Ho Ching’s salary – Everyone is asking

Ho Ching’s salary is the hottest topic in social media for the last few months. Everyone has a reason to want to know how much she is earning and there have been plenty of speculative figures being tossed around ranging from $20m to more than $50m a year. Given that she has been in the position for 16 years, if she is getting $20m pa, she would have made a salivating $320m till now for being the CEO of this sovereign wealth fund, oops Mahathir has another term for it, sovereign debt fund. But both are wrong as this fund does not belong to anyone it seems. Now everyone is also wondering who really own this fund and whose money is it?

Here are some comments posted in TRE and thestatestimes.

‘According to Ang, before Charles Goodyear was hired to be CEO of Temasek Holdings in 2009, he was already earning a salary of $54 million at BHP Billiton. Ang then said, “Logically, Charles must have been offered more than his $54 million salary to quit BHP Billiton”.

He also then calculated that “Conservatively assuming Ho was earning $54 million then and had worked without any break, this works out to $147,945 a day or about 25 times of the PM’s salary”.

After looking at the doubling portfolio value of Temasek Holdings, Ang then speculates that Ho earns “about $300,000 a day”.

Similarly, earlier this year, socio-political activist Leong Sze Hian questioned why Singapore sovereign wealth fund Temasek does not disclose its management costs such as the salary it pays to its chief executive.

He added, “To the best of my knowledge, I understand that Temasek does not disclose its “management costs” (such as the CEO’s annual remuneration) like Norway’s SWF (sovereign wealth fund).”

Leong also added that in 2017, it was reported that Temasek incurred “administrative expenses” of S$8.4 billion, against a net portfolio value of S$275 billion. The fund, however, has claimed that such expenses were not incurred by the fund alone, but represents the total “administrative expenses” of the fund and its subsidiaries.’

From the above once can feel the envy and unhappiness over the supposedly big salary of Ho Ching. I would like to take a different view that may sound similar to Chok Tong’s wise comment about ministers not being paid enough. Everyone Singaporeans subscribe to the point that if the ministers performed well, they would not mind even giving them a bigger pay rise. The caveat is if they really performed well, not scheming to take more of the people’s CPF savings or raising more taxes and fees. What is $10m, so they quipped. They, I mean the natural aristocrats. $100 is big deal to the oldies picking cardboards or cleaning tables in the hawker centres.

Take a look at Ho Ching’s performance as quoted above. Read this, ‘After looking at the doubling portfolio value of Temasek Holdings, Ang then speculates that Ho earns “about $300,000 a day”.’Many of you would be staring at the $300,000 a day with eyes turning green or red. I say, look at the other number in words, ie “doubling portfolio value”. Temasek is managing something like $200b! If Ho Ching could double the value, to $400b, what is $300,000 a day or $50m a year? I say pay her, pay her $100m. She deserves it. Caveat, if she could really double the portfolio through profit from her investment. No one will dispute with the principle of rewarding good performers.

And if she could double the $400b to $800b, I will say pay her $1b. And I am not being generous. True talent must be paid well. Of course fake talents should be not paid even a cent. I am very sure Chok Tong would fully agree with my suggestions.

However, the reward formula must be equitable to both employee and organisation. It cannot be a one way thing, when employee made profit, they want to be paid big bonuses, when they lost a fortune, they also want to be paid in the millions. The HR people are not that daft that they could not come out with a formula that is fair and just to all parties.

What do you think?

PS. I deserve a National Day medal.