A 34 year old Sg migrant gives his perspective after 8 years
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Taken from the net. A migrant residing in AUS gives his views
Ok, let me put my post into context. I am 34, finished my NS and have been in Oz for about 8 years now.
Why did I leave Sg? Because of the chance to actually be anything you want to be.
****** says he left because Sg today is not the Sg he knew (hope I got this right ).I agree witrh him 100%. For those who are older, look back to the time when you were growing up. Think of your family, friends, neighbours and work-mates. People were friendly, helpful, generous and genuine. I am not saying people in Sg today are not this way. far from it. I am sure that deep down inside, the psyche has not changed. However, the focus has shifted from community to self. Why? I feel because of the direction the country has taken steered by the leadership. People in Sg have become self centered for no other reason than because they realise that if they don't look out for themselves, no one will.
I did a self assessment a couple of years ago and came to some conclusions.
1. In Singapore, you own nothing of significance. what do I mean? The house you live in (be it HDB, private apt, semi-detached, 99 year lease or free-hold) is basically rented by you
Your car that you have bought and paid for is also actually leased for 10 years extendedable for another 10 years at a higher tax rate after which it needs to be basically crushed for scrap metal. You get a token sub for the metal but that's it.
4. When you reach the legal age of an adult, you are for all intents and purposes responsible for your actions. However, you can't touch you CPF unless you want to buy a flat, can only use a protion of your medisave, medishield for your hospital bills and pay the rest in cash. Can't do as you please with your nest egg because you can't. You are legally an adult but are treated like a child because the they does not deem you able to make rational decisions so they decide for you.
5. They decides how good you are based on academic acheivement judged by arbitrary methods. Your life and future is decided for you and if you cannot afford to persue an overseas education, you are stuck
I was only allowed to go to the VITB after my 'O' levels because I failed my 2nd language (chinese). I did my NS as a storeman LCP, did some menial jobs before I could afford to go for an overseas education and today, I hold a research masters degree and write journal articles for an academic publicaion. My point is I feel I have fulfilled my potential. Fulfilled it because I DETERMINED what I wanted to do and worked to acheive it. It is something I would NEVER have been able to in Sg because according to them, I should have gone to the VITB. There is nothing wrong with going to the VITB, but you should have the chance to decide what you want to do and not have that decision made for you. You decide and see how far you can push your dream.
I was born in Singapore, Lived in Singapore till I was 23 and went overseas to see what my actual limits were. as I could not do it in the country of my birth. I will not return to Sg because everything that I have acheived, I did in Oz. Australia allowed me to realise my potential and decide how far I wanted to go. I would rather make a contribution to the people and country that gave me this chance rather than return to the country that would not. Yes, by their measure, I am a quitter. But I quit because of the management and office environment and quitting is my right, not privilage. -
we have a quitter whining and bitching about his life. nothing more than that.
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singapore is filled with them, can't blame itOriginally posted by aCid_rAIn:we have a quitter whining and bitching about his life. nothing more than that. -
what he said makes sense...
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You're just jealous you do not have the ability to leave this place.Have you ever stepped for one moment outside our shores and stayed on local terms for more than a week?Originally posted by aCid_rAIn:we have a quitter whining and bitching about his life. nothing more than that.
If not, shut the hell up and respect what another person can do and respect his guts to leave and start afresh in a foreign land.You can love Singapore your birthplace but that don't mean you have to stay here and rot if you can go, and characters change, and so do national policies.
Bloody ignorant douche bags.
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like i say, online is a unique platform for people to air their views, so dun hastily condemn others as quitters, etc etc..
what he say does make sense, well, to a certain extend you know.. a china scholar maybe (just maybe) would be saying this to his fellow countrymen in china about singapore, about how Singapore offers him/her endless possibilities, be it in academic or economical pursuits... , i believe, personally of course, that saying singapore hammers down opportunities for her citizens is downright untrue.. we're actually opened to many opportunities the moment we're born, but its always the competition that closes them all...
look, actually i've a point to make here, no, im not nationalistic, well its just being fair you know to say this..
