Exactly….however, i feel (and a tai driver i spoke to also felt this way),that in years to come,these developing world ppl they are attracting in droves now,will one day turn against them,”once their stomaches are full.”

Singapore is a nanny state with and aging, cranky, controlling, inflexible nanny who wears blinkers.

It’s citizens are not respected by the government whose salaries they pay; instead they are treated like lower life forms.

So why stay when you have the chance to go somewhere you are wanted and where the quality of life is better.

How ironic that right above this blog post is a banner ad promoting the National Infocomm Scholarship.

Consider this scenario: The govt continues, willy nilly, with this policy of replacing departing Singaporeans with FTs until one fine day, the FTs’ population reaches a critical mass. This will be when the govt finds it difficult to rule as it has been doing with the indigeneous population of Singaporeans. It will find out that a significant segment of the population, a group made up of imported talents, will no long allow it to rule as it fancies, a group that will challenge it as it has never been challenged before by the indig population. The govt will have itsef to blame then.

George, I think the Singaore government is smart to entice those people from China and India, countries whose people is severely constraint in democracy and whose government will suppress any freedom of speech and protest. Since China and India is oppressive country just like singaore, the government here will probably want surplus of people from those country as they are already tamed into subservient submission and obedient, and will not likely to do anything drastic or protest against the establishment, and thus they very likely to vote the establishment back to full power.

But Singaporean must think higher and should migrate to other country if possible that much better off because this country lives in its past and only will retain power if freedom is suppressed.

Sigh, each time someone talks about migration, I feel like packing up and go. The only thing that is holding me back is that my wife still prefers staying in Singapore, because her relatives and friends are still here.

I have already secured resident status for my family in Canada but we are still residing in Singapore.

I agree with you that there is a feeling among emigrants that the Sg government does not care if we leave or stay. Here are my thoughts I penned down last year, while I was still awaiting approval for the Canadian residence. It was actually a post to some of my colleagues who tried to dissuade me from leaving.

http://wherebearsroamfree.blogspot.com/2007/03/mass-emailed-to-aes-group-on-sat.html

Solo bear – if I can fast forward my life a few years, I would do the same – apply for Canadian residence. Unfortunately I am currently in no position to do so until I finish my undergrad studies at the minimum. I hope Canada’s policy on migrants will still be as good then.

Well it’s really good that you’ve gotten the resident status already. Now you’re just one step short. I understand totally how you feel about it when your wife prefers Singapore and doesn’t want to leave. It’s really a huge dilemma to deal with. I hope you can sort it out eventually and convince her Singapore is not the right place for your next generation to grow up in.

Being here in Vancouver now I feel that this is the kind of place I would love to settle down in… but I do anticipate problems with uprooting as well… hopefully we can convince ourselves to totally give up on staying in Singapore and start life anew somewhere else.

It’s never the case about the grass is greener on the other side. That’s just the easiest accusation or assumption that is made about people wanting to leave. Whether or not the grass is greener is really dependent on an individual’s ideals and should not be a generalisation.

For some people, the grass is actually greener in Singapore, that’s why they migrate and then come back again. Because they are suited for life in Singapore. For people like myself who’d been at odds with the Singaporean ways most of our lives, greener may mean the more civic-minded and literally greener (as in natural beauty) Canada.

And you know what, I hate it when people who want to leave get labeled as quitters. We are certainly not quitters.

We want to leave, because we do not want to leave ourselves to the predictable fate of staying in Singapore all our lives. If we resign to this fate, then we are quitters. We actually quit striving for our ideal lives.

I total agreed with you.

Why label those who leave as quitters and welcome “quitters” of other country as FT.

A few friends and I are planning to migrate to Aust. Hope is not too late as there is a cut off age.

I can’t speck for my friends, for me I just can’t stand the lie and policies of our million dollar “leaders”.

I should not have come back from UK 12 years ago after my study.

