Publication: The Straits Times, p A6 4V SMU Headline: Wide ...

Publication: The Straits Times, p A6 Date: 23 May 2011 Headline: Wide range of experience on salary review panel 4V SMU

Wide range Who's who on the committee, and what it will do

on salarv lyva, , president of th ~tional Trades lion Congress.

Team has good Methodist Girls1 School management board, as well as the Singapore Man-

understanding of both agement University accounting school advisory board.

Fang Ai Lian, 61, airman of the Charity Council, and chairman of the Methodist Girls' School baqd

public, private sectors ~ e t i i e d accountant Po'ad Shaik Abu Bakar Mattar. a former senior ~ a r t n e r - - of Deloitte &'Touche, is a member of

By CAI H A O ~ N G & ANDREA ONG the Council of Presidential Advisers and the Public Service Commission, Mr Gerard be,

, chairman of Changi General sspital and chairwan of the National

THEY are, or have been, at the top levels of their professions, have a good understanding of the corporate world and of how government works.

The eight people who will now set to work reviewing the basis and level of salaries for Singapore's top leaders and political appointment holders are also respected for their contributions to public service.

Observers and analysts familiar with their work say members of the review committee bring a professional competence to the job, honed from experience in a broad swathe of fields in the private and public sectors.

They thus clearly understand the trade-offs required in determining how the salaries of the President, Prime Minister and political appoint- ment holders need to be set.

Governance expert Neo Boon Siong from Nanyang Technological Universi- ty's Nanyang Business School noted that, for the first time, the committee reviewing such salaries is made up of public figures.

Previous reviews were undertaken by the Public Service Division or a panel of civil servants.

"They are all highly regarded people who run big organisations, they are mature. So if they come up with a rec- ommendation that makes sense, the fallout will hopefully be less," he said.

Committee chairman Gerard Ee is a retired accountant and charity sector veteran who restored the image of the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) after it was hit by a financial scandal, taking over as NKF chairman in 2005. He chairs Changi General Hospital as well as the Public Transport Council, which approves changes to another hot-button issue: public transport fares.

The rest of the committee wear many hats, not just in the private sector but also in the educational and social fields.

Mr George Quek, founder and chair- man of home-grown eatery BreadTalk, is vice-president of the Teochew Poit Ip Huay Kuan clan association, and chairman of the Xinmin Secondary School advisory committee.

MI Wong Ngit Liong is chairman and chief executive of electronics man- ufacturer Venture Corporation, as well as on the National University of Singa- pore Board of Trustees.

Mrs Fang Ai Lian, chairman of insur- er Great Eastern Holdings, was chair- man of accounting firm Ernst & Young. and worked there for 34 vears.

which appoints and promotes senior civil servants.

Another corporate high-flier, law- yer Lucien Wong, is managing partner of Allen & Gledhill and chairman of the Maritime and Port Authority.

Mr John De Payva has been Nation- al Trades Union Congress president since 1997 and has represented work- ers' interest for almost 40 years.

Mr Stephen Lee has led the Singa- pore National Employers Federation since 1988. He is chairman of Singa- pore Airlines and previously chaired both port operator PSA International and government trade promotion arm International Enterprise Singapore.

Members are also not new to debate on important or controversial issues. Four of them - Mr Ee, Mr De Payva, Mrs Fang and Mr Lee - have previous- ly served as Nominated MPs.

Senior counsel Alvin Yeo, an MP for Chua Chu Kang GRC, noted that with such a line-up, the committee is well-positioned to understand what motivates talent in the private sector.

He described members such as Mrs Fang and Mr Lucien Wong, whom he knows personally, as "sensible people" who understand the balance that is needed between offering competitive salaries to attract top talent, and the "concerns of what the public wants to see in terms of political office holders making a sacrifice".

Former Nominated MP and political observer Viswa Sadasivan believes committee members are "credible and competent" individuals with "profes- sional competence", and that Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is sincere about the review.

But he worried that "given how the ministerial salaries issue has so rapidly snowballed in potency ... many would see it as a predictable list of 'usual suspects', many of whom are closely linked to the establishment".

But commenting on his committee members, Mr Ee said last night: "These are all very good people, known to speak their mind, very inde- pendent in their judgments, and that is very important."

Institute of Policy Studies senior fellow Gillian Koh pointed out that in going about their review, the commit- tee members "are going to have to work extremely hard in conducting a wide and meaningful public consulta- tion process".

Mr Ee aside, other members were not available for comment. kii [email protected]

- - 7 ---

BreadTalk Grou~.

b Mr Wong Ngit dJong,

70, chairman of the hational University of Singapore Board of Trustees, and chairman and chief executive officer o

:nture wnnmtinn

- 0 me,

l Mr stephen Lee : ' "hing Yen, . .

64, president of i , ,

the Singapore National Employe Federation.

I Mr George Quek I s5. founder and I

vice-president G f the Teochew Poit Ip Huay Rqan, and chairman of the Xinmin S@dbndary School advisory r o m m i t t ~ e

",C r k. .,*! ,7--

,,,FT&e committee's terms of reference will L hS t n nnri~innr thn h l o i r ~ n r l ln~,nl nf ,a

'3 -- - - ensure honest and competent svernment .

The committee should take into count salaries of comparable jobs in

& k e private sector, and also other ,

reference points such as the general wage levels in Singa~ore.

The cornmitteelshould also take into account the following guideline:

, a) While the salary of the President ' 2 should reflect the President's high3g *

status as the head of state and his tical custodial role as holder of @& t.2 .' + gkyond key, it should also take inta , .

?~@%kount the fact that unlike the- Primee 't

mplementation: The Government will base its new salaries on these recommendations.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong kidfs '?

decided that the new salaries for political appointment holders will &&a?+ & effect from May 21, 2011, i.e. the date '

Minister, he does not have direct yben the new Government took office. ,e~ecutive responsibilities except as t h v , Although the salary for the President , .c> ,r&late to his custodial role,2, 8 t tba, , P qr; ' will in principle commence from the

,?b).The salqry of ministers should hqjpj,~,, new term pf the President, President kignificant discount to comparabl~"

t . S R Nathan has informed Prime,

private sector salaries to signify t ' 1 - Minister Lee that he will'adopt the new value and ethos of political service, salary from May 21, 2011.

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\ t f i 'd i ! i !~ , t 1,li;!!9 B&B~ 3d l i @ k ! ~ I ! ' ! !fbthd!&:! She &airs the Charity Council &d the M [email protected]

Source: The Straits Times O Singapore Press Holdings Limited. Permission required for reproduction.