Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Now everyone wants to be PM in Singapore

Yesterday, I blogged about the government's announcement that it will increase the salary of the Prime Minister, President, other ministers and top civil servants. Now everyone including a White House official wants to be PM in Singapore. From Yahoo News:
"I'm going to emigrate and run for office in Singapore," the official said on condition he be identified only as "a senior administration official who sits in disbelief after reading that story."
The government has faced criticism from the public, the opposition and even from some members of the ruling People's Action Party for the salary hike. From Bloomberg:
Sylvia Lim, an opposition member of Parliament from the Workers' Party, cited the monthly average of S$2,100 for Singaporeans. Even among university graduates, the salaries average S$4,400 a month, she said.

``I would very much like to hear how each individual minister feels about taking S$2 million of taypayers' money home each year while fellow citizens struggle with rising costs and taxes,'' Lim said in Parliament.
I'm not sure if the government is feeling the heat, but today in a surprising move, PM Lee announced that he will be a good boy and freeze his pay for the next five years and donate his pay hikes. From Channel NewsAsia:
The Prime Minister said that to make clear why he is doing this, and to give him the moral standing to defend this policy to Singaporeans, he will hold his own salary at its present level for five years.

The Government will pay him his full pay, because that is how the system must work.

But for five years, he will donate the increase in his salary from this and subsequent revisions.

Mr Lee said he does not expect other Ministers to follow.

While it is a Cabinet decision, he told Parliament, he is carrying the ultimate responsibility, not them.

So what the individual Ministers and MPs do is up to them.

Mr Lee said that he knows they already support various worthy causes.

It should not be a public ostentatious display of how generous they are, but a private matter for them to decide at their own discretion, he said.

Previously: Singapore ministers get million dollar pay hike

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

These people have no shame! Pui! Luckily I left Singapore lng ago and now must give up my citizenship soon - I am s ashamed at these liars!!!

Anonymous said...

Not really, I rather be the president ... I get paid more, with no responsibility except to shake hands and travel on taxpayers' money. PM has to take sh.. from everyone.
However, I won't have a chance because I am not ex-ministers, GLC's CEO and etc. In Singapore, everyone is equal but some are just more equal than others.

Anonymous said...

I agree. President is the best job in Singapore.

Anonymous said...

it's just weird for pm to announce the salary hike and then few days later announced that he will be freezing his pay.

Anonymous said...

All the other ministers must be going, "Damn it. Why must he do it?"

Anonymous said...

its a shame really that these people can choose to be paid so much money when they ought to be mindful that they are using tax payers money.

Anonymous said...

There will be a lot of candidates for the Presidency next time for sure.

Anonymous said...

If they do this during elections no one will vote for them liao.

Anonymous said...

If PM freezes his pay and donates his salary hikes, then everyone in the public sector including all the ministers, President, etc should do the same too to follow his "moral" example.

Then again, they can scrap the entire pay hike for the ministers. They have earned enough already. It's not as if we are playing them peanuts.

Anonymous said...

that amount of money is better suited for all singaporeans. give us more singapore shares!

Anonymous said...

That is the price you have to pay to live in Singapore.

Anonymous said...

......... who will be the team to stand out and speak to govt? Sporean bring out your Rights!!!

Joke 1:
People can't get any fish when they're fishin in Spore, cos the fish same as Sporean, their mouths are all closed!! :D a movie from Jack Neo

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