Does having more portfolios mean getting paid more?

Does a minister also get the Member of Parliament (MP) allowance too?

If you have such questions in mind, here's the answer.

The current practice is to pay all political appointment holders one salary package, even if they hold two or more appointments or portfolio.

The government has also accepted the 2026 Salary Review Committee's recommendation to retain this practice.

"The principle is simple – one person, one salary. Holding more portfolios does not mean receiving more pay," Coordinating Minister for Public Services Chan Chun Sing said in his ministerial statement in parliament on Sep. 8.

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and Chan both gave ministerial statements on the adjustment to political appointment holders' salaries.

This is the first adjustment in 15 years.

The political appointment holders' salaries have to be adjusted so that monetary remuneration will not be a deterrence for talent, from both private and public sectors, to enter political service.

Read PM Lawrence Wong's full ministerial statement here:

Six women, aged 22 to 36, will be charged in court on Sep. 9, 2026 under the Public Order Act.

They were allegedly involved in various incidents at prohibited areas or participated in public assemblies and processions without a permit, and other related offences.

Procession at Istana on Feb. 2, 2024

A 33-year-old woman and a 36-year-old woman will each be charged with one count of participating in a procession without a permit in a prohibited area.

On Feb. 2, 2024, both women participated in a procession without a permit, along the perimeter of the Istana.

The group had assembled along Orchard Road and walked towards the Istana, carrying umbrellas imprinted with watermelon images, a symbol of Palestinian resistance and solidarity, to showcase their support for the Palestinian cause.

The Istana is a security-sensitive area and is designated as a prohibited area.

The police noted that three women, the organisers of the procession, were earlier convicted and fined S$3,000 each in April 2026.

Both the women are also involved in a separate mass kite-flying event at Marina Barrage, the police noted.

The two women will each be charged with one additional count of organising a public assembly without a permit for the separate incident.

Additionally, the 33-year-old woman was issued a stern warning on Sep. 2, 2026 for her involvement in a banner that was hung in support of a cause at Gardens by the Bay on Apr. 15, 2024.

Event outside State Courts on Feb. 2, 2024

A 24-year-old woman will be charged with one count of knowingly committing an act prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony between different racial groups, in relation to a chant she had made during an event that was livestreamed publicly on Feb. 2, 2024.

She was leading the chanting of the phrase, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”, which supports the elimination of the Jewish State of Israel.

She will also be charged with two additional counts under the Public Order Act arising from further incidents in Novena and the National University of Singapore (NUS).

This is on top of four counts under the same Act and two counts of refusing to answer a public servant authorised to question, arising from her participation in candlelight vigils on Nov. 22 and 29, 2024, and Jan. 23, 2025, to mark the executions of three convicted drug traffickers on death row, as well as a protest outside the State Courts on Feb. 3, 2025.

The State Courts is a prohibited area.

The 24-year-old woman had previously been issued a 12-month conditional warning on Nov. 30, 2021 for participating in a public assembly without a permit and contravening a "Move-on" direction by the police.

This was in relation to a protest held outside the Ministry of Education Headquarters on Jan. 26, 2021.

Public procession from Novena MRT to the Ministry of Home Affairs on Jun. 7, 2024

The 24-year-old woman charged for her role in leading a chant and a 22-year-old woman will each be charged with one count of participating in a public procession without a permit, for moving from the Novena MRT vicinity to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) located at New Phoenix Park for a letter delivery on Jun. 7, 2024.

The group also issued a statement stating that they had walked towards MHA, with many of them wearing shirts that said, “There Are No Universities Left in Gaza”.

Public assembly without a permit on Oct. 27, 2024 at Marina Barrage

The 33-year-old woman and a 36-year-old woman charged with participating in a procession without a permit at the Istana, together with a 32-year-old woman and a second 33-year-old woman, will each be charged with one count of organising a public assembly without a permit.

The four women had each played a role in organising a mass kite-flying event held at Marina Barrage on Oct. 27, 2024, to publicise a cause in relation to the Gaza conflict.