I have studied and worked overseas; not for very long but for a period significant enough that I am considering leaving. Having said that, I have also studied and worked here in Singapore, completing my Bachelors. Many have asked whether I will come back to Singapore to work and live. Initially I was vehement about residing overseas, at least in the foreseeable future; everytime I make a visit to Singapore I find it difficult to relate to its people and attitudes, the very people and society whom and which I have grown up in. I have of late, however, also found much comfort in Singapore. Things are getting expensive but still not as expensive as they are overseas, namely in developed countries. Transport is also efficient and nearly all kinds of technology is readily available, unlike many other countries I have visited. My gripe with this, however, extends to the fact that pay increases have not matched the inflation experienced. Property is expensive, pay is not high enough for younger generations to move out of their parents’ homes. Some argue this is good, it contains and sustains what is deemed as a ‘nucleus’ family in Singapore; further extending the kind of support that the government cannot, will not or deems unfit to provide. Whatever the case, this is my perception of reality; although some may argue it is mere imagination. The rat race in Singapore is more evident to me than anywhere else I have visited. Perhaps, I have not travelled extensively enough. Perhaps, again, this is a matter of perception. But the claustrophobic feel I experience whenever I visit my country, Singapore, is very real. Everyone aims to make as much money as they can. There seems no bigger purpose; no bigger goal. Make the money, secure the husband/wife, get the flat, the car, hope you have wonderful children who aspire the same, and pray, that you can ‘upgrade’ your life (’life’ as you see is measured in material wealth). I just don’t see the rush in it. Because of this, society expects certain things from individuals. This is what I find most annoying. Why the judgments? Why the expectations? They are, inevitable, of course, found in ever society, differing only in nature. But it is this – almost engulfing sense – to be subsumed into the very same rat race that I detest. I’m not saying money is not important. The capitalist society we live in (and the ever increasingly globalized economies) deems the importance of having at least, a comfortable base of finances. But why don’t people here stop for a moment and breathe? Enjoy the air; the paucity in taking a step back to reflect? Why the rush? Everything’s about being quick and efficient. Having fleeting experience while working in the government, I know how real this can be.

I doubt I have been marginally coherent in what I have written although I hope the basics of what I have said is understood. There are some things Singapore cannot change. Its land mass, for example, determines the number of people who can live comfortably here (of course this is going to change what with the obsession to rapidly increase the population here – the one thing Singapore has that cities like Hong Kong doesn’t is a comfortable number of people proportionate to space – ah, the irony). This in turn means that not every individual will find an outlet for their interests/passions. Only with a bigger population, and no doubt a more open and liberalized society, will individuals be able to group together to share amongst others similar interests (but will this be threatening to the current political system?). I think, this, in turn does not allow people to feel appreciated. When you have no outlet to express yourself/your interests or passions, how are you supposed to feel appreciated? When a society demands and expects only narrow things of you, how are you to feel appreciated when you want not to conform? Again, I feel the need to state a disclaimer. I am by no means anti-government; however nor am I completely supportive of it an its actions. I feel that there needs to be a genuine platform between government and people. The government may argue that there are such existing structures, but do the people think so? From my gathering and understanding, most recognize these ‘open’ changes to be merely cosmetic. If so, why does the government not do something to alter these perceptions? The very society they have created is now detrimental to the state/society in the face of internal and global changes. I applaud, though, the willingness of the government to take on these challenges and to introduce, albeit marginal, changes. However, it needs to move at a faster pace. Just as globalization of economies have hastened our pace to keep up with other leading economies, the same needs to be reflected within societal bounds.

So, until I feel comfortable (the definition of which is obviously subjective) and appreciated, I am still inclined towards leaving Singapore to explore other options that are readily available to me; whatever they may be.

JL, insightful comments you have there. I think you reflect the feelings of many Singaporeans who have the ability to leave but are at a crossroad of deciding whether to leave their family nucleus for a better life for themselves and their offspring.

Here’s what I think with regards to this – The world has become a smaller place today because of Internet technologies and affordable air travel. With a few clicks of the mouse, one can communicate with friends and relatives halfway around the globe easily. With a good career in another country, one can easily afford to return to Singapore at least once or twice a year to visit friends and relatives. Many people also bring their parents over to the country where they are working in for extended stays.

Furthermore, for some people like myself, we don’t even keep in contact with relatives very often, so its really not a big issue.

The government will have to try harder than just using the ‘family nucleus’ as a reason to encourage people to stay.

1. Because of National service for men, to talents they would feel like 2 years is wasting their time.

2.The one that are leaving is those who speak english,likely to be influenced by western Countries.Which is why speaking Mandarin is important.

