SINGAPORE: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong may have surprised the nation with his announcement to donate his pay increase to charity.
But Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said Mr Lee made the decision "quite some time ago".
In fact, the Cabinet had discussed the PM's decision way before he announced it.
"I want to categorically tell everybody that this was not a decision which he made under pressure. This was a conscious, deliberate decision made by Prime Minister using his heart and head to make what I believe was a wonderful gesture," said Dr Balakrishnan, the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports.
When asked if he would donate his pay increase, Dr Balakrishnan said: "I will follow the Prime Minister's advice in that we do not believe in ostentatious generosity. Generosity should be a private matter, and something which all of us should do out of our own discretion. So I don't think any minister is going to engage in this public ostentatious display of generosity."
Dr Balakrishnan also responded to what he called an 'unfortunate linkage' of civil service salary revision with public assistance.
"Lick, Lick, Lick"