The 32-year-old woman will additionally be charged with one count of using abusive behaviour to a public servant.

Additionally, the second 33-year-old women has been issued a stern warning on Sep. 3, 2026 for her involvement in an incident where a banner was hung at Gardens by the Bay on Apr. 15, 2024.

Public assembly without a permit on Jan. 13, 2025 for staged memorial at NUS

The 24-year-old woman will be additionally charged with one count of organising a public assembly without a permit.

The woman was believed to have organised a public assembly without a permit in front of a building within NUS on Jan. 13, 2025.

The group gathered multiple individuals to place shoes and a white burial shroud at the location to demonstrate opposition to the ties between educational institutions in Singapore and Israel.

Mothership understands that two of the six women are sisters.

They had previously confronted Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam, at his Meet-the-People Session on Mar. 12, 2025.

Police advisory

The police said in the news release that public assemblies in Singapore are regulated under the Public Order Act.

Organising or participating in a public assembly without a police permit constitutes an offence, they said.

"The police will not grant any permit for assemblies that advocate political causes of other countries or foreign entities, or may have the potential to stir emotions and lead to public order incidents," they said.

"The peace and harmony between different races and religions in Singapore should not be taken for granted, and we must not let events happening externally affect the communal harmony."

Penalties

For organising a public procession without a permit in a prohibited area, those found guilty can be fined up to S$10,000, jailed up to six months, or both.

For participating in a procession without a permit in a prohibited area and organising or participating in a public assembly without a permit, those found guilty can be fined up to S$5,000.

For knowingly committing an act prejudicial to the maintenance of racial harmony, those found guilty can be jailed up to three years, fined, or both.

For using abusive behaviour towards a public servant, those found guilty can be fined up to S$5,000.

In a written reply to Workers' Party MP Gerald Giam, Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam said that the government is open to considering measures including chemical castrations, if it is clear that such measures are effective in bringing down crime rates.

However, Shanmugam noted that thus far, the evidence is not conclusive on the effectiveness.

He was responding to Giam's question on whether statutory penalties for major sexual offences against children and young persons, such as rape, penetrative sexual assault, and outrage of modesty, will be reviewed in view of recent increases in reported cases.

Giam had also asked whether pharmacological anti-androgen treatments (also known as chemical castration) and a sex offender register as additional measures to increase deterrence and reduce recidivism have been considered.

Shanmugam said that the government takes a serious view of sexual crimes and imposes stiff penalties, in particular when the victims are minors.

He outlined the current punishments in place.

Rape, or penetrative sexual assault, involving a minor under the age of 14 without consent, is punishable with a mandatory imprisonment term of not less than eight years and up to 20 years, with a minimum of 12 strokes of the cane.

Outrage of modesty against a minor under the age of 14 is punishable with up to five years’ imprisonment, fine, and caning.

If the minor was hurt or restrained during the commission of the offence, there will be a mandatory minimum imprisonment term of three years, which may extend up to 10 years, and mandatory caning.

He noted that these are heavy penalties, which send a strong signal to deter such offences.

Shanmugam added that several legislative amendments have been introduced over the years, including increasing the maximum imprisonment term for outrage of modesty in 2021, and more recently, commencing the Sentence for Enhanced Public Protection on Jul. 31.

The SEPP deals with offenders who have committed serious violent or sexual offences, including rape and sexual penetration of minors, and who pose a substantial risk of reoffending.

Under the SEPP regime, an offender will be detained for a minimum of between five and 20 years, as determined by the court.

An updated risk assessment will be conducted by a psychiatrist, and the offender will only be released if the Minister for Home Affairs assesses him or her to no longer pose a threat to the public.

To Giam's point, Shanmugam said they remain open to considering other measures, including chemical castration, if it is clear that such measures are effective in bringing down crime rates.

He, however, noted that the evidence so far is not conclusive.

As for the sex offender register, Shanmugam noted that the police maintains a non-public record of persons convicted of serious offences, including sexual offences.

