Hear Ye! Hear Ye!

There was an active discussion by some Singaporeans who have gone overseas in one of my more recent posts, middle-class graduate sandwich. Almost all the sentiments expressed are the same: Singapore is a pressure cooker society where one works long hours but have little quality of life.

Our MSM seldom portrays the positive side of countries other than Singapore, and even with the Internet, it may not necessarily be easy to find Singaporeans who have been in Singapore and out of Singapore to share their personal experiences. I’ve decided to cut and paste the comments (with some minor formatting) in that discussion thread into this post so that everyone can be a little more well informed, and hopefully become a little more daring in venturing overseas. We are not stuck in the well of Singapore forever.

Many thanks to those who have kindly shared their experiences. On a personal level, it helped affirm my personal belief that it is important to get out of Singapore and live somewhere else for a few years. While Singapore is indeed an excellent place to live in, with good law and order, education and relative lack of disasters, I’m not sure whether staying in this “test-tube” where conditions are so well controlled is good for me in the long term. I will not know whether Singapore is better than other countries until I venture out, but at least the experience of others show that it’s not exactly bad out there either.

From superman:

However, in a globalised ecnonomy, companies need more workers with international experience and exposure. You could be a professional, mid-manager, sales or any field, but if you have the ability to work across different geographical regions, there is a demand and value, regardless of age. To gain that experience, you need to start early and make some sacrifices early in the career. A choice which many Singaporeans are not prepared to make.

Instead of buying HDB flat, I took my savings and invested in an overseas education and found myself working abroad for a few years. I picked up another language and now see myself travelling across different countries. That early sacrifices paid off handsomely later in my career.

Likewise I am a NUS graduate but now based in HK and China, working for a European company. I was hired because of my qualifications from a European University and I doubt I will ever return to Singapore because of the low pay and limited opportunities back home.

When foreign talents go to Singapore work, they are basically clocking in their mileage to show on their CV that they have overseas experience. Likewise for Singaporeans, we should go overseas and build up our CV on international business experience. I don’t think it is an option anymore, it is a basic requirement if you want to stay viable or be valued in the market.

From J S Tan:

Look at your expenses and your expectations. In Singapore, I used to spend what I earn. Even when my paycheck increased from $2k+ to $3k+/mth, I will always be able to find something that I want to buy. I had an alphanumeric pager (very advanced in 1995) for example. Basically, I was into the latest gadgets. I am part of the consumerism you mentioned. And I was unhappy at most time. Books by Eckhart Tolle “the power of now” and “a new earth” described this condition. From these books, I was recently (2005) enlightened towards some of the concepts taught in Buddhism. Arriving in Canada 6 years ago (2000), I started to rein in my expenses. I realized that all these while, buying newspaper, mentos, taking cab, eating out, sugar cane juice, etc. these are luxury items that I can do without in Singapore.

Maybe it is the culture of the place but I managed to be happy without these material goods in Canada. Rather, I was awed by the beauty of the nature around me that I do not have to depend on the newest gadget to feel happy. ……….Another thing. Many Canadians “ta-pao” their lunch to work. Put your lunch box in the fridge (provided by employer) in the morning, warm it in the microwave (also provided by employer) during lunch and eat.

By doing these, my expenses could be zero for a whole day! My main expenditure is at the supermarket buying food. I managed to keep my expenses to $300-$500/mth. So in my opinion, if you want your material goods now, Singapore is a good place for you, cos you could find them relatively cheaply. But if you plan to bite the bullet today, saving for a better tomorrow, the culture in Singapore might not be conducive enough for you to do much. Read the above 2 books to help realize your situation (I recommend “a new earth” by Eckhart Tolle).

You mentioned about family and having kids a couple of times. Allow me to share again. My wife and I talked about it earlier this year. We both agreed that if we have not taken this path (going overseas), we probably will not be having kids now, and most likely our marriage will be rocky, and my job will have been long gone. By going to Canada, while I was pursuing my phd, we managed to have our first baby in 2002!

