Corruption must be purged continuously to keep society clean
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KUALA LUMPUR : Corruption sets into every society, and it has to be purged continuously and at the highest levels to keep a society clean.
This was the thrust of Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew's keynote address on fighting corruption at the think-tank Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute (Asli).
Mr Lee said: "Singapore has been consistently ranked as the most transparent government in Asia. However, do not believe that there is no corruption in Singapore."
With that line, Mr Lee went on to explain how ethical leadership can prove to be a competitive advantage for many Third World countries.
Using Singapore as an example, he said the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau looked at 145 substantial corruption cases last year.
But he stressed, the anti-corruption drive had to come right from the very top and must not become systemic.
Mr Lee said: "When the core leadership is clean, corruption can be gradually diminished. Both must be prepared to take on the highest echelons of government."
But the process can be painful.
Mr Lee related how former National Development Minister Teh Cheang Wan committed suicide when under investigation for corruption.
"Teh preferred to take his own life rather than face disgrace and ostracism," he said.
Mr Lee also highlighted some measures to keep corruption at bay in Singapore, such as high Minister pay to prevent kickbacks and an elected president for checks and balances against the government.
During the lively question-and-answer session that followed, Mr Lee fielded more anti- corruption questions, such as how allegations must be nipped in the bud and prevented from spreading.
Mr Lee said: "Because if you allow it to pass, by sheer repetition in the coffee shops and hawker centres, people will believe there is a fire when there is so much smoke." - CNA/de -
The same applies to bulletin board admins who practice nepotism by allowing some flamers to remain while purging those good guys whom they don't like.
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High pay for ministers: Half the population are drowning in poverty. Some of the funds used to pay ministers could be diverted to help them.
President to keep check and balance: Rememeber OTC's probe into GIC accounts? What the GIC does is so secretive it is more classified than how many missile bases we have. So much for transparency. -
No matter how high is the pay ( regardless any position of the government worker ), as long as the person is corrupted, he or she will still be corrupted.Originally posted by sbst275:KUALA LUMPUR : Corruption sets into every society, and it has to be purged continuously and at the highest levels to keep a society clean.
This was the thrust of Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew's keynote address on fighting corruption at the think-tank Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute (Asli).
Mr Lee said: "Singapore has been consistently ranked as the most
transparent government in Asia. However, do not believe that there is no corruption in Singapore."
With that line, Mr Lee went on to explain how ethical leadership can prove to be a competitive advantage for many Third World countries.
Using Singapore as an example, he said the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau looked at 145 substantial corruption cases last year.
But he stressed, the anti-corruption drive had to come right from the very top and must not become systemic.
Mr Lee said: "When the core leadership is clean, corruption can be gradually diminished. Both must be prepared to take on the highest echelons of government."
But the process can be painful.
Mr Lee related how former National Development Minister Teh Cheang Wan committed suicide when under investigation for corruption.
"Teh preferred to take his own life rather than face disgrace and ostracism," he said.
Mr Lee also highlighted some measures to keep corruption at bay in Singapore, such as high Minister pay to prevent kickbacks and an elected president for checks and balances against the government.
During the lively question-and-answer session that followed, Mr Lee fielded more anti- corruption questions, such as how allegations must be nipped in the bud and prevented from spreading.
Mr Lee said: "Because if you allow it to pass, by sheer repetition in the coffee shops and hawker centres, people will believe there is a fire when there is so much smoke." - CNA/de -
CorrectOriginally posted by PJ_Quek:No matter how high is the pay ( regardless any position of the government worker ), as long as the person is corrupted, he or she will still be corrupted.