3. To talents singapore is no difference from indonesia,where there is smokers everywhere.Especially smokers is HDB where talents live.

spore soccer first 11 squad is already occupied with foreigners.
to me, i dont mind spore doesnt do well, as long as its our people. win or lose, we’ll fall and stand up together as one. the olympics is one example. so many foreigners! and if some of you were to watch the SEA games, some of them won and when it came to singing the national anthem, non of them were able to sing it. how embarrassing.

Mr Biao~i feel and agree with you. Talented or not we are, much of us feel that certain treatments that the “Gs” give to us as rewards always have a strings attached to it. And at the end of the day, the “G” will get it back somehow. It is so predictable to a point that i feel it’s all been planned. Currently, i am still pursuiting my studies in sports management.

All this while my elder brother keeps telling me to uproot myself to go to canada or aus. The thing now is like to leave my family & friends to a life which i want to leave. But i am not sure waht are my job propects at the different country. Need some help with that.

May i know where can i get more info about it? I really want to know more about it. thanks…

(reply via comments)

that’s the problem

men who have dreams and talent have to waste two years of their life….protecting a small island that can easily be destroyed in a single bomb raid

so why the need to defend this country if it can be destroyed so easily?…..all that crawling in the mud and learning to shoot a gun for nothing!!

and their can only remove their citizenship at 21 years of age…..all that time wearing a uniform for nothing!…..they are not gonna serve this country when they emigrate…..so why learn to fight for this country?

it’s not to keep the country and people safe!…..it’s to keep the govt which created this law safe!…..

they get free money when they retire!……we ordinary citizen have to save up for it!

and those construction workers and labourers?….they work so hard and admirably…..but the pay is so low that they must live cramped like sardines in those freight containers!

this country only values those who bring in the big bucks!

the cost of living is high!…..same goes for a car!

those Jehovah’s Witnesses……..it their right not to fight……because more people holding guns will add more pain to this earth……the govt has banned them for this…..racist bastards!…….just like hitler!

National Service is not just 2 years of life – beyond that, its another 13 or more years of obligation for yearly ICTs that disrupts Singaporean men careers.

Understand what is leadership? it is empowerment, vision and motivation
Look who is carrying the flag at olympics — take a family scene, would you use your neighbour’s son, to carry your family hierloom, because he is more talented than your own. I would be happier to see our local local carrying our flag, not an imported species. Not that she is not good – but the place of honour should not be hers. what do you others think?

In my work place, I feel outnumbered — by foreigners — not that I have left my job or do not want to do my job – I was one of the pioneers when my organisation was down in the dumps – created by the very foreigners who are now regarded as talents!

There are so many entry “foreign talents” here – entry because they are just fresh from school – what do they bring to be called talents? Just because they are foreign?

I think we should revisit the foreign talent policy — see why work places are invaded by one race / one colour? why? is there really no local talent? or is it a case of in breeeding tendencies?

unhappy

I agree with the analyst who suggested that for starters, the government should stop using the term ‘foreign talent’ as it implies that all foreigners are talents and locals are not. True, we seldom (or never) hear ministers using the phrase ‘local talents’ to refer to Singaporeans.

You know what, we should stop using the phrase ‘foreign talent’ ourselves too – this is derogatory towards ourselves. From now on I will try to use ‘foreign workers’ instead of ‘talent’.

i love this country (singapore), i treat it as my own, most may never realize this but this is a case of racism, talented Singaporeans leave not mostly because they’re unappreciated, if they wanna be recognized then why not try harder? they leave coz there are truly greener pastures elsewhere, why settle for this if you can have much more right? one thing i observed is that Singaporeans hate to do manual work (i mean mike rowe’s “worlds rtiest jobs” type), they let other nationalities clean up their streets, and why hire a particular race to clean up your own mess? ain’t that racism? don’t the Singaporeans feel a bit more superior by doing that? oh c’mon lets at least be honest about that. Some Singaporeans can’t put up so they shut up that’s why Foreign talent stand out and take the challenge.
I think Singaporeans jus hate it everytime they see a foreigner working on a better job,having a better life than they do, insecurity. Fact is, foreign talent keeps this country surviving. nuff said.

[...] If my WordPress statistics are accurate, one of my most popular posts is Why are Talented Singaporeans Leaving? [...]

