Latest news is that Singapore ministers’ salaries will go up to around $2.2mil or even more. It’s strange that details of this comes only some time after the budget was released. Policy makers sure know something about having a good sense of timing. Releasing the good news (on economic growth, workfare packages, etc) beforehand to cushion the negative impacts of humongous pay rises for senior civil servants. But really, come to think of it that’s just textbook stuff about communication skills we learn in school.

How many people can earn this amount in their entire working life?

Sad, very sad. 5% GST rises to 7%, increase in traffic fines, increases here and there… extra revenue to pay ministers more. So what if the country is doing well (is it really doing so well anyway?). That’s isn’t a good justification for nearly 100% higher salaries.

How much is the bill going to go up by? I don’t know exactly how many of them there is, but say for 10 of them it’ll cost $10 million more. $10 million. How many mouths can this feed? How many poor people can be saved with this money? And that’s not including other senior civil servants’ pay increments.

Sometimes, I wonder what is the motivation for becoming ministers. Is it for the good salary, or for our country? Is it always about money?

Why are the rest of us (guys) serving NS for peanuts in allowances, while ministers are getting millions for serving the country too? I am sure there are dozens of high caliber people out there who love Singapore and are willing to run the country for much less than $2 million.

If anyone is not satisfied with the money, they can simply walk away and join the private sector. Singapore has lots of talents, there won’t be much loss from those who leave because they prefer the financial rewards offered by the private sector. In my opinion, being a minister is a form of serving the country. It should be more about patriotism rather than hard, cold cash.

In contrast, the President of the United States of America, arguably one of the most powerful men in the world today, earned a measly US$400,000 in 2001. Adjusted for inflation, it is just slightly over US$441,000 in today’s money.

Are our ministers really worth that much more than the President of the United States? Of course, I am not saying that he’s done a good job, but based on the importance of his role in the world. I’m really baffled.

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