How should we judge a government?

In Malaysia, if you don't watch television or read newspapers, you are uninformed; but if you do, you are misinformed!

"If you're not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed, and loving the people who are doing the oppressing." - Malcolm X

Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience - Mark Twain

Why we should be against censorship in a court of law: Publicity is the very soul of justice … it keeps the judge himself, while trying, under trial. - Jeremy Bentham

"Our government is like a baby's alimentary canal, with a happy appetite at one end and no
responsibility at the other. " - Ronald Reagan

Government fed by the people

Government fed by the people

Career options

Career options
I suggest government... because nobody has ever been caught.

Corruption so prevalent it affects English language?

Corruption so prevalent it affects English language?
Corruption is so prevalent it affects English language?

When there's too much dirt...

When there's too much dirt...
We need better tools... to cover up mega corruptions.

Prevent bullying now!

Prevent bullying now!
If you're not going to speak up, how is the world supposed to know you exist? “Orang boleh pandai setinggi langit, tapi selama ia tidak menulis, ia akan hilang di dalam masyarakat dan dari sejarah.” - Ananta Prameodya Toer (Your intellect may soar to the sky but if you do not write, you will be lost from society and to history.)

Wednesday, March 07, 2012

Minimum Wage: where is our conscience?

'Salaries and wages' is just one of a number of costs of production of goods or services. Honestly, if our factories, SMIs, and professional firms could not survive because of an official minimum wage policy, then those entities are considered marginal cases which are better shut down than continue with the exploitation of fellow humans.

I always believe all humans deserve some basic needs if they are prepared to work for a living. If someone is prepared to spend at least 8 hours a day in your establishment, then he or she deserves a living wage.

For those companies who complained that they will have to shut down their operations if ever a minimum wage policy is enforced, then they should because they are just not efficient enough. What they should be doing is to look at the directors' remunerations and perks and see if there is any way they could reduce those to make up for any increase in employees' salaries and wages.

As for the government, just look at the wastage and leakages in their awarding of mega projects. Those were huge amounts which could have been saved to look after the well-being of fellow human beings. Each of us has only one life, why must we allow certain privileged people to bask in luxuries while others struggle to make ends meet?

We have to make a start somewhere with minimum wage so that we can get used to it soon enough. Foreign labour wages have gone up before, so did prices of goods and services (don't believe official price indices), and we survive didn't we? We can rearrange our priorities and spend within our financial means so that other less fortunate can live decently. Is that too much to ask?


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