You see, in Singapore, whether you're born into a chink, mat, or ah neh family, whether you live in a 1 room flat or a freehold SemiD doesnt really affect what your furture to be, its basically hard work... a son of any random cabbie, if he works hard enough (not just in studies, but in arts and sports too) he is able to be successful. just look at some of our ministers, they're sons of butchers, etc..etc..
now lets look back at america and australian.. come on, lets just say you're born into a black ghetto or an aboriginal community in Australia... now buddy, whats your chances of success? Are you exposed to equal opportunities in comparism to the whites there?
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a point to think about -
Ironically, the system that we run away from gave us a chance to walk ahead of others overseas.But let's not get too sentimental, these days, you gotta cover your six before clearing that room full of baddies ahead.Originally posted by Beep:like i say, online is a unique platform for people to air their views, so dun hastily condemn others as quitters, etc etc..
what he say does make sense, well, to a certain extend you know.. a china scholar maybe (just maybe) would be saying this to his fellow countrymen in china about singapore, about how Singapore offers him/her endless possibilities, be it in academic or economical pursuits... , i believe, personally of course, that saying singapore hammers down opportunities for her citizens is downright untrue.. we're actually opened to many opportunities the moment we're born, but its always the competition that closes them all...
look, actually i've a point to make here, no, im not nationalistic, well its just being fair you know to say this..
You see, in Singapore, whether you're born into a chink, mat, or ah neh family, whether you live in a 1 room flat or a freehold SemiD doesnt really affect what your furture to be, its basically hard work... a son of any random cabbie, if he works hard enough (not just in studies, but in arts and sports too) he is able to be successful. just look at some of our ministers, they're sons of butchers, etc..etc..
now lets look back at america and australian.. come on, lets just say you're born into a black ghetto or an aboriginal community in Australia... now buddy, whats your chances of success? Are you exposed to equal opportunities in comparism to the whites there?
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a point to think about -
but if you emigrate and take up foreign citzenship or whatnot you are still 2nd class citizen to them.
YOU DONT AND WONT BELONG!!! -
I might be reading it wrongly, but what opportunities abound? What are the opportunities that is claimed to be the equaliser and the gauge of one's effort?
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for me, the opportunities are education subjects i can never get in singapore, and a job i can never survive with in singapore.
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for me, the opportunities are education subjects i can never get in singapore, and a job i can never survive with in singapore.
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the point is, singapore is too small of all of us. whether we return here with our achievements outside, so called outside anyways.. or not, is a personal preference, respect that.
he got his rights to quit, and he is happy about it. -
And the FTs here feel second class?I beg to differ..there is no shame in taking up foreign citizenship and impressions are all in your mind.Originally posted by dragg:but if you emigrate and take up foreign citzenship or whatnot you are still 2nd class citizen to them.
YOU DONT AND WONT BELONG!!!
Get with the flow and live their way of life.Same as those who come here, get with it and live our way of life. -
dont compare our PR/citizenship policies with other countries.Originally posted by LazerLordz:And the FTs here feel second class?I beg to differ..there is no shame in taking up foreign citizenship and impressions are all in your mind.
Get with the flow and live their way of life.Same as those who come here, get with it and live our way of life.
we are cosmopolitan. our people and govt generally welcome foreigners of any race/nationalities. australia doesnt. there are a lot of racism there. unlike angmo from other countries we, asians can hardly blend into their society.
i have heard and read of lots of stories about asians being targetted there. -
Heard and read...Have you lived there for long, walked and breathed the suburbian air and not in the typical tourist spots?Originally posted by dragg:dont compare our PR/citizenship policies with other countries.
we are cosmopolitan. our people and govt generally welcome foreigners of any race/nationalities. australia doesnt. there are a lot of racism there. unlike angmo from other countries we, asians can hardly blend into their society.
i have heard and read of lots of stories about asians being targetted there.
I've travelled in the outback before and I have relatives in OZ living for nearly 20 years and they have not encountered any racism beyond what we face in Singapore,which is non-malicious and purely founded on the foundations of ignorance.
We are cosmopolitan but personally, those PRC chinks have a long way to go and they better integrate and fast.
