By Fang Zhi Yuan
I am most flabbergasted by Mdm Syu Ying Kwok’s feeble attempts
to justify the exorbitant pay of our PAP ministers in her article
to the Straits Times Forum today titled ”Top
dollar for star talent“ and the atrocious
journalistic standards of the Straits Times to publish
her article without first verifying the basic facts.
Using the example of U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry
Paulson who took a pay cut of an annual salary of US$35
million in the private sector to a miserable US$183,000 to join the
Federal government (read report here), Ms Syu lamented the lack
of top earners in Singapore sacrificing millions in pay to join
government service.
Next, she added a most astonishing spin to her story by praising
Education Minister Ng Eng Hen and Law Minister Shanmugan for taking
a “$2 million to
$5 million pay cut to serve us.”
According to the latest data released by the Prime Minister’s
Office in this
press release, a cabinet
minister is expected to earn on average, an annual salary of
S$1.94 million
dollars. If we include bonuses and perks, which can
range from 3 to 9 months, a minister can take back more than
S$3 million
dollars a year.
Based on Mdm Syu’s calculations, Mr Ng and Mr Shan should be
earning between S$5 to S$8 million
dollars a year in the private sector before joining
the government.
Read rest of article
here
Read sgpolitics.net's article here