They share these records with selected agencies, including the Ministry of Social and Family Development and the Ministry of Education, when screening individuals applying to roles involving sustained contact with children and young persons.

He said this balances the need to safeguard children with the rehabilitation and reintegration efforts of ex-offenders.

To further strengthen safeguards for children, the government has been considering the possible expansion of the scope of screening to cover more types of roles involving contact with children and young persons, including whether to introduce voluntary screening for unregulated sectors.

Shanmugam said they will share more details when ready.

Low Ek Yong, the private-hire vehicle (PHV) driver who died a year after being assaulted by one of his passengers, is remembered by fellow drivers as a gentle and generous man who was always ready to lend a helping hand.

Low died in June 2025 at the age of 66.

The assault

On Jun. 12, 2024, at about 10:30pm, Low had picked up his final passenger for the day.

When he arrived at the passenger's home, the man was asleep in the back seat.

Low attempted to wake him, but the passenger reportedly became unhappy, whereupon he lunged at and pushed Low.

As a result, Low fell and hit his head on the ground.

It was later confirmed that he had sustained a skull fracture.

He was taken to National University Hospital for emergency treatment, and subsequently passed away from natural causes about a year later.

On Jul. 17, 2026, the passenger, 22-year-old Oruche Morgan Fidelis, pleaded guilty to an amended charge of assault.

He was sentenced on Sep. 7, 2026, to a five-day short detention order and 100 hours of community service.

Low was a gentle, generous, and humble man

Speaking to Mothership, Kelvin Lam, a fellow PHV driver, shared that he and Low were part of a group of drivers who would meet for brunch every Wednesday.

The weekly gatherings began around 2022 or 2023, and soon became a regular tradition among the group, he said.

Lam remembered Low as a man of few words who was "gentle, soft-spoken, and mild-mannered".

He would often go out of his way to help others, Lam said, adding that Low was a "very knowledgeable man".

According to Lam, Low was semi-retired and had two children, both of whom had graduated and were doing well.

He was also a "church-going man of faith".

Low was supposed to go on a family holiday the next day

Lam said he learnt about the incident a few days after it occurred, when Low's close friend came by their usual Wednesday gathering and told him what had happened.

That night, Low had been on his final trip of the week.

He had completed enough trips to hit his weekly target of 40 rides, Lam said.

He added that that Low was supposed to leave for a family holiday the next day.

For about a year after the assault, Low remained in a coma and never woke up, and was thus unable to give the police his account of the night, Lam said.

The driver remained in that condition until his death in June 2025.

Lam added that the period was undoubtedly difficult for Low's family, but declined to elaborate on their personal circumstances.

Low was always ready to lend a helping hand

For Lam, he hopes that people will remember Low for the man he was: gentle, generous and humble.

To the drivers who gathered with him each week, Low was more than just a familiar face at the table.

Though he was quiet and often sat in one corner, he was always ready to lend a helping hand, whether by buying a struggling driver a meal or offering some advice, Lam said.

He added that he hopes regulations could eventually be reviewed to allow the use of body cameras, which he believes could provide greater protection for both PHV drivers and passengers.

While out on a joyride in town, a Singaporean man drove at 221 km/h and caused two collisions.

26-year-old Singaporean Jared-Kane Goh pleaded guilty on Sep. 8 to one count of dangerous driving.

His speed was over double the legal limit on three road stretches.

Goh will return to the courts on Sep. 14 for mitigation and sentencing.

Joyride

According to CNA, Goh was in a blue Mitsubishi Evo when he drove to the downtown area in the early hours of Oct. 27, 2024.

He was out on a joyride with five other men: Marcus Lau Yong Wei, 35; Damien Chia Hwa Chuan, 29; Gilviz Lee Jun En, 23; Sherman Quah Kok Rong, 21; and Kong Jia Quan, 23.

The group met at a Stadium Boulevard car park before embarking on the joyride, with the cars following each other at high speed.

They continued to the Pan Island Expressway and Central Expressway (CTE), before heading to Orchard Road.

2 collisions

Goh's car was captured on CCTV travelling at high speed along Stamford Road towards Fort Canning link, reported CNA.

