[UPDATED on Wednesday, July 29, 12:03pm] Pritam Singh made an update to his Facebook post. He clarified that 50 per cent of his additional salary and not his full salary, which amounts to around S$96,000 per year before tax deduction, will be donated to one of the various causes.
The offices of the Speaker of Parliament and the Leader of the House announced earlier today (July 28), what the specific duties and privileges Pritam Singh, secretary-general of the Workers' Party (WP), would receive as Leader of the Opposition.
Some of these new privileges include additional resources such as an allowance of S$385,000 a year, which is double the allowance of an elected Member of Parliament (MP).
Half of salary dedicated to other causes
In a Facebook post late at night, Pritam shared his thoughts on the new appointment and the resources he would now be accorded.
He said that the new allowance was something he had to discuss with his wife, especially what this increase in salary would "mean for [the] family".
He said that "both of us felt strongly that a percentage of the salary should be used for a greater purpose."
Pritam then revealed that he would be allocating half of his salary, after taxes were deducted, to one of these various needs.
These include:
- Assisting low-income residents in WP's constituencies—Hougang SMC, Aljunied GRC and Sengkang GRC through the Workers’ Party Community Fund (WPCF) and/or the WP Grassroots Committee or
- Community programs in Hougang SMC, Aljunied GRC, Sengkang GRC or
- Charitable or worthy causes or
- Workers’ Party specific needs.
Pritam also shared that as the Leader of the Opposition, he would now have shoulder many additional responsibilities.
Furthermore, with new duties expected of him such as leading the opposition in presenting alternative views during parliamentary debates, and the possibility of being called upon to attend official state functions, Pritam added that he would likely be spending more hours away from his family.
"The road ahead will not be easy," he said, but he thanked Singaporeans and WP colleagues for their support.
You can read his full post here.