‘Complete leap of faith’: PM Wong on his decision to step into politics

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, who was chief executive of the Energy Market Authority then, said he lost his pension as he was just shy of the 15-year mark to retain it when he resigned.

Published Sep 10, 2026, 09:21 PM

Updated Sep 10, 2026, 09:21 PM

SINGAPORE — When Prime Minister Lawrence Wong decided to resign from the civil service to run in the 2011 general election, no one had told him what position or what pay package he would get if elected.

“At that point, I did not know where I would contest, whether I would be elected, what responsibilities I might be asked to take on, or what I would be paid,” he said on Sept 10, recounting his experience when entering politics.

“No one told me, if you win, this is the position you will get. This is the remuneration package. No one. It was a complete leap of faith.”

PM Wong, who was chief executive of the Energy Market Authority then, said he lost his pension as he was just shy of the 15-year mark to retain it when he resigned.

He was fielded in 2011 as part of the five-member PAP team in West Coast GRC, which won with 66.57 per cent of the vote against the Reform Party.

When announcing the salary changes on Sept 8, PM Wong had said he would donate his full salary increase to good causes for the next five years.

The Prime Minister’s annual salary will go up from $2.2 million to $3.6 million, including bonuses. This means he will be donating $1.4 million each year.

In his speech on Sept 10 during the debate on changes to political salaries, PM Wong clarified that he would also donate any tax benefit arising from the donations, following questions about the matter.

He said some friends had asked him if he regrets his decision to join politics, since he might have become a permanent secretary if he had stayed in civil service.

He could have kept his pension, earned more, and faced far less public scrutiny, all while still serving Singapore.

PM Wong said his answer was no, adding: “I valued my years in the civil service greatly, and I continue to have the highest regard for those who serve Singapore in that way.”

“But political service is a different kind of responsibility,” he said. “You are not just helping to carry out decisions or implement decisions. You have to make the difficult choices, set the strategic direction, bring people along, and ultimately take responsibility for the outcomes.”

That is why he chose this path, he said, adding that the same is true of his colleagues. “We step forward to do what we can for Singapore and to serve our fellow citizens.”

Turning to the “tea sessions” that PAP leaders have with prospective candidates, he said: “What may be less well known is that we also ask candidates to write something about themselves.”

It is an old practice but a good one that the party has kept till today, he added.

He recounted how he wrote in 2011 that having worked as a civil servant, he knew that for Singapore to succeed, every generation “must throw up its own leaders” – people prepared to take ownership of the country and to serve their fellow citizens.

“And I wrote that I would like to be part of that team, to make a difference where it counted, and to contribute to Singapore’s development,” he said.

“That’s how I felt, and it is still how I feel today.”

PM Wong then said he knows there are Singaporeans who feel the same way as he did, and would be prepared to answer the call to serve and take responsibility for Singapore.

“Our task is to find such people, persuade them to step forward, and sustain a political system that enables them to serve with commitment and purpose,” he added.

Singapore Parliament

时任能源市场管理局行政总裁的总理黄循财表示，他辞职时离保留退休金的15年工龄还差一点，因此失去了退休金。

发布于 2026 年 9 月 10 日晚上 9:21

更新于2026年9月10日晚上9:21

新加坡——2011年，总理黄循财决定辞去公务员职务参加大选时，没有人告诉他如果当选会担任什么职位或获得什么薪酬待遇。

“当时，我不知道自己会在哪里参选，是否会被选上，会被要求承担哪些责任，或者会得到多少报酬，”他在9月10日回忆起自己进入政坛​​的经历时说道。

“没有人告诉我，如果我赢了，我会得到这样的职位，薪酬待遇如何。没有人告诉我。这完全是凭着一股拼劲。”

时任能源市场管理局首席执行官的黄循财表示，他辞职时离保留退休金的15年工龄还差一点，因此失去了退休金。

2011年，他作为人民行动党五人团队的一员参加了西海岸集选区的竞选，该团队以66.57%的得票率击败了改革党。

黄之锋总理在9月8日宣布薪资调整时曾表示，他将在未来五年内把全部加薪捐献给慈善事业。

总理的年薪将从220万美元增至360万美元，其中包括奖金。这意味着他每年将捐赠140万美元。

在9月10日关于政治人物薪酬改革的辩论中，黄英贤总理在讲话中澄清，在被问及此事时，他也会捐出因捐款而产生的任何税收优惠。

他说，一些朋友问他是否后悔从政，因为如果他留在公务员队伍中，他可能已经成为一名常任秘书。

他本可以保留养老金，赚更多钱，而且面临的公众审查也会少得多，同时还能继续为新加坡服务。

黄总理表示他的答案是否定的，并补充说：“我非常珍惜我在公务员岗位上的那些年，并且我将继续对那些以这种方式为新加坡服务的人抱有最高的敬意。”

“但政治服务是一种不同的责任，”他说。“你不仅仅是协助执行或落实决策，你还要做出艰难的抉择，制定战略方向，团结众人，并最终对结果负责。”

他说，这就是他选择这条道路的原因，并补充说，他的同事们也是如此。“我们挺身而出，尽我们所能为新加坡服务，为我们的同胞服务。”

谈到人民行动党领导人与潜在候选人举行的“茶话会”，他说：“可能不太为人所知的是，我们还会要求候选人写一些关于他们自己的内容。”

他补充说，这是一项古老的做法，但也是一项很好的做法，该党一直沿用至今。

他回忆起自己在 2011 年写道，作为一名公务员，他知道新加坡要想成功，每一代人“都必须涌现出自己的领导人”——那些准备好承担国家责任并为同胞服务的人。

“我写道，我希望成为这个团队的一员，在关键时刻发挥作用，为新加坡的发展做出贡献，”他说。

“我当时就是这么想的，直到今天我仍然这么想。”

黄循财总理随后表示，他知道有很多新加坡人与他有同样的感受，并且愿意响应号召，为新加坡服务和承担责任。

“我们的任务是找到这样的人，说服他们站出来，并维持一个能够让他们尽心尽力、目标明确地为人民服务的政治体系，”他补充道。

新加坡国会