Gweilo -> as much as you have accused me and Singaporeans of racism, you yourself are being ethnocentric, no?

First of all, foreigners do not equate to talent. Foreigners may or may not be talented. If I may put it this way, they are allowed to work in Singapore purely for economic reasons and not for diversity or whatever other reasons other developed countries choose to allow immigrants for.

As far as I understand it, Singapore is not the only country that allows foreign workers in to do menial work.

Besides, a common fallacy is that Singaporeans are not interested in doing menial work. I wonder how this popular misconception was formed in the first place. Tell me, isn’t picking up drinks cans or working as a cleaner, dishwasher, etc menial? I see many Singaporeans in these jobs, though not as much as before since there are so many foreign workers competing with them now.

Let’s put it this way. The Government allowed in lots of unskilled foreign workers in a bid to have a more competitive economy with low cost workers. Singaporeans are not unwilling to do those jobs not because of the menial work, but because of the menial pay as a result of having cheap foreign labour directly competing with them in the job market.

Perhaps you would argue that Singaporeans can’t take the hard work and long hours. Well, being a developed country, do you not think that wanting people to work 12 hours a day for a salary that is barely enough to support oneself is equivalent to borderline human rights abuse? You are not in the shoes of those low wage workers, you can only assume how they feel and not fully understand how it’s like to be in their shoes.

If the Government can have initiatives to train low wage workers to upgrade themselves, then why can’t they have initiatives to teach Singaporeans to accept those jobs (if you argument that Singaporeans are not willing to do these jobs hold true), or better still – have initiatives to make working in such jobs more attractive (i.e. by having a pilot trial to stop having foreign workers in for a few categories of jobs and getting Singaporeans hired instead?). It’s not even like these foreign workers make better cleaners. I have seen Singaporeans doing much better job at cleaning than some of those foreign workers anyway.

Absolutely right, why bother to stay here when the foreigners enjoy almost the same perks as us locals!!! We have to put our lives at stake in serving NS and what does the foreigners do? Come here to develop the economy right? and more importantly snatch away our jobs

Why Singaporeans don’t want to take up menial work – isn’t the answer very obvious already? How can we expect the Singaporeans to take up jobs that pay so little that they can’t even afford to feed themselves? The high costs of living (transportation, “subsidised HDB flats” and increasing food costs are eating into everybody. A low-wage salary worker in Singaporean will feel the pinch more acutely than the rest of Singaporeans. Oh, and by the way, my salary is the same as of 10 years’ ago but I can no longer afford the “subsidised HDB flats” at today’s rates.

How sad is that?

I can give you 50 reasons why I am not voting for PAP and want to leave:

1. I want to buy a house without paying a Cash-Over-Value of $100,000

2. I don’t want to be accused of being fussy if I don’t want to live on the first floor or basement bomb shelter, or ulu ulu places like Kusu Island

3. I don’t want keep hearing that flats are “affordable” when I really cannot afford flats.

4. I don’t want to see foreigners flood our condos, HDB estates, MRT trains, buses, schools, EVERYWHERE

5. I don’t want to know about how ministers are getting lots of landed and prime property both local and overseas when I have trouble getting a 3-room flat.

6. I don’t want ministers who get multi-million dollar salaries when I do odd jobs and some months I don’t make more than $2,000.

Ministers in other countries may take bribes and embezzle. My ministers are smarter, they get more money claiming more MILLIONS in salary LEGALLY.

7. I don’t want to pay ERP just because foreigners’ cars are clogging my roads. Especially, when ERP do not solve congestion problems!!! We still have terrible traffic jams!

8. I don’t want to do NS and reservist to protect my country against foreign invaders when:
(A) I don’t have a house to protect
(B) I cannot afford to start a family to protect
(C) I have to protect foreigners and their property with my life when they run away during war.
(D) Foreigner PRs do not have to serve
(E) I get paid worse than a Bangala worker. To think that National Service needed people donation’s in 1967, after a year, it gathered S$ 3 million from Singaporeans when we were all so poor.

9. I do not want to see PRs and New citizens flashing their blue and pink ICs on their national days.

10. I do not want to see the shamelessness of importing foreign athletes and claims that Singapore won when a foreigner won. Oh yes, we pay these foreigners millions of dollars so that Singapore can claim that it won. WOW!

