As you all know, you have been asked to pay $2 each for the cost of the cake, present and birthday card that the seniors and Exco paid in advanced for you. Although the total cost is around $70, which means each of you has to pay only $1.50, I joked that you should be paying $2 so the rest of the money can go into the Exco's pockets. Apparently, someone took this seriously and posted that last post. And for that, I apologise, please bring $1.50 on Monday. But what really got me thinking was that the Singapore's ministers are the highest paid in the world and yet they find it acceptable and reasonable.

In case you don't already know, Singapore PM Lee Hsien Loong earns $3.8 million a year, 6 times the salary of US President Barack Obama. MM Lee Kuan Yew gave a few reasons for the high salaries-
- to prevent corruption
- talent is rare in Singapore
- because the ministers can earn a much higher salary should their jobs be something else.

Just for fun, I reasoned with my mother during Dinner on why we, the choir's Exco, should be paid, using the similar argumentative points below.
- to prevent corruption and motivate us into better serving the choir
- because talent is rare in the choir and we are the few talented ones
- because if we're not serving the choir, we can have a much more carefree life and more time to do what we want, rather than dedicating that time to Exco meetings, etc...

And for the first time, she seemed to be very wise and intellectual on this type of topic. She pointed out that by paying ourselves money instead of serving the choir voluntarily, we are already corrupted. If we are paid, our main focus is just for the money and not for serving the choir. We should lead the choir for the sake of serving the choir, and not for the money. Basically, serving the choir is an Honour, not a Privilege. That is why its called Serving, not being served. That is why Jesus washed his Disciples feet(John 3:13-20) out of love, and thus referred to as the Servant King. That is why the most important commandment is to Love thy neighbour as thyself. And the same should be applied to governments in the world, as their duty is to serve, not just for the money, but for the people.

The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the slaves
and recovery of sight for the blind, and
to release the oppressed.

Luke 4:18