Govt finally heeds SDP's calls for salary
reduction 
TUESDAY, 24 MAY 2011
Singapore Democrats
The New Democrat calling for ministerial salary cut
The Singapore Democratic Party is gratified that the Government
has finally heeded our call to reduce the Ministers' salaries. We
have stated over the years that these salaries are beyond excessive
- they are an abomination to those who aspire to public
service.
More than anyone else the SDP has consistently called for a
reduction in ministerial wages. We have done this in every issue of
our newspaper, The New Democrat, in our videos, in our
manifesto It's About
You, in our Shadow Budget
2011, and countless times on this website.
We have stated repeatedly that our country's leaders must have a
strong sense of sacrifice and public service. Monetary reward as
a motivation to serve the country corrupts the national
spirit.
Ministers are elected by the people to be the custodians of power
and that power should not be used to raise their own salaries,
especially to unacceptable levels.
While we welcome the Prime Minister's announcement to review
cabinet salaries, we are disappointed by the fact that the
Government has appointed a committee to do this.
When cabinet ministers decided to raise their wages, they did not
appoint a committee to look into the matter. They did it
unilaterally.
Why can't the Prime Minister do the same now? PM Lee Hsien Loong
should take the clean and clear step of announcing that he would
reduce his own salary as well as those of his
ministers.
Such a step would signal that he is committed to reforming not just
the salary scale of the ministers but also the attitude of the
cabinet towards governance and politics in
Singapore.
The SDP calls on PM Lee to stop dithering over the matter and do
away with the appointment of a salary review committee. Intead he
should lead by example and decisively and boldly announce a
significant reduction of his own
salary to $60,000 a month. His ministers
should be paid accordingly.
Sixty thousand dollars a month can more than adequately take care
of the needs of a family, even that of the head of a government.
This world can take take of needs, not the greed, of
all.
http://yoursdp.org/index.php/news/singapore/4843-govt-finally-heeds-sdps-calls-for-salary-reduction