Kong and Lee allegedly trailed close behind.

As Goh approached another vehicle, he braked to avoid a collision.

The sudden braking led to Kong rear-ending Goh's car, as Lee swerved away and mounted the grass verge.

His car ended up overturning.

As debris flew onto the road, Lau braked as well, causing the vehicle behind to rear-end his car.

This was the second collision.

After the collisions, Goh sought medical treatment, including for an acute neck sprain, a headache and an acute stress reaction.

His front passenger, a 22-year-old woman, was also injured, the court heard.

High speeds, damage done

Goh was found to have sped across seven locations from the CTE to Stamford Road.

Along the CTE towards AYE near the Balestier exit, he drove at speeds of up to 221km/h. The speed limit was 90km/h.

He also entered a lane at 89-109km/h at Stamford Road and Victoria Street, which was a 50km/h zone.

The prosecutor sought a three-and-a-half to five-month jail sentence for Goh, along with three to four years' disqualification from driving.

He added that Goh showed a "wholesale disregard for traffic rules" by speeding at nearly double the limit.

According to The Straits Times, the collisions also caused damage to roadside vegetation, a road sign, and a traffic light signal.

The total cost of repairing the damaged property was over S$2,900.

Potential for serious harm very high

Given the speeds and the injuries, the potential for serious harm to other road users was very high, the prosecution added.

According to CNA, Goh's lawyer, Foo Cheow Ming, asked for the case to be adjourned.

He apologised and said that he had prepared mitigation in response to an earlier version of the statement of facts.

Among the co-accused, all except Kong, whose case is pending, have been sentenced and received jail terms consisting of a few months each with three-year driving bans.

For dangerous driving, an individual may face up to 12 months' jail, a maximum fine of S$5,000, or both.

Minister of Transport and Second Minister for Finance Jeffrey Siow and Workers' Party MP Kenneth Tiong exchanged views in Parliament over Singapore Airlines' (SIA) investment in Air India, with Siow saying there was no reason to doubt SIA's ability to deliver air services here, and Tiong pressing for clarity on where the risk limits lie.

This comes after Tiong had posted on social media on Aug. 26, stating that he would not support nor expect any future use of Singapore's state investment company Temasek’s funds to prop up Air India via Singapore Airlines.

Tiong later clarified that his concerns were purely commercial and condemned racist comments surrounding the subject.

Parliament questions

At the Sep. 8 Parliament sitting, Tiong asked two questions on SIA.

Firstly, whether, since SIA became a designated operating entity under the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) Act 2009, losses incurred from and the carrying amounts of its foreign associates had been assessed against its capacity to provide essential transport services.

Secondly, whether such losses, or a continuing pattern of losses, would engage the notification duty under Section 67B, and, if so, based on what criteria.

Siow: No adverse impact on essential services

Siow noted that Tiong's question concerned the CAAS Act, but that he had spoken publicly about the Air India investment.

He said SIA became a designated operating entity under the CAAS Act in April 2025, and that CAAS assesses its ability to operate essential services safely and reliably, including its overall financial health.

Losses in a foreign associate do not necessarily meet the threshold for reporting on their own, he said. What matters is whether they reach the point of materially constraining the resources available for SIA's fleet maintenance or network operations here.

He said: "We are nowhere close to this scenario."

He added that SIA's core business had one of its strongest years, with record revenue and a record number of passengers carried.

Singaporeans are not footing the bill

Siow rejected the suggestion that Singaporeans were footing the bill, saying SIA is a listed company that funds its investments from its own balance sheet and earnings. It currently holds more than S$10 billion in cash reserves and over S$3 billion in undrawn credit facilities.

SIA had not sought further capital from shareholders, and if it did, that would be a commercial matter between the company and its shareholders.

On the rationale, he said much of SIA's traffic is transit passengers and there is a limit to how many will fly through Singapore. Air India gives it deeper access to one of the world's largest aviation markets and a base for onward connections to Europe and the Middle East.

