Singapore ministers face salary debate
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Singapore's ministers are set to debate ministerial salaries in Parliament today, a highly sensitive issue given the city-state's reputation for paying political leaders the highest wages in the world. Junior ministers earn S$1.1 million per year, while the prime minister takes home S$2.2 million. These salaries have remained static since 2012, when they were reduced by 36% amid public concern.
Despite the high compensation, the issue remains contentious, with the median monthly income for politicians standing at S$5,775 last year. Inflation has been persistently high, with the central bank predicting it will stay elevated until the second half of next year. According to data from PoliticalSalaries.com, the Hong Kong chief executive is the second-highest paid political leader globally, earning US$719,000 annually, followed by the Swiss president at US$606,000.
In contrast, the British prime minister earns US$230,000, and the US President Donald Trump earns US$400,000. Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and Coordinating Minister for Public Services Chan Chun Sing will present the government's response to a committee's recommendations on ministerial salaries today. The debate on the matter is expected to continue later in the week.
Written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
