A tale of two salaries


The Rhetoric

“This stingy government of ours is paying me only RM16,000 a month to do two jobs.”
Malaysia’s Prime Minister and Finance Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Straits Times, 25 Nov, 2002

“A million dollars for a minister seems a lot when compared with the salary of a worker. But $34 million for all the ministers and political office-holders is a tiny drop compared with the increase in GDP that a good government can produce.”
PM Goh Chok Tong, Straits Times, July 1, 2000

The Reality

“Malaysia’s economy expanded by by 5.6 per cent in the third quarter.”
Straits Times, Nov 28, 2002

“Singapore may face its second recession in two years.”
Straits Times, Nov 19, 2002

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