President’s obscene pay to be cut and will be backdated to 21 May 2011

Image via Wikipedia May 23rd, 2011 | Author: Temasek Review


The obscene salary of the Singapore President appears likely to be cut after it was increased recently to an eye-popping S$4 million dollars annually.

According to a press statement from the Prime Minister’s Office on 22 May, the Committee to Review Salaries of the President, Prime Minister and political appointment holders will review the basis and level of salaries for these office-holders to help ensure honest and competent government.

It will take into account the following guidelines for the President:

“While the salary of the President should reflect the President’s high status as the head of state and his critical custodial role as holder of the second key, it should also take into account the fact that unlike the Prime Minister he does not have direct executive responsibilities except as they relate to his custodial role; the salary of ministers should have a significant discount to comparable private sector salaries to signify the value and ethos of political service.”

President S R Nathan, who will not be seeking re-election when his term ends in August this year, has informed Prime Minister Lee that he will adopt the new salary from 21 May 2011.

The timely move is likely to soothe frayed nerves among disgruntled Singaporeans who are long unhappy with the astronomical salaries of the PAP ministers. It remains to be seen if the Committee will reduce their pay to a more ‘respectable’ level in line with those of other First World nations.