Data on Newly-appointed Political Officeholders with Private Sector Background and Trend of Appointments since 1994 Salary Benchmarking

Mr Pritam Singh asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) for each General Election since 1965, whether data is available on the proportion of newly appointed political office holders who spent more than half of their pre-political careers in the private sector, and if so, what are they; and (b) whether this proportion of appointments has increased significantly since Ministerial salaries were benchmarked against private sector professions in 1994.

Mr Chan Chun Sing (for the Prime Minister): The career backgrounds of all political appointment holders since 1965 are publicly available. The Government has always sought to bring into political service capable Singaporeans from a diverse range of backgrounds, including both the public and private sectors. That was the case before the introduction of the salary benchmark in 1994 and remains the case today.

The salary framework helps to ensure that financial considerations do not unduly narrow the pool of Singaporeans who are prepared to enter political service, especially those who are already established in their careers. But remuneration is only one consideration. What matters first is whether individuals have the character and conviction to serve and are prepared to take on the responsibilities and sacrifices of political office.