Four facts

Tiong responded with what he called "four facts".

Tiong said SIA is in net debt, holding S$10.5 billion in cash against S$10.7 billion in debt as of Jun. 30, and posted a net loss for the quarter.

The undrawn facilities Siow cited are loans not yet taken, he said, meaning more debt rather than more capital.

Airline turnarounds that succeed tend to show results within three years, he said, citing Japan Airlines and Qantas.

Air India's own plan in 2022 said five years, but its losses doubled last year, and its chairman now says five to 10, he noted.

IndiGo carries two-thirds of India's domestic passengers against the Air India Group's 24 per cent. Air India's hubs at Delhi and Mumbai are run by GMR Group and Adani Group, and he said India is reportedly weighing lifting the rule preventing both from owning an airline, which he said would make the landlord at each hub a competitor able to steer prime slots.

And SIA holds 25.1 per cent without control. Its own filing says future injections will be considered based on Air India's requirements, which he called "open-ended by design".

"This cannot be a blank cheque": Tiong

Tiong noted that in 2020, Temasek, whose capital forms part of the past reserves, underwrote SIA's S$8.8 billion recapitalisation, and that the House was told the government would provide more direct support if necessary.

He asked whether the government would rule out doing so again if the Air India investment goes wrong.

He also asked whether the government had satisfied itself that there is a limit on further cash from SIA to Air India, a return threshold, a maximum exposure, or a point at which it stops.

He noted SIA is a designated entity under the Transport Sector Critical Firms Act precisely so its capacity to provide essential services is safeguarded.

He said:

"This cannot be a blank cheque, least of all on a minority stake. We ask because through the reserves, Singaporeans are SIA's stakeholder of last resort, and the stakeholder of last resort needs to know where the line is."

Siow: "Air India's finances are not SIA's finances"

In response, Siow said he would clarify a "basic misconception" in Tiong's argument.

He said that SIA owns 25.1 per cent of Air India, but Air India's finances are not SIA's finances.

Likewise, Air India's losses do not automatically become SIA's liabilities, and that a capital request does not oblige SIA to provide it.

He pointed out that SIA's board has said they would consider any capital request on "commercial merits".

"That is the right approach. SIA's board and management must decide whether any investment makes commercial sense for it and its shareholders," he said.

Siow also pointed out that Tiong may have misunderstood SIA's published financial statements, explaining that most of SIA's debt is in non-current, long-term borrowing, such as five or 10-year bonds.

These generally have low interest rates, he said, adding that SIA's current liabilities within the next 12 months are under 3 billion, which is well within SIA's cash reserves of over 10 billion.

He noted Tiong had opposed putting more money into Air India without saying what SIA should do instead.

He put to Tiong whether he thinks SIA should ever have invested in Air India, and whether he would suggest pulling out the investment now.

"It's easy to criticise, but I suspect it is much harder for the member to tell us what SIA should do."

Siow on building globally competitive companies

Siow further noted that Tiong himself had claimed that Singapore hosts many large companies but builds few of them during a parliamentary debate on growing local enterprises last month.

Siow noted that building globally competitive companies means entering potentially difficult markets against people who got there first and staying the course when there is turbulence.

"We cannot have it both ways. We cannot tell our companies to go out and compete, and then treat every tough year abroad as proof that they should stay home," he said, adding that this goes the same for SIA.

On Tiong's question on how Temasek, and by extension our reserves, will be affected, Siow said the government does not judge Temasek on any single holding.

Noting that Temasek has a portfolio of over 500 billion, Siow said a portfolio of that size will always contain investments with different risks and time horizons.

"Some will look worse than others on any given day, and that's what investing is. If SIA requests capital from Temasek for any reason, Temasek will have to assess this on a commercial basis," he said.

Siow also noted that SIA has not requested any funding from Temasek apart from during Covid-19 in over 50 years of operation, adding that it was a "fundamentally different" situation.

Racist and xenophobic comments

Noting that Tiong has stated online that he strongly rejects the racist and xenophobic comments that have arisen in the public discussion on Air India, Siow said he is glad Tiong agrees with the government that "no one should seek to exploit racial divisions for political purposes".