You are probably wondering how we managed to have the money for that, considering that delivering a baby at KK + checkups and diagnostics etc will come up to $5k-$10k easily. In fact it is very cheap to have a baby in Canada. That is where the system is different in Canada. As a family of 2 then, we must pay $64/mth for a medical insurance. This covers for all doctor visits, scans, tests etc. Only prescription drug is not included. So for having the baby, the total hospital bill for us was $0. Yes, zero dollars. We had to pay $12 for a one week parking pass at the hospital though! We had a friend in Singapore whose new born was hospitalized for extended period and they went broke!

This will never happen in Canada, as the system takes care of the people equally, rich or poor. The down side is a higher tax, which you hear about in the papers about western countries, but not the good side of it. With a Canadian baby, we were given tax rebates, gst rebates and child tax benefits. It comes down to receiving a cheque of about $200+ every month! This pays for the diapers easily, while breast milk is free. The advantages of having a baby in Canada is well known among the Korean that they have an industry arranging for expectant mothers to deliver in Canada, get the passport, return to Korean and the baby not have to serve NS later. To take advantage of the system, we had our second kid in Canada too!

In my opinion, the system is very pro family and compassionate and caring in Canada. In my experience, it does not mean that going overseas will imply delaying marriage and having a baby (you seem to allude to this in your comments). Rather, if you have to remain in Singapore, then inevitably the baby will have to wait until you are financially more stable.

From Vikwek:

I am a Singaporean graduate who has lived overseas for the last 6 years. I was earning a decent income in Singapore but left with my husband when he decided to go overseas for his graduate studies without any scholarship. When we arrived in the new country, we lived on a shoestring budget. Our standard of living dropped (no eating out at fine restaurants, no movies, etc). We didn’t even have a TV at home. I “upgraded” from becoming a manager of a department to “queen of the household” (ie home-maker).

Earlier this year, upon my husband’s graduation from his studies, we sat down and calculated our opportunity costs. We weren’t scientific about it, just a rough estimate of how much we would have earned without any pay increase or promotions if we had remained in SG assuming we still had our jobs all these while and it came up to more than half a million! Our total income from his graduate studies stipend from the last 6 years was less than 20% of that.

But both of us agreed that our quality of life was way much better than when we were in SG. When we were in SG, we were working long hours, even on weekends. Our free time together was spent either the movies or shopping. But when we were overseas, the amount of time we spent with each other and our kids increased tremendously. The kinds of activities we could do as a family without travelling was uncountable. The abundance of nature around us was inspiring and humbling. We grew and matured, not financially, but emotionally, psychologically and spiritually. I found myself becoming more compassionate, more generous, more caring of others and more environmentally friendly. These gains are not measurable in financial terms. I believe that what we have experienced is something money cannot buy. Even if we had earned that income in SG, I doubt we would be a fraction as happy as we have been the last 6 years. Our families in SG thought we were making a huge sacrifice by lowering our standard of living, but my husband and I feel we are wealthier than most.

Was our opportunity cost worth it? You bet!

Afternote: We went back to SG after my husband’s graduation and stayed there for a few months. I was horrified to find that our overseas exposure has changed me so much I couldn’t really fit into the SG culture anymore. I felt guilty that I was actually thankful we were only visiting SG and not returning for good……

Looks like the issue of elitism that was spawned by the Wee Shu-min affair refuses to die down. A neighbourhood schoolgirl blogged about her opinion of students from prestigious institutions, claiming that people from the so-called elite schools often make snobbish remarks and look down on students from neighbourhood schools.

The reason why I am revisting the elitism issue is simply because I find the entire debate about elitism to be over a very narrow definition. In Singapore’s context, the definition of an elite appears to be one who has attended top secondary and post secondary institutions, won prestigious government scholarships and armed with a top class honours degree. Some of these people might or might not come from rich families, but if the “elite” came from a rich family, the damnation goes up one notch.

Grumbling about elitism is a futile exercise because no matter where one is, elitism is bound to manifest itself. The only difference is the form of manifestation that it takes on. In Singapore, our society is built on the basis of meritocracy, and therefore the elites are those who are able to show measurable achievements. In other words, most of the elites in Singapore are created by the effort of the individual.

