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On this platform, I'm happy to share my private thoughts with you...So here goes: What I don't like: 1. Accountability - If Ministers and Public Servants want to enjoy Private Sector Salary and Perks, they should also 'enjoy' Private Sector: a. Job Insecurity b. Competition from Foreign Talents c. Accountability (You resign if your team members screw up on your watch) 2. The Formula is wrong - Their Salary is Benchmarked against the median salary of Top 1000 Singaporean Citizens, then slap a 40% discount, and use it as the centre-point Top 1000 earners is an 'unnatural selection' of the outermost outliers... it includes entrepreneurs (who should be rightly rewarded for taking on disproportionate risks), and CEOs of MNCs whose income consists of Stock Options and Bonuses based on 'Global Scale Profits'. It does not reflect the 'Natural Income' of top performing 'everyday folks'. 3. The "It's so that our Leaders won't be tempted by corruption" argument is so dead and buried. - Enough said.. ahem... 4. Yes - Supernormal Salary in certain cases where you're poaching PROVEN Private Sector Talents like Min Ng Eng Hen (Neurosurgeon), Dr Tan See Leng (Healthway CEO), or Law Min K Shanmugam (Big 4 Law Firm CEO Material) who can easily make $4-6m/year, I think this $uper$alary is good to attract (and Keep) these star performers... but Army Generals and Policy Wonks/Scholars who never proved themselves outside of the Government Petri-dish? I'm not sure if the logic holds. 5. The timing of the announcement results in bad optics - their potential 60% increments framed against Singapore National Employers Federation reports that: - 51% of employers expect to freeze or moderate wages in 2027 - Only 49% plan to give salary increments - Employers are citing global uncertainty and rising manpower cost Does not leave a good taste. --------------- So... do I think Ministers should be paid well? I absolutely believe so. But putting such an incredibly huge premium to the job (fairly or unfairly) makes the public question their motivations and detracts their good intentions for public service.