What you need to know about political salaries in Singapore

DPM Teo Chee Hean said the proposed framework strikes a balance between the ethos of public service with an appropriate salary.

In a speech at the Parliamentary Debate on Political Salaries on 16 January 2012 he said:

Mr Speaker, Sir, the Prime Minister had already announced that the government intends to accept the recommendations, with the new salaries taking effect from 21 May 2011, the date when the new government took office. While the President’s salary is protected under the Constitution, Mr S R Nathan has voluntarily agreed to move to the new framework with effect from 21 May 2011.

As announced earlier by Mr Speaker, the President, Speaker and Deputy Speakers as well as former President Mr S R Nathan, former Speaker Mr Abdullah Tarmugi and former 22 Deputy Speakers, Mr Matthias Yao and Ms Indranee Rajah have agreed to adopt the new salaries as recommended by the Committee.

Presently, Ministerial salaries and the salaries of senior civil servants in the Administrative Service, as well as judicial and statutory appointment holders, such as judges, the Auditor-General, and the Attorney General adopt similar benchmarks. Our basic philosophy for all civil service salaries has been to benchmark against market comparables, but not to lead the market.

Where there are no comparable jobs (e.g. very demanding jobs with high social value such as in the Singapore Armed Forces or the Home Team), we have looked at comparable pay drawn by people with similar qualifications and backgrounds.

With the proposed changes in the political salary framework, I have asked the Public Service Division to study how relevant principles may be applied to the civil service.

The Government agrees with the view of the Committee that “the element of significant discount or sacrifice expected of political appointment holders” should not be applied to civil servants, other statutory appointment holders and judicial appointment holders as they are professionals and hence should not be subject to the same degree of sacrifice as political appointment holders.

View the full speech here.

View the Summary of Recommendations here.

View the Previous/Revised Salaries here.