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September 10, 2026

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WP chief Pritam Singh supports MP allowance increase, questions mayors’ wages and roles

Mr Singh also called for the allowances of legislative assistants and secretarial assistants to be reviewed.

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SINGAPORE: The Workers’ Party (WP) supports the increase in Member of Parliament (MP) allowances due to inflation, and agrees with Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s decision to cap the rise in ministerial salaries to 9 per cent, said party chief Pritam Singh on Thursday (Sep 10).

Speaking during a debate in parliament on the government’s response to a review committee’s recommendations on the matter, Mr Singh (WP-Aljunied) reiterated the party’s differing view on the formula used to benchmark political salaries.

“Even though the committee has recommended to continue pegging ministerial salaries to the median salary of the top 1,000 earners in Singapore with a discount, the Workers’ Party takes the view a multiple of an MP’s salary pegged at that of a senior public servant combined with a more modest variable component would better serve Singapore and Singaporeans, and continue to attract good people to politics in this country we all call home,” he said.

In his speech, the WP secretary-general also called for clarity on the scope, role and function of mayors, and for a review of the allowances provided to legislative assistants and secretarial assistants who help MPs in their duties.

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The WP’s view on how political salaries are derived has remained unchanged since 2012, said Mr Singh.

“Like in 2012, the point of divergence is on the formula that the committee has adopted in its report. The Workers’ Party favours the one it laid out in parliament in 2012 which in our view went further to address the overly emotive element surrounding discussions on political salaries by pegging it to a more accessible reference point for the public,” he said.

The party’s proposal would have led to “more modest” increases to a minister’s total salary over time, he said.

Mr Singh noted that while Mr Wong has cited challenges in attracting high-quality private sector individuals to join the political leadership as ministers, the majority continue to be sourced from the public sector or civil service.

“For some, it can be said that joining the government as ministers from the public sector potentially opens the door to a wage increase from the salary they previously earned in the civil service – a reality that is often overlooked when the focus is on ensuring that individuals drawn from the private sector can receive a competitive salary as ministers,” he said.

He questioned if it is the reality of political service today, instead of salary, that dissuades many of those individuals from joining politics.

“For some, it would not be out of order to suggest that no amount of money will persuade them to trade their suits and ties for grassroots activities and to immerse themselves in municipal concerns and in the rough and tumble of politics, since all ministers must first be elected as Members of Parliament,” said Mr Singh.

“By the same token, I believe this House would agree with me when I say that Singaporeans would not be well served by any individual who winces at undertaking political groundwork, even if he or she is a corporate titan or private-sector high-flyer.”

Mr Singh also called for disclosure of how actual total remuneration received by MR4 ministers – the lowest grade – has compared with the annual salary norm.

Revealing the figures for the annual variable component, performance bonus and national bonus received, would provide a more accurate picture of what ministers have actually received in practice, said Mr Singh.

The WP chief also noted the review committee’s calls for a wider range of salaries at each ministerial grade, to accommodate a greater diversity of talent. He cautioned that greater salary flexibility would also invite more public scrutiny of individual ministers’ pay, given salaries ought to be transparent.

THE ROLE OF MAYORS

Mr Singh said it remains unclear to many Singaporeans what the job scope of mayors is, and why their pay needs to be linked to the political salary framework.

Noting that he had previously raised the topic in parliament, Mr Singh said many functions previously performed by the Community Development Councils, which mayors head, have gradually been devolved to other organisations, including Social Service Offices and other government agencies.

“The 2026 Review Committee has itself now recognised that the considerations for community-related roles such as MPs and mayors may differ from those for full-time political appointment holders,” he said.

He noted that the government has accepted the committee’s recommendation to study how to delink payments for these roles from the MR4 ministerial benchmark, while ensuring they remain adequate for the roles to be carried out faithfully and effectively.

“Beyond confirming when the study is likely to be completed, I ask the government to include in its study if it intends to keep the Office of the Mayor and to explain its scope, role and function,” he said.

Mr Singh also called for a review of allowances for legislative assistants and secretarial assistants to MPs, something not included in the recent exercise.

The government said in March this year that the matter fell outside the review committee’s terms of reference, and that these allowances were last updated in 2007, said Mr Singh.

“It is appropriate to ask why, after 19 years, the remuneration and manpower support for these assistants remains static. Their allowances should also increase to accommodate the inflation over close to two decades,” said Mr Singh.

He added that legislative assistants and secretarial assistants help MPs discharge their responsibilities to their constituents or to parliament, and “they do so regardless of party affiliation”.

“It would be a travesty to overlook these individuals when considering the resources necessary for Members of Parliament to discharge their responsibilities effectively.”

POLITICAL RECRUITMENT

Mr Singh said that while Mr Wong highlighted how proper MP allowances enabled both the PAP and WP to recruit and field strong candidates and boost the quality of debate in parliament, “the raison d’être of both the WP and PAP is very different”.

“Simply put, a sufficient MP allowance is not a reason Singaporeans choose to stand on the Workers’ Party ticket, and remuneration is not the device or platform through which the Workers’ Party attracts candidates or can attract candidates,” he said.

“The point I wish to make is not that MP remuneration is unimportant. It is that remuneration is not what drives an individual to become a Workers’ Party candidate.”

He said that WP candidates believe in a more balanced political system and are prepared to stand behind their convictions against significant odds, while working for Singaporeans on the ground.

“The reality is that winning an election for the opposition in a one-party dominant state, where the PAP remains electorally dominant, represents a gargantuan challenge for many, both personally and professionally,” said Mr Singh.

“For a WP candidate, there can be no assumption of electoral success, particularly given the structural advantages enjoyed by the incumbent governing party.”

Mr Singh said no WP candidate can reasonably take for granted that he or she will win the General Election and become an MP, let alone decide to stand for election on the basis of achieving remuneration prospects.

“We believe our political system and our country is strengthened, and not weakened, by a strong and sensible opposition presence in parliament, where at least one-third of the seats should be in opposition hands,” he said, emphasising the check-and-balance role of the opposition as an important ballast in Singapore’s political system.

“In our view, it also plays an important role in uniting our people – something that will become increasingly important for Singapore in the years to come.”

Source: CNA/fb(cy)

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