Obviously quality in terms of governance encompasses a multitude of things. In the case of Singapore, higher pay has always protected against corruption.
Cultural nuances have to be factored in. In Asia and particularly Asian politicians, corruption was/is a huge problem so Lee Kuan wanted to address the issue at its root.
"Wong’s own pay package, meanwhile, will rise from S$2.2mn (US$1.7mn) to S$3.6mn (US$2.8mn) a year, including salary and bonuses. He said he would donate the increased pay to charity for the next five years, assuming he stays in office."