Civil List, Remuneration of Speaker and Remuneration of Deputy Speakers

12.22 pm

The Second Minister for Finance and Leader of the House (Ms Indranee Rajah): Mr Speaker, there are three Motions standing in my name on today's Order Paper. May I have your permission to move them together in succession? And as this House had earlier approved Deputy Leader's Motion to have my three Motions debated together, my opening speech and reply, should one be needed, at the end of the debate, would cover all three Motions.

Mr Speaker: In view of the earlier decision of this House to have all three Motions taken together and the debate to proceed simultaneously on all three Motions, I will allow the Motions to be so moved. Minister, please proceed.

Ms Indranee Rajah: Mr Speaker, I move the following Motions standing in my name on today's Order Paper: first, the Motion titled "Civil List"; second, the Motion titled "Remuneration of Speaker"; third, the Motion titled "Remuneration of Deputy Speakers".

Sir, the Government has accepted the recommendation of the independent Review Committee to adjust the salary packages of the President, Speaker and Deputy Speakers in line with the current pegs. These three Motions seek the resolution of Parliament to implement these recommendations.

The Civil List Motion gives effect to the salary adjustment for the President. Article 22J of the Constitution states that the Legislature shall by law provide a Civil List for the maintenance of the President and his Office. The law which provides for this is the Civil List and Gratuity Act 1970 (CLGA) and the relevant amounts are set out in the Schedule thereto.

The Civil List comprises four classes: class 1 which deals with the President's remuneration, among other things and classes 2, 3 and 4 which deal with the salaries of his personal staff, expenses of household and special services respectively.

Parliament had earlier this year made provision for increases in classes 2, 3 and 4, to enable the President's office to meet its expenditure needs, as operating costs had risen. There is therefore no change proposed for classes 2, 3 and 4 expenditures.

Today's Motion concerns only the class 1 line item on the privy purse, which is used to meet the President's salary. To give effect to the revised President's salary and medical benefits as recommended by the 2026 Salary Review Committee, it is proposed to amend the Schedule of the CLGA to increase the privy purse sum from $1,568,900 to $2,568,200.

The President's salary is pegged to the reference monthly salary of the Prime Minister. It consists of a monthly base salary of $180,000, 13th month bonus and an Annual Variable Component (AVC) pegged at the rates received by the general Civil Service. For budgeting purposes, the proposed privy purse sum budgets for an AVC of 1.25 months, consistent with our budgeting practice for the privy purse in past years. The actual number of months of AVC that the President receives each year will be calculated on the same basis as the AVC paid out to all civil servants and may vary accordingly.

The proposed privy purse sum also includes provision for medical benefits of $3,200. The actual amount of medical benefits paid to the President may be less than $3,200, depending on the claims.

The second and third Motions standing in my name give effect to the salary and allowance adjustments for the Speaker and Deputy Speakers respectively. Article 41 of the Constitution states that the Speaker shall be paid such salary as Parliament may from time to time determine. Article 42(3) of the Constitution states that a Deputy Speaker shall be paid such salary or allowance as Parliament may from time to time determine.

The annual salary of the Speaker, if it were a full-time post, is pegged to the MR4 Minister reference annual salary as at 15 October 2026. It comprises a monthly base salary, 13th month bonus and an AVC pegged at the rates received by the general Civil Service. As it is a part-time post, the Speaker will receive 50% of the MR4 reference annual salary as at 15 October 2026. That amounts to $900,000 a year, assuming an AVC of one month.

The Deputy Speaker position is also a part-time post. As such, the annual allowance of a Deputy Speaker is pegged at 15% of the Speaker's part-time annual salary. That amounts to $135,000 a year, assuming a Variable Component of one month. Sir, I move the Motions.

12.28 pm

Mr Speaker: The first question is as moved by the Second Minister for Finance on the Motion titled "Civil List".

The second question is as moved by the Leader of the House and the Motion titled "Remuneration of Speaker".

The third question is as moved by the Leader of the House on the Motion titled "Remuneration of Deputy Speakers".

In accordance with the decision of this House to have a simultaneous debate on all three Motions, I will now call on Members to make their speeches. Members are allowed to consider all three Motions in a single speech. And at the end of the debate I will put the questions on the Motion separately, so that the House can express its vote on each Motion.

Second Minister for Finance and Leader of the House.

12.29 pm

Ms Indranee Rajah: Sir, as I believe no Members have spoken on these Motions, I will move for the Motions to be put to the House.

Question put, and agreed to.

Resolved, "That this Parliament, pursuant to section 7 of the Civil List and Gratuity Act 1970, resolves that the Schedule to the Act be varied by deleting the figure $1,568,900 in the second column and substituting for it the figure $2,568,200."

Question put, and agreed to.

Resolved, "That this Parliament, pursuant to Article 41 of the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore, determines that the Speaker shall be paid with effect from 15 October 2026: (1) a monthly salary equal to half of one-fourteenth, or 7.14% of the Ministerial Range 4 (MR4) norm annual salary as at 15 October 2026; (2) a 13th-month bonus pegged at one month of the monthly salary; and (3) an Annual Variable Component pegged at the rates received by the general Civil Service."

Question put, and agreed to.

The Question is, "That this Parliament, pursuant to Article 42(3) of the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore, determines that each Deputy Speaker shall be paid with effect from 15 October 2026: (1) a monthly allowance equal to 15% of the Speaker's monthly salary; (2) a 13th-month bonus pegged at one month of the monthly allowance; and (3) an Annual Variable Component pegged at the rates received by the general Civil Service."