However, Siow said the member's public rhetoric goes beyond the question that he puts before this house.

He highlighted that Tiong has posed the "narrowly framed technical query" on SIA's capacity to provide essential transport services in Parliament.

Tiong has drawn an "imaginary link between an overseas investment from SIA and its ability to maintain air services in Singapore" by asking the question in this manner, Siow argued.

He further highlighted that Tiong has asked, "What happens if this deal goes bad? Will Temasek be their backstop, and what it means, and what will this mean for Singaporeans' taxes and their quality of life?" on social media.

"He has drawn these multiple tenuous linkages, dressed them up in emotive terms, insinuated that through SIA's investments, Singaporeans somehow owe Air India a living, and suggested that SIA is not making its investment decisions on a commercial basis, but for some other reason," Siow said.

There is no basis for this, he emphasised, adding that while Tiong is free to question whether it will ultimately be a good investment, it is another thing for him to take a commercial investment risk and extrapolate that into the financial failure of a national airline.

"But it's quite another thing for a former business analyst to take a commercial investment risk, extrapolate that into the financial failure of a national airline, and from there speculate and whip up alarm about a taxpayer bailout, to insinuate improper motives that any particular investment does not provide or contribute to a healthy climate for our companies to make commercial decisions, which serve the best interests of Singapore and Singaporeans."

Tiong: "Puzzled as to why it is brought into a purely commercial matter"

In response, Tiong said he categorically rejected racism and xenophobia but was puzzled as to why it had been brought into what he called a purely commercial matter.

He rejected any suggestion that questioning the issue amounted to being racist, xenophobic or imputing improper motives, and said rather that Singaporeans need to understand what the risk limits are.

On Siow's question of what Tiong thinks SIA should do instead, he suggested that the minister seems to have misunderstood his point, adding that this is something that is very common in the private sector.

Using an analogy of a financial fund, Tiong said that Parliament functions as a "risk team" for the reserves while SIA's board is the "investment team".

"I'm not going to tell SIA what to do, what strategy [it] should be. I'm saying that this is quite risky. I'm not saying that it's constituted from improper motives," he said.

"But it is very, very risky, especially because it's constituted on a 25.1 per cent minority stake, so we need to understand because it could have implications for the reserves, and it could have implications for SIA as designated operator."

He went on to highlight how complicated the India market is, before reiterating that there is a need to evaluate the investment "very, very carefully".

Siow's closing

Siow agreed that India is a complicated market and added that by law no foreign airline in India can hold a majority stake.

He said Tiong was entitled to question whether it was a good investment, but had gone much further, "leaping without evidence" from Air India's losses to SIA's ability to provide essential air services, capital calls on Temasek, and consequences for Singapore's taxes and quality of life.

He said: "Members may ask difficult questions, but the claims we make must be grounded in facts, not exaggerated speculation that creates needless public alarm."

"Singaporeans deserve public debate that examines the risks honestly, explains them responsibly, and remains anchored on truth and logic."

A Singaporean doctor has been charged with molesting a 24-year-old woman at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital (KTPH) in Yishun in 2023.

Yeo Teng Yao, 29, was charged in court on Sep. 3.

According to a report by The Straits Times (ST), Yeo was previously employed by MOH Holdings (MOHH), the holding company for Singapore’s public healthcare institutions.

In response to Mothership's queries, an MOHH spokesperson said Yeo was immediately suspended from all duties once the incident was brought to the company's attention.

He was subsequently dismissed.

The spokesperson added that MOHH expects its medical officers to maintain high standards of professional conduct.

Placed stethoscope on woman's chest

The alleged offence took place in a ward at KTPH at around 9pm on Jul. 17, 2023.

According to the charge sheet seen by Mothership, Yeo allegedly placed the diaphragm of a stethoscope on the woman's breasts.

The diaphragm is the flat, larger circular disk on the chestpiece which is used to listen to high-frequency body sounds, such as those from the heart.

