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SINGAPORE: A carefully-constructed government and civil service is needed to make Singapore, a little red dot among the world's many red dots, special.

That's according to Minister-in-Charge of Civil Service, Teo Chee Hean, who was responding to MPs' queries in Parliament on the civil service pay review.

Most of the over 20 MPs who spoke on the issue on Tuesday supported the salary rise.

And, Mr Teo said that he was heartened that many MPs agreed that it is vital to pay competitive salary for a good public service.

The Minister added that this issue would not have been so easily accepted 10 or 12 years ago.

What's so special about Singapore, a little red dot, that the political leaders are paid more than those in big countries like the US?

Minister Teo said that there are many red dots in the world. But Singapore is unique.

He said: "This little red dot is very special because all of us have taken the trouble to take care of it very very well. All Singaporeans have worked hard to make Singapore special. The government is a special government - carefully constructed, bringing in the best people so that it can move Singapore forward, even with all the disadvantages that we have - the lack of resources, the position that we are in the region and in the world. And, Singapore is helped along by a first-class, excellent, efficient, uncorrupted public service that helps it to achieve Singaporeans' dreams."

Mr Teo also explained that the system is not to keep everyone in the public service.

But the idea is to ensure that Singapore does not revert to where it was, back in the 1990s.

That was when the public service lost good officers, because of a good economy.

And the result - service standards fell and morale was low.

Mr Teo said: "So we don't want to find ourselves in that same kind of situation and we want to make sure that we continue to remain competitive, we can keep, employ and pay our public servants and have a good working climate in our institutions and organisations."

"I've been asked whether this is a good time to make such salary adjustments. But, actually the point is that such salary adjustments must be done in good times. Otherwise, we'll end up with problems in the public service," he added.

Mr Teo said economic recovery has gone on for the last three years.

But the government has not raised the salaries as quickly as it should have.

He said if the government waits any longer, it will be more difficult to move the salaries.

That's because by then, it would be much harder to close the salary gap between the civil service and the private sector.

The Minister also stressed that it is wrong to think that a bigger pay would undermine the moral authority of the government.

Instead, it is all about the motivation and willingness to devote time and energy to serve the people. - CNA/ir

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