con-artist, liar, deceiver, all rolled into one!

WTF! you think you can afford???????

you stole temple money and live on handouts from your siblings and retired parents

some more you can boast you splurge on many eateries in sinkapoor!

fucking moron!
 
A

Alu862

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Why yet another BG. Singapore thinks one star is enough to be big.
 

leetahbar

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Rich people got the right to spurge money on ...

In any case, I don't see what is the reason on why these rich people are so star struck about with such a lifestyle. But each to his own, and I probably won't live the life of these folks anyway.

that's why they are called "rich people" and the majority are called peasants.

there are the rich who know how to live a lavish lifestyle and there are rich who behave worst than a beggar.

there are also poor peasants who live a very "rich" meaningful lifestyle and there are peasants who just resort themselves to whinning and envy.:smile:

it's the rights of the rich to spend just like it's the rights of peasant to whine.:p
 

guavatree

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it's the rights of the rich to spend just like it's the rights of peasant to whine.:

old faggot fake monk PAP dog Bob Sim Kheng Hwee, temple thief, swindler, fraudster, cheat, con-artist, liar, deceiver, all rolled into one!

izzit your right you bashed your father until bloody when he threw away your gay porn?

izzit your right to steal temple money?

izzit your right to call your mother LAU-CHEE-BYE when she reprimanded you for doing fuck all at home?
 

Porfirio Rubirosa

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BG Perm Sec "Chef" Tan can flush his million dollar tax payer paid salary down the loo for all I care, but a person in such a senior public position should and ought to know better than to write about such a personal indulgent experience in a national newspaper. And it even goes further than that with his apparent boasting about his wife's banker status and son's Brown status. Bad poor judgement is all I can say, Sad reflection of PAP govt created elite hubris.

Dear Porifirio

Nothing wrong with the good life, and again nothing wrong with enjoying the good life and blogging about it. There might be something wrong about a senior civil servant being ostentatious about his consumption in the national press, but can we say the same thing about yuppie civil servants aspiring after the good life



Locke
 

Porfirio Rubirosa

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You are misconceived, not for the first time I should add and probably not the last either. This has nothing to do with having the $$$ to indulge or on the flipside the green eyed monster/envy.

It is about a very senior public servant lacking EQ
.


Singapore bureaucrat's cooking trip sparks outcry
Singapore bureaucrat's cooking trip sparks outcry
Tuesday, 13 January 2009
Melanie Lee
Reuters


A Singaporean bureaucrat who wrote about taking his family on an expensive cooking course in France has sparked ire from locals, with some accusing him of extravagance given the city-state is in recession.

Tan Yong Soon, a senior official at Singapore's Environment Ministry, learnt to truss chicken and cut vegetables at Le Cordon Bleu cookery school in Paris with his wife and son, and wrote about it in the Straits Times newspaper earlier this month.

"Taking five weeks leave from work is not as difficult as one thinks. Most times when you are at the top, you think you are indispensable. But if you are a good leader who has built up a good team, it is possible," Tan wrote in the newspaper.

His article raised eyebrows given the five-week course for three at the prestigious French cooking school cost more than S$46,000 (21,000 pounds).

Singapore is one of Asia's wealthiest nations but it was the first country in Asia to fall into recession last year. More job cuts are looming.

"Anyone who has any sense of empathy for the average working person struggling to survive would not be splashing his story of luxurious holidays in full spread in a national newspaper," said Andrew Loh on a Singaporean discussion website (http://theonlinecitizen.com).

Tan could not be reached for comment and he has not said anything publicly about the response to his article.

"How long does each of us take to earn even half that amount that Mr. Tan spent on his lessons? And how many of us can afford to be away for five weeks on paid vacation without getting sacked from our jobs?" said Eugene Yeo, senior writer at the political website, The Wayang Party Club of Singapore. (http://wayangparty.com) - Avantas must be over the moon when he read this one:biggrin:

Some online forum users said Tan could decide what to do with his money, but still felt he was being boastful.

"Agreed that what he does with his money and time is his business but to brag about it really makes me boil," said an online post from someone nicknamed Ricksw8437.


if one could afford, it's alright to splurge. if one couldn't, it's not very right to be envious.
 
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