Workers’ Party secretary-general Pritam Singh has been lauded by the former President of the Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE), Constance Singam, for involving his wife in a decision about his remuneration.
The veteran civil society activist said in a blog post, “Congratulations Pritam Singh. You are the man of the hour; the man who has responded to the longings of Singaporeans for a leader with a heart and you have read that desire well.”
The formally designated Leader of the Opposition (LO) has announced that he would be giving half of his additional allowance to charity. As the LO, Mr Singh will receive double the allowance of an elected MP and his annual package will be S$385,000, inclusive of his allowance as an MP.
Hours after his new privileges were disclosed, Mr Singh announced his gesture, saying his wife and he both felt that a portion of his LO salary should be used for a “greater purpose.”
Mrs. Singam is among those who have expressed admiration for Mr. Singh, in the wake of his announcement.
Calling Mr. Singh’s gesture “generous,” Mrs Singam noted how he involved his wife in his decision.
The longtime women’s rights advocate said: “That you have discussed your concerns with your wife is equally significant and noteworthy and to make that conversation public in this patriarchal society makes you truly the man of the season.”
While some appreciated Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s swift move after the General Election results to grant Mr Singh the LO title, Mrs Singam had an alternate view. She said in the same blog post that the title was earned by the WP’s “sheer hard and honest work”.
Read her blog post in full HERE.