Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will donate his full salary increase to good causes for the next five years to demonstrate his commitment to the idea that revised political salaries are in Singapore’s interests.
“The Government will continue to pay me the salary provided for under the framework, which is how our system works. I will then donate the increase to suitable good causes,” said PM Wong in Parliament on Sept 8. This is assuming he remains PM.
He said this while announcing that the Government has accepted the proposals by a review committee to increase the salaries of Singapore’s political appointment holders, including all ministers and the prime minister.
Specifically, the prime minister’s annual salary will go up from $2.2 million to $3.6 million, including bonuses. This means he will be donating $1.4 million each year.
The prime minister’s salary will continue to be set at twice the benchmark of an entry level minister, which will be revised to $1.8 million, up from $1.1 million currently.
As there is no one to assess the prime minister’s performance annually, he does not receive a performance bonus and gets only the national bonus.
PM Wong added that he does not expect other political office-holders to donate their salary increase.
“As a general rule, I do not believe in making a public show of charitable giving. But although the salary framework is a Cabinet decision, as Prime Minister, I carry ultimate responsibility for it,” he said.
“So I want to be clear about how I will personally handle the increase and why I am taking these changes forward because I believe they are in Singapore’s interest.”
PM Wong said he will review his position at the end of the five years, when he will consider the circumstances at the time.
This is because although he fully expects to continue supporting good causes, he does not want to make an open-ended public commitment, or to create an expectation that future Prime Ministers may feel obliged to follow.
PM Wong’s move follows his predecessor Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s decision in 2007 to donate five years of his salary increments to charity.
Under changes to the salaries of civil servants and ministers announced in 2007, Lee’s annual salary as PM went up from $2.5 million to $3.1 million. This was later adjusted to $2.2 million in 2012.
Lee said in 2007 that he decided to donate his salary increase to make it clear that the Government is making these changes for the future good of Singapore, and to give him the “moral standing” to defend the policy with Singaporeans.
From 2007 to 2012, Lee donated his pay increase to various beneficiaries, including community hospitals, nursing homes, voluntary welfare organisations and sports and cultural bodies.
The money also helped establish an education endowment fund for students who have persevered and done well, both academically and otherwise.
Another $350,000 donation by Lee went to three new awards to promote community bonding, encourage Singaporeans to pursue careers in social service, and recognise young arts talent.
Lee spent a decade as Prime Minister, between 2004 and 2024.
More recently, WP chief Pritam Singh said in 2020 that he would donate half the pay increase as Leader of the Opposition to his party, residents and charities.
Singh was designated the Leader of the Opposition (LO) in 2020 after the general election that year. He was removed from the post by PM Wong in January 2026 after a Parliament motion had found him unsuitable to stay on as LO following his conviction for lying to a parliamentary committee.
The Straits Times