The charge sheet did not state whether the woman was a patient at KTPH.

A search on the Singapore Medical Council’s website showed that Yeo is still a registered doctor.

His pre-trial conference is scheduled for Sep. 29.

If convicted of molestation, one can be jailed for up to three years, fined, caned, or face any combination of these punishments.

"The cost to the country of mediocre leadership would be vastly greater than the cost of paying political leaders properly," said Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

His remark came on the heels of the government's acceptance of the recommendations of an independent review committee to raise ministerial salaries in line with benchmarks.

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong mentioned earlier in parliament that the proposed adjustments will not be implemented immediately in one step.

Existing political appointment holders (PAHs) will receive a one-off adjustment of up to 9 per cent from Oct. 15, 2026, subject to performance.

Voicing his support on Sep. 8, SM Lee said the debate over political salaries is "never an easy one" and added that he fully understands why Singaporeans feel strongly about it.

He shared that the issue was "often top of mind" for him during his tenure as Prime Minister as it is "so crucial" to ensuring good political leadership and a good government in Singapore.

Passion cannot sustain systems

On questions about why the public service cannot just rely more on idealism and passion, SM Lee said possessing such passion is crucial but passion alone cannot sustain a system over generations.

"We also have to be practical. Singapore’s exceptional performance depends fundamentally on our having clean, honest and capable political leaders," he wrote.

Echoing PM Wong, he explained that the government need to get "very capable men and women" who are often at the prime of their careers, to make a drastic change of course and commit themselves to a "demanding calling with no certainty of success".

They also have to subject themselves and their families to intense public scrutiny, he noted.

"If in addition this commitment requires too heavy or unreasonable a financial sacrifice, many individuals capable of making major contributions to Singapore will decline to take this path," he said.

"Our recruitment pool will shrink, and the standard of political leadership will deteriorate. Over time, the quality of our government will inevitably go down."

Strategic move to field strongest possible leadership team

SM Lee reiterated that the salary adjustment is a "necessary strategic move" to enable Singapore to continue fielding the strongest possible leadership team.

He noted that the salary formula, which was settled in 2012, will not be changed and that it is still appropriate.

However, the government had held back from updating the calculation since then, SM Lee said, adding that they should not defer this any further.

SM Lee also noted that there will be a 40 per cent discount to the private sector benchmark, to reflect the ethos of public service.

"Good leadership is especially crucial in a troubled and turbulent world. The cost to the country of mediocre leadership would be vastly greater than the cost of paying political leaders properly. This salary revision will help keep our country in good hands for years to come. I ask all Singaporeans to support it."

A weight loss product sold online has been found to contain banned substances and prescription-only medicinal ingredients that may be harmful to health.

The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) has warned the public about a product named "Dermcare weight (D30 & Sstrong Set) Daily Health Support Set”, sold on local e-commerce platforms Shopee and Lazada.

The product claimed to contain vitamins and natural ingredients, such as cinnamon, to help with appetite control, detoxification, fat-burning and boosting metabolism.

It was sold as a set of four packets containing loose tablets and capsules, with instructions on the dosage to be taken in the morning and at night, printed in Thai.

Notably, the packets were labelled as from “Dermcare clinic” with no product name or ingredients listed.

HSA's testing has revealed that the product contains a banned substance, sibutramine, and five potent medicinal ingredients: amiloride, hydrochlorothiazide, fluoxetine, orlistat and bisacodyl.

Most of these ingredients are found in prescription-only or pharmacy-only medicines, and are not allowed to be purchased over-the-counter.

HSA has advised those who have purchased or consumed the product to stop taking it immediately.

What are these substances?

Sibutramine, formerly a prescription-only weight loss medicine used in the treatment of obesity, has been disallowed for sale in Singapore since 2010 due to increased risk of heart attacks and strokes.

It has been associated with serious side effects, including high blood pressure, irregular heartbeats, hallucinations, and mood swings.

Amiloride and hydrochlorothiazide are potent diuretics, drugs which induce urination.

