Good government requires good leadership: PM Wong on ministerial pay

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SINGAPORE – Good government depends on good leadership because institutions are only as effective as the people who lead them, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.

This is why it is important to attract people of integrity and competence so that they can set the direction, decide the priorities, and make the strategic calls for Singapore, he said.

To do this, it is important to acknowledge that remuneration is a factor, the Prime Minister said.

While politics must remain a calling to serve, “if the personal and financial sacrifices become too large, many capable people will simply choose to do something else”, he added.

He was speaking in Parliament on Sept 8 on the Government’s response to a long-deferred review of salaries for political appointment holders and Members of Parliament.

The review, which has been postponed several times since 2023, was completed in 2026, with PM Wong saying that the Government will accept the recommendations. He said: “If we want our political system to remain effective, we cannot allow its basic terms of service to drift further and further away from reality. That applies to MPs’ allowances. It applies even more importantly to political office-holder salaries.”

In explaining the Government’s decision, he said building and renewing a strong political team takes sustained effort, and the review of salaries helps to ensure that Singapore’s system continues to give future prime ministers the best possible chance of assembling a good team.

This is important because the quality of leadership makes a decisive difference to organisations, he said.

Good ministers are needed to set the direction for their ministries, decide the priorities, and make the strategic calls, he said.

If these calls are wrong, even the best civil servants will struggle to deliver good outcomes, he added.

Addressing the notion that Singapore’s civil service can keep the system running even without good ministers, which opposition parties have brought up in the past, PM Wong said: “The idea that we can have less capable ministers sitting above a first-rate civil service, and everything will somehow continue to work, is a fantasy.”

A strong civil service is no substitute for effective political leaders, who have to make decisions that involve choices about priorities, interests and values, he said.

Over time, the quality of political leadership also affects the quality of the civil service itself, said PM Wong.

This has happened elsewhere, with countries once known for highly capable governments suffering a deterioration in their civil services when political leadership at the top weakened, he said.

Capable public officers want to work for leaders they respect and can learn from, who can understand the issues, ask the right questions, make sound judgments, and take responsibility for decisions, he said.

“If ministers consistently fall short, good officers will become frustrated. Many will leave. Some may stay on, but they will be less willing to contribute their best ideas or take on the toughest assignments,” he warned.

Why remuneration is important

In this regard, remuneration becomes relevant, said PM Wong.

It does not determine who is capable, but it affects whether enough capable people are prepared to step forward to take on the job, he said.

Emphasising that character is a very important “veto factor” in determining if someone can be a minister, he said: “If someone does not have the integrity, values and commitment to serve, then however capable he or she may be, that person should not be a minister.”

But character alone is not enough, and ministers also need the competence to have the judgment, ability and leadership to do the job well.

The PM noted that the job of a minister is demanding, even if some may think it is straightforward.

It is not simply about doing what is popular today, but also to make judgments about what will leave Singapore in a stronger position tomorrow, he added.

While it is often politically convenient to postpone difficult reforms, promise more benefits without being clear about who will pay for them, and avoid decisions that upset particular groups, the consequences of doing so will eventually catch up with citizens bearing the cost.

This is happening in many countries where government leaders know what needs to be done, but defer the decisions, he said. 

As a tiny country, Singapore has less room than most countries to govern this way and cannot afford to let major problems fester for years before acting, he said.

He added that he was not suggesting that ministers always got every decision right. 

“Ministers do make mistakes. Some will be stronger in certain areas than others. And when we fall short, we have to learn, improve and be accountable,” he said.

“But taken as a whole, I believe we have a strong team – as Singapore has had over successive generations. Our ministers are able to master their briefs, exercise judgment, hold their own, and earn the confidence and trust of Singaporeans. And where necessary, represent Singapore well on the international stage.”

A system that works

Noting that it is not easy to find people who are up to the job, and to have enough of them who are willing to step forward, PM Wong said the challenge is not unique to Singapore.

Recounting an anecdote he heard from Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong, he said a visiting foreign prime minister had been impressed with the quality of Singapore’s leaders and had told Lee about the challenge of recruiting people of the right calibre for his Cabinet.

The foreign prime minister himself had come from the private sector and knew of the quality of people available outside politics, and how difficult it was to persuade the right people to step forward, said PM Wong.

Different countries have tried to manage the challenge in different ways, he noted.

Some have kept political salaries low as it is a highly sensitive issue, but allow substantial benefits and privileges to accumulate around office, while others have allowed politicians to supplement their incomes through outside interests. 

“So, the headline salary may look modest. But the overall picture is much more complicated,” he said.

Even then, many countries still struggle to attract the people they need, and this is with much larger populations and talent pools to draw from, he added.

Singapore, which consistently ranks among the leading countries in the world for government effectiveness, integrity and the quality of its public institutions, has been an exception, said PM Wong.

He said: “I meet many people around the world who study governments and public policy. Again and again, they point to Singapore as a model of effective government, and an inspiration for others.” 

While these standards have been sustained for so long that they feel normal to Singaporeans, they are not guaranteed, he said.

In fact, this record of good government is possible because of the deliberate choices made over many decades, such as by dealing with political remuneration openly, he said.

This includes paying political office-holders competitive salaries, but with a substantial discount to reflect political service, and making sure the remuneration is transparent with no hidden components or perks outside the published framework.

In return, Singaporeans rightly expect high standards of integrity, conduct, competence, as well as responsibility and accountability at the ballot box from their political leaders, he said.

He added that the same broad consideration applies to MPs, who get a substantial allowance because they carry substantial responsibilities in Parliament and in their constituencies.

Providing a proper allowance has enabled both the PAP and Workers’ Party to recruit and field strong candidates, he added, noting that MPs in the House have a wide range of backgrounds and experience and bring different perspectives to our debates.

“We have to keep bringing in capable Singaporeans from different backgrounds, election after election,” he said.

“Enough of them must be prepared to step forward, contest elections, and take responsibility for the future of our country.”