Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Sunday ordered a review of the multimillion-dollar salaries of Singapore's president and cabinet as part of measures to quell public anger after a landmark poll. He said President S.R. Nathan's salary of Sg$4.27 ($3.45 million) a year will be included in a cabinet pay review announced on Saturday at the new government's inauguration.
Cabinet members in 2009 earned between Sg$1.57 million ($1.27 million) for a junior minister and Sg$3.04 million ($2.45 million) for the prime minister, according to figures published by local media.
Singapore has long justified the salaries, among the world's highest for public officials, as necessary to attract talent and prevent corruption but they became one of the hottest issues in the May 7 general election.
The ruling People's Action Party (PAP) saw its share of votes fall to a record low of 60 percent, and only a controversial system of electing lawmakers in clusters restricted the opposition to six seats out of 87.
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