11. I do not want to hear jeering against the SG local soccer teams from foreigner spectators when we play against other countries IN OUR OWN COUNTRY!

12. I don’t want to pay 7% more for everything I buy in my whole life when the government gives my $200 in “compensation” handouts!

13. I want to see a local student being the top student. Not some China kid. Not hearing from ours kids that there is no point to work hard as some foreigner is going to squeeze them down inevitably.

14. When there is public curiosity, I expect my government (especially Law minister) to be transparent enough let us know about Temasek and HDB cost to build a flat, etc.

15. I want my country to be known as a COUNTRY. My country is NOT just a city like some idiot claims.

16. I don’t want LHL’s son to be the next succeeding prime minister.

17. I don’t like how China suckered us in the Suzhou park initiative and we still have to kiss their assess.

18. I cannot understand why local siblings cannot buy flats when foreigner PR siblings can buy flats.

19. Singles are not allowed to buy flats before 35? Are singles supposed to be forced into marriage just because of this? By the time singles reach 35, the flat prices will be higher by $100,000 to $300,000. These singles worked very hard to scrimp and save only to see savings ERODED away by inflation!

20. I do not want to read the paper when it is pro-PAP and there is major censorship and selective publishing and late publishing for what cannot be hidden.

21. I don’t want my life-savings to be belittled as the salt on the “peanuts”.

22. I don’t like it when my country’s reserves lost tens of billions of dollars and the PM’s wife can still head Temasek!

23. I want important national assets key to our security like power stations to BELONG to our country, not sold to foreigners.

24. I like to add hum to my mee siam by the way.

25. I want a president who actually DOES more. Not one which who I seek shakes hands, seldom speaks, does not even pardon and spare a 19-year-old kid his life. Not a president who kids confuse with Mas Selamat (Many kids who know Mas Selamat do not EVEN know Nathan)

26. I don’t want to have my next national day parade at the silly riverside place….AGAIN! How long does it take to make a stadium? We are a country but we don’t even have a national stadium?? How about loaning Malaysia’s Merdeka Stadium for Singapore’s National day?

27. I want job security. A contract for 1 or 2 years, Then look for work again. The cycle repeats. We have to worry for our jobs and livelihoods on a daily basis. When we are over 40 years old, who want us anymore? I might as well join the army as sign on. But wait, that is contract TOO!

28. I don’t want the next generation to suffer like me in university. I had to work part-time to support my uni fees in NUS, while foreign students get free uni education thanks to MOE PLUS $500 allowance every month. After that, NUS still has the cheek to call me up and ask me to donate to NUS. Why they need money? They lost hundreds of millions of endowment in the financial crisis. I can still remember working and saving for 3 months before I could afford a 2nd hand laptop.

29. I want to protest in the streets to voice my discontent without being put to jail by the ISA act or made bankrupt. For goodness sake, I don’t even dare to accept Singtel’s offer of giving me free 6 months internet if I switch from Starhub to Singtel, because I am scared that my IP address and my name will be blacklisted by the government. (considering Singtel’s afflictions with the govt)

30. I want an opposition party in power. Any opposition is welcome. As educated and smart as my current and soon-to-be-ex ministers may be, I want people who CARE and LISTEN. Even if it is a guy who had graduated from kindergarten would be welcomed if he cares.

31. Elites who have been born with a silver spoon, who never had trouble finding a job, who never had money difficulties, who never went hungry, who breezed through NS, do NOT deserve my respect nor should they be in the government. We need people who UNDERSTAND what it is like at the pits and bottom! Not some shortie who claims to understand hardship with a childhood living in 3-room flat but marries an angmoh and lives in a landed mansion.

32. I want a better electoral system! I don’t want WALK-OVERs again. Some of the seniors did not even get to vote ONCE in their whole lives. How is that democracy?

33. I want fairness. Is it a coincidence that certain estates under certain members of our government are especially well-cared for with upgrading etc incentives? Is this fair? Are residents of areas under the opposition similarly cared for? I quote a resident from Potong Pasir “the lifts here are so old and I can’t climb the flight of stairs to reach my place anymore.” I supposed the 60 year old aunty would be forced to vote for PAP to get new lifts.

34. I want a limit to the number of years the PM can hold office, so that as bad and as lousy as the PM is, we can at least have a chance to start afresh.