Blending in is no problem when you know that you made a decision to move to a different society and make the effort to live as they do, adding your uniqueness to their pot while not being an abrasive ass and imposing your values on them and viewing life through your own narrow mind.If you do that anywhere, you will inevitably suffer.
The world is becoming mobile, and those who stand against it will eventually lose.Same goes for fundamentalists, they will die out and no matter how hard they try to stop progress or however violent their opposition, progress will march on. -
"we're just sowing the seeds of a world without borders"
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can anyone give him a good reason why he should return to sg??? anything better here???
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IMO singapore is the most racist..for example, even if you're born and bred here all your life but if you have white skin you're called an "ang moh", an outsider. in the states never once have i been called a chink or yellow belly, nor did they regard me as a foreign intruder into their country, i was treated just like any other american..same thing in australia..
so stop listening to the MITA's bullcrap and go travel more to experience things yourself before making any stupid comments. -
Racism or being a 2nd clz citizen is always the standard reply to discourage anyone wanting to go overseas so much so that i think it might the govt that is actually propogating this idea...
anyway, i find his point that he was able to go on to further academic achievements overseas a real good one. In singapore, its alittle too constrainted. Its always like em3 muz go normal tech muz go ITE...blah blah.
But then Singapore is a pragmatic country like the govt say and of course the citizens ought to be pragmatic themselves and seek greener pastures. Stuff like quitters and stayers are simply silly. Why not say that singapore has quit on some of its less academically weaker people...
Singapore only cares about its elite and, sad to say, doesn't bother much about its less priviledged. In this case it is only reciprocal that the elite only care about seeking greener pastures and leaving the less green ones behind. -
Well, that's one thing we can agree on.Lots of us indulge in casual racism not knowing that the other party might mind.But if it aint malicious, we could just look past it and ignore it as part of our local fabric, where the average EQ level is still stuck somewhere between the mud and the first tree branch.Originally posted by vito_corleone:IMO singapore is the most racist..for example, even if you're born and bred here all your life but if you have white skin you're called an "ang moh", an outsider. in the states never once have i been called a chink or yellow belly, nor did they regard me as a foreign intruder into their country, i was treated just like any other american..same thing in australia.. so stop listening to the MITA's bullcrap and go travel more to experience things yourself before making any stupid comments.
True, I've been labelled yellow etc in college, if I happened to just sit down at a canteen table full of Indians..and that's just basically retarded and lacking in intellect.Yes I'm yellow, I don't need to be reminded thank you very much.
Oh well, lots of those who parrot the official line have not even taken their own tour overseas, not to mention staying for weeks at a time and really living as a local. -
No offence to Chinese....But they are a bit racist in some countries towards chinks...because the reason is plain simple..They brought their Singaporean "kiasuism" over there....And Kiausism is more identified with chinks than malays or Indians..Indians or others may have it easier there because they are able to blend in attitude wise....
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Haha,that I've seen, but it's not racism by the Aussies, more like us who are laidback , pointing them out and having a hoot over our "kiasu" cousins.Originally posted by Harris_JeyaRaj:No offence to Chinese....But they are a bit racist in some countries towards chinks...because the reason is plain simple..They brought their Singaporean "kiasuism" over there....And Kiausism is more identified with chinks than malays or Indians..Indians or others may have it easier there because they are able to blend in attitude wise.... -
whatever it is..try your very best to blend in and adapt to the local lifestyle...don't act like a bloody tourist or some weirdo who just wants to stick to his own click like a lot of china students here.
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Amen to that.China students...ooh their pure, unravaged, uncouth and loud academic attempts to appear smart just cracks me up on the train.Now that's not racism, that's factual reporting.Originally posted by vito_corleone:whatever it is..try your very best to blend in and adapt to the local lifestyle...don't act like a bloody tourist or some weirdo who just wants to stick to his own click like a lot of china students here. -
If u are Indian or Malay, They tend to mistake u for their citizen Latin Americans ect...
An Indian friend of mine who went to US dressed and behaved as what Latinas do....What a joker!!