Ministerial duties should not be compared with priorities, responsibilities in private sector: MPs

Members of Parliament (MPs) debated the justification for comparing the salaries of political leaders to those in the private sector during a review of political pay. Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced on Tuesday that political appointment holders' salaries would increase after the government accepted recommendations from an independent committee.

Singapore's political salaries are currently benchmarked against the median income of the top 1,000 Singapore citizen earners, with a 40% discount to reflect the public service ethos. However, Tan See Leng, Minister for Trade and Industry (Energy and Industry), argued that political salaries still fall short of private sector pay, and potential leaders have more to lose than just financial considerations.

Workers' Party chief Pritam Singh noted that most ministers are former public servants, not private sector professionals, and suggested basing ministerial salaries on public sector appointees' pay. Nominated MP Azhar Othman, an executive chairman of Enercon Asia Group, questioned why political compensation is tied to the private sector's top echelons, which exist to maximize shareholder value.

He proposed comparing salaries to other governments with similar standards of living and governance. MP Kenneth Goh, a nominated member of a company specializing in financial services, argued that the comparator group should consist of roles reflecting the complexity and weight of responsibilities expected of political officeholders.

Some MPs, such as Punggol GRC's Yeo Wan Ling, supported the government's acceptance of the independent review recommending salary adjustments, emphasizing the need for a credible benchmark. Dr Tan See Leng, the Minister for Trade and Industry (Energy and Industry), highlighted the long gap since the last review of ministerial salaries in 2017 and suggested reviewing them more regularly.