They can remove excess fluid from the body and should be used only under medical supervision.

The combination of these two diuretics can lead to an increased risk of adverse effects, including low blood pressure, nausea, dizziness, weakness, and electrolyte imbalances.

Fluoxetine is a prescription-only medicine to treat depression and psychiatric disorders, including eating disorders, and should only be used under medical supervision. Adverse effects of fluoxetine include insomnia, headache, fast or irregular heartbeat, diarrhoea and nausea.

Orlistat is a pharmacy-only medicine used in the management of obesity, which prevents the body from absorbing consumed fat.

It should be used under the supervision of a healthcare professional.

Inappropriate use can cause headaches, abdominal pain, oily discharge from rectum, liquid stools, flatulence and fatigue.

Bisacodyl, the only over-the-counter medication in the list, is a laxative which can cause abdominal discomfort and diarrhoea leading to fluid and electrolyte imbalances.

Its prolonged use can harm intestinal function, resulting in chronic constipation.

What next?

HSA urged consumers of the product to stop taking it immediately and see a doctor if they are unwell or concerned about their weight.

The public is advised to steer clear of products from unknown or unverified sources, only buy from trusted pharmacies or reputable retailers with an established presence in Singapore, as well as be cautious and wary of products that claim to deliver quick and miraculous results.

All sellers and suppliers are instructed to stop the sale of "Dermcare weight (D30 & Sstrong Set) Daily Health Support Set” immediately.

Those that sell health items with banned or potent ingredients are liable to prosecution and if convicted, may be imprisoned for up to five years and/ or fined up to S$50,000.

Members of the public who have any information on the sale and supply of illegal products may contact HSA at 6866 3485 during office hours (Monday to Friday), or write in to hsa_is@hsa.gov.sg or http://www.go.gov.sg/hprg-feedback-form.

The Digital Infrastructure Bill had its first reading in Parliament on Sep. 8.

Introduced by the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI), it sets up two new licensing regimes to be administered by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA).

One covers the security and resilience of major data centres (DCs) and cloud services. The other covers the environmental sustainability of data centre operations.

Which operators are covered

The security and resilience regime applies to major co-location and cloud data centres with a critical IT load of at least 10 megawatts (MW). Data centres used solely for an operator's own internal purposes are not covered.

It also applies to major cloud service providers (CSPs) whose Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) and Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) offerings generate at least S$100 million in average annual revenue from users in Singapore over the preceding three years.

MDDI said these thresholds were calibrated to cover the data centres and cloud service providers whose disruption would have a significant impact on Singapore's economy and society.

Licensees will have to implement security risk management measures and business continuity and disaster recovery plans, and report specified incidents and disruptions to IMDA.

It covers more than cyberattacks

MDDI said the Bill complements the Cybersecurity Act by covering a broader range of operational resilience risks.

These include technical failures, power or cooling issues, fires and other physical or operational incidents that can disrupt the delivery of digital services.

Energy efficiency requirements

Under the sustainability regime, all operators of data centres with a critical IT load of at least 3MW will be licensed.

As a first step, they will need to meet facility-level energy efficiency requirements, including Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) requirements. These will apply to both existing and new data centres.

The framework also allows further requirements covering IT equipment and water efficiency to be introduced where necessary, following consultation with industry.

Commitments become licence conditions

The Bill also allows strategic, economic and green energy commitments, made in exchange for being awarded new data centre capacity, to be enforced as licence conditions.

MDDI said this ensures those commitments are accountable and create broader value for Singapore, given that capacity here depends on scarce national resources including land and power.

What industry said

MDDI and IMDA held a public consultation on the draft Bill from Jul. 1 to 22, and received responses from 25 respondents.

MDDI said respondents supported the Bill's policy objectives and gave feedback on implementation, which has been taken into account.

It added that it will streamline licensing and reporting processes, recognise existing industry standards where possible, and give existing data centres sufficient transition time.

MDDI said:

"Altogether, the Bill will strengthen the foundations on which Singapore's digital economy, and our AI ambitions, will be built."