Cost of mediocre leadership vastly greater than paying political leaders properly: SM Lee says he strongly supports PM Wong's salary review decision

"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.

This increase represents a 3.6 per cent annual growth rate since 2011, when ministerial salaries were last adjusted.

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."