I read with interest your article on the Hungarian Parliament. I had also been fascinated by the Houses of Parliament in Budapest and especially by the cigar holders just outside the assembly hall each with names of each MP, which demonstrated the opulent times of the Austro-Hungarian Empires!

I am now working in the jurisdiction of Bermuda, which has 36 Members of Parliament for a population of 65,000, that is one MP for every 1,800 inhabitants. However, here MPs are treated with great respect but a great deal is expected of them.  Bermudans think that paying MPs and Ministers high salaries is the right thing to do because of their responsibility and long hours of work.

The Prime Minister here earns US$200,000, a minister $150,000 and an MP $100,000 dollars. I firmly believe that politicians should be paid high salaries if they perform their duties well. It is no coincidence that the Prime Minister of Singapore earns US$1,750,000 and ministers US$1,500,000 US dollars.  No surprise that Singapore is such a successful country. 

I was in Singapore last October and when I mentioned the salaries of our Prime Minister and his Cabinet I was told: “You must either have many saints in Malta or many corrupt politicians!”

Philip Micallef

BERMUDA