Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong to get a S$1.4 million pay bump, but it's all going to charity

SINGAPORE: Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced in Parliament on Tuesday (Sep 8) that ministerial salaries will be going up by as much as 9% starting next month. The adjustment in pay is the first to occur in 15 years and is the government’s response to an independent review committee on ministerial salaries that was convened last December.

Mr Wong himself will see an increase of S$1.4 million in his salary, for a total of S$3.6 million.

However, after making the announcement concerning the pay raises and underlining how they are important for Singapore’s future in that they help ensure that capable Singaporeans will be attracted to political service, the Prime Minister made another surprise announcement that he is giving away the full sum of his increase to charity over the next five years, assuming that he remains head of government. 

“The Government will continue to pay me the salary provided for under the framework, which is how our system works. I will then donate the increase to suitable good causes,” said Mr Wong.

He made it clear, however, that he does not expect his fellow political leaders to follow suit, adding, “As a general rule, I do not believe in making a public show of charitable giving. But although the salary framework is a Cabinet decision, as Prime Minister, I carry ultimate responsibility for it.”

The news of the increase in salaries for those in political service in Singapore has been widely reported on internationally, with a number of news organisations, including the BBC, underlining that Mr Wong is already among, if not the, highest paid in the world.

Many Singaporeans online appeared to accept the justification for the salary increases from the Prime Minister, as well as from Coordinating Minister for Public Services Chan Chun Sing, who also spoke on the matter in Parliament. Mr Chan said that Singapore needs to balance the ethos of political service with ensuring that the pool of Singaporeans who can fulfil such duties remains wide.

Mr Wong’s announcement that he will donate his pay raise was also largely greeted with approval, with one commenter writing, “I appreciate PM Wong for choosing to donate his pay increase to charity. It’s a thoughtful act, but I also believe he deserves his pay like anyone who serves the country with commitment. His willingness to give back says a lot about the kind of leader he is.”

A number of netizens, however, reminded Singaporeans that Workers’ Party secretary-general Pritam Singh did something similar when he was officially appointed as Leader of Opposition in 2020, though this is a position he no longer occupies.

Mr Singh said on Jul 29, 2020, that half of the increase he received due to his LO appointment was set aside for donation to charity, which was around S$96,000 of his S$385,000 yearly salary. /TISG

Read also: In Parliament: Ministerial salaries to rise by up to 9% to S$1.2 million by Oct 15