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Prime Minister Lawrence Wong told parliament that the government has accepted recommendations from an independent review committee appointed in December 2025 to update political salaries for the first time since 2011. The benchmark for an entry-level MR4 minister will increase to S$1.8 million from S$1.1 million, though serving officeholders will receive only a one-time adjustment of up to 9 percent effective October 15. Channel News Asia reported that this means an MR4 minister currently on the reference salary will move to about S$1.2 million with the full adjustment, after which future changes will tie to performance and responsibilities rather than automatically closing the gap to the new benchmark.
Wong, whose pay is pegged at twice the MR4 reference, will see his total annual salary norm rise from S$2.2 million to S$3.6 million including bonuses, according to The Straits Times. The prime minister stated he will donate the entire S$1.4 million increase each year to suitable good causes for the next five years, assuming he remains in office, to underscore that the revisions serve Singapore’s long-term interests. He added that he does not expect other political officeholders to follow his example of donating their increments.
Bloomberg noted that Singapore ministers already rank among the world’s best paid, and the adjustment arrives after salaries remained frozen for 15 years while private-sector pay continued to climb. Coordinating Minister for Public Services Chan Chun Sing told parliament the 3.6 percent annualised growth rate since 2011 falls below median wage growth for Singaporeans, a point The Business Times highlighted in its coverage. Wong emphasised in his ministerial statement that attracting high-calibre leadership remains essential for effective governance.
The independent committee had recommended a sharper move toward the new benchmark, but the government opted against implementing it in one step to avoid undue strain, according to multiple accounts from CNA and The Straits Times. Instead, salary ranges for the three consolidated ministerial grades will widen by at least 25 percent, allowing differentiation based on experience and performance. Most MR4 ministers can expect to reach around S$1.35 million by the end of the current term if they perform adequately, Wong said.
MP allowances will also increase, rising from S$13,750 to S$18,500 monthly, a change reported across outlets including The Business Times. This forms part of a broader recalibration that affects the president, speaker and other officeholders while preserving the principle that political pay carries a 40 percent discount against the median of the top 1,000 Singapore earners. The review, originally due in 2023 but deferred amid global uncertainty, concluded that competitive remuneration helps draw talent from the private sector into public service.
Internationally, the adjustments reinforce Singapore’s position at the top of global leader pay scales. RNZ cited data showing the Hong Kong chief executive as the second-highest earner at US$719,000 annually, followed by the Swiss president on US$606,000. Wong acknowledged the emotive nature of the topic but argued the framework ultimately concerns whether Singapore can sustain the quality of leadership required for its future challenges.
Further refinements include merging the previous four ministerial grades into three and expanding pay bands to better reflect varying responsibilities, as detailed in statements carried by Mothership.sg and South China Morning Post. Wong stressed that the MR4 benchmark serves as a reference rather than a fixed target, with individual salaries continuing to depend on assessed performance and national bonuses. The government will maintain the existing system of variable pay that can constitute more than one-third of total compensation.