35. I want small quotas/ratios legislated for foreigners.

36. I want foreigners to be restricted to less than 20% of our population instead of 36%.

37. Horsie actually said that foreigner PRs were under-represented in HDB flats. Pah! No more than 2 flats in a block should be sold to PRs! Otherwise, how can the many old uncles and aunties have pocket money for retirement by renting out flats?

38. I want their CPF contribution percent to be much higher and that their CPF to be forfeited if they leave SG.

39. I want higher income taxes and property taxes for foreigners.

40. I want NS for foreigners.

41. Foreigners who bought HDB flats cannot be allowed to rent their flat out EVER!

42. I want the SGD to be moderated downwards! A higher SGD may benefit those who can afford to holiday overseas, those who are rich enough to send kids to overseas for studies, or PRs and foreigners when they remit money home. BUT overly high SGD deters investments into Singapore.

43. I want curbs on inflation. To that effect, we need to install restrictions on property speculation, raise reserve ratios in banks, and have more stringent criteria before loans are issued. AND OF COURSE, GST lower back to 3%

44. When foreign talent enters my country. I want these people to be REALLY foreign talent. I don’t want my country’s pink IC and PR to be handed out like toilet paper.

45. I want more heavily subsidized birth-delivery, child-care, pediatric health and education care to boost local numbers. If S.Korea can do it, why not us? The practice of replacement diminishing local numbers with foreigner number MUST STOP.

46. Instead of always saying Singapore does not have enough talent, will the government spend more money and effort in education and grooming the young? Every time they say that there is not enough of certain type of people, the government will import these people in masses and hordes.

47. I expect government-affiliated institutions to not indulge themselves with luxuries when other citizens have bread-butter problems:

When NTUC income unilaterally announced major cuts in its bonus for insurance-policy-holders, the MAS allowed this to happen. NTUC income claimed financial woes, but took HUNDREDS of agents to Australia for an exorbitant expense-paid holiday as they made the announcement earlier this year! Do they think about the widows and orphans when they dine fine with wine?

At first I could not believe NTUC Income to be capable of this, then I checked on the web and saw the NTUC CEO hugging 2 BIKINI girls and drinking champagne in Australia too.
(i) ms-my.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=1550459&id=36541001838&ref=mf

(ii) ms-my.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=1549575&id=36541001838&ref=mf

48. I expect the MAS to protect citizens financially too:

When thousands of investors lost their life savings in the mini-bond fiasco, where was the government? Unlike the Hong Kong government which had exerted pressure on its local banks to compensate a minimum sum to its minibond holders, the Singapore authorities chose to stay out of the matter.. MM even chided Singapore investors for “walking in with their eyes open” and therefore did not deserve a compensation. (from TemasekReview 1 Dec)

49. I have 1 more issue with the state Media Press. HOW can they publish photos of people suspected of crimes when they have not EVEN been convicted? Imagine the tarnishing to the poor suspect’s reputation if he were innocent! It is not as if the guy can sue ST and get $400,000 in defamation compensation.

50. Anyone can give the 50th reason? Come on my fellow locals. If I can say so much, you can at least say something! Few thousand people viewing this article and so little comments?

I thank the lord that im lucky to be able to migrate from Singapore. Singapore is bound to fail. Look at the military, how many regulars are there because they genuinely love their country, and not because of the pay and perks.

Hi Ah biao, why never update your blog anymore. I add the 50th demand for better singaporean.For the 49 demands, I want Singaporeans to be prepared for the pros and cons of the consequences with a unflinching yes. If not, tuck your tail between your legs and be a pussy ass. Words without actions amount to nothing. GOT GUTS and the balls, U want to fight? come on ! I PAP wait & see

hi guys,

Amran here just moved to Melbourne about a month ago and loving it!!!

well planning to give up my nric after 4 years.

those who have the heart to migrate to other country please follow your good heart but please go to a better country ok.

why i left singapore for good?
well…..thats only for my future children and their children to know hehehehehee.

i benn planing to migrate out of singapore since the 3rd day serving my National Service!!!!

and worked in one of the insurance company for 10yrs and was treated like&$^%%$%#&$!!!!!!!!!

well that to that it really make me stronger and never never look back!!!!

must say treally thanks to them who made me what i am today

Cheers mate!