Pritam Singh: Workers’ Party supports increase in MP allowances, but asks for clarity on Mayors’ functions

SINGAPORE: In his speech in Parliament on Sept 10 (Thursday) during the debate on the political salary review, Workers’ Party head Pritam Singh said that the WP supports the increase in salaries for Members of Parliament, the first since 2011, in light of inflation.

He added that he agrees with Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s decision not to increase the salary of Ministers above 9%.

“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,” said Mr Singh.

The WP chief also agreed with a point that the Prime Minister reiterated time and again: that political salaries should be competitive enough to attract individuals who are able to best serve Singapore.

However, he expressed doubt that it is the salary that deters high-earning private sector individuals from joining politics, saying that the reason may be “the reality of political service today.”

“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. 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,” he added.

However, Mr Singh, who has been representing Aljunied GRC in Parliament since 2011, said that the WP differs in its view on the formula used to benchmark political salaries, and mentioned a number of clarifications in his speech, including those involving the roles of Mayors in Singapore. 

In 2025, the WP called for abolishing the Office of the Mayor in its manifesto.

Mr Singh said in his Sept 10 speech that the job scope of mayors in Singapore remains unclear to many Singaporeans.

He cited the 2026 Review Committee as having recognised that considerations for community-related roles such as MPs and mayors may differ from those for full-time Political Appointment Holders.

“The Committee has recommended that the Government study establishing a basis for sizing the payments for these roles that is delinked from the MR4 benchmark, while remaining adequate for these roles to be carried out faithfully and effectively,” he added.

Noting that the government has accepted this recommendation, the WP Chief asked if it will include in its study whether it intends to keep the Office of the Mayor and to explain its scope, role and function.

With Coordinating Minister for Public Services Chan Chun Sing having said that office holders receive one wage, in addition to their MP allowances, Mr Singh pointed out that three of the five mayors are also office holders, and therefore, the other two would receive the full mayor’s salary.

“Paradoxically, this treatment in the case of mayors who are also political office holders only amplifies the public interest on the real job scope of mayors,” he said. /TISG

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