Another manifestion of elitism that is very different from ours can be seen just right across the Causeway. Over in Malaysia, most of the elites are born being an elite, regardless of their ability. A certain group of people are conferred elite status by virtue of their ethinicty, and not their ability. Their privileged status allows them life opportunities that some people might not get even if they are exceedingly capable, just because these people are of a different ethnicity.

The point here is all societies have a group of people which the society deems to be elite. I am not sure if this is natural, but it is certainly the truth. The problem with elitism in a society is the definition of an “elite”. In Singapore, our definition of an elite is certainly superior over countries where elitism is conferred on the basis of some physical attribute. At least a person who aspires to join the ranks of the elite has an opportunity to do so.

Singapore’s definition of elitism, although superior to some of our neighbours, is still too narrow in my opinion. We place far too much emphasis on hallmarks of formal education in defining our elite. The Chinese have a saying that goes 三百六十行，行行出状元 (out of 360 different occupations, each will produce a top scholar). As an example, a hawker might not have much formal education, but does this necessarily mean that he/she is less capable than a graduate? I think not. There are many graduates struggling to land jobs, while there are many hawkers who can afford to drive a Mercedes.

I think that for the good of our society, we should expand our definition of elitism. The hawker, having little formal education, might not be able to articulate his/her thoughts and opinions as well as a graduate. However, the difference probably ends there. In terms of producing measurable results, a hawker might not necessary be inferior. We need to get out of the mindset that only graduates are capable.

One of my professors who lived in the United States her entire life until she came to Singapore a year ago to teach always remarked to me at how she is always amazed by the Singaporean taxi driver. Based on her many interactions with Singaporean taxi drivers, she thinks that they are amazingly well-informed and intelligent. It is a shame that an outsider can appreciate the abilities of taxi-drivers, while Singaporeans have the impression that they are of a lower intellectual class.

Perhaps Singapore can start revising its definition of elitism by starting with our Parliament. I presume that each and every Member of Parliament can be considered an elite, since they are leaders of our country. Where are the hawkers, taxi-drivers and technicians in our parliament? Are doctors, economists and lawyers the only groups of people intelligent enough to lead our country? Are we so biased towards certain groups that we confer them the elite status while blinding ourselves to the potential of others?

In reading Dhamendra Yadav and Bernard Leong’s thoughts on self-regulation by bloggers, I find myself agreeing with the principle of self-regulation.

The reason is simple enough. I don’t wish to see a blogger get into trouble over something posted on his/her blog out of ignorance. I don’t think that any blogger would intentionally seek trouble; the problem is more of a lack of knowledge of the environment governing communication.

Of course, why should bloggers self-regulate instead of leaving it up to the authorities? BL postulated blogger aversion to anything official as one reason. My perspective is that self-regulation may postpone an overly strict set of guidelines by official bodies that can restrict the relatively free space of expression enjoyed now by Singaporean bloggers.

The changes in the Penal Code might be a sign of things to come if things continue in their current trajectory. As the government begins to have greater experience with blogging, they will eventually figure out how best to control blogosphere. A self-regulating community may not prevent legislation, but it can help delay legislation or offer recommendations for any new legislation governing blogosphere such that it will not stifle the fledgling blogging community.

An association representing bloggers will cut more ice with authorities rather than individual bloggers voicing their opinions. This is a way of life everywhere, so it should not be a surprise. The question is whether such an association will have the support of the blogging community in general. For the association to work, it must be able to command enough support, or else it will just be a paper tiger.

I believe that such an association will actually command support if it can be a comprehensive source of information on blogging in Singapore, and that it actually can do some behind the scene negotiation if any member happen to transgress. Topics such as libel/defamation laws, copyright laws, ethics, good writing, nature of computer-mediated communication etc should be of considerable interest to most bloggers, whom I suspect are probably rather ignorant about all these right now. The closest website I’ve seen providing such information is on WWLegal but I think more can be done.

Ultimately, I hope that bloggers will come round to seeing the merit in having an association. To cut to the chase, its really for their own protection. In Singapore, our constitution gurantees freedom of expression but with restrictions. If we do not pre-empt the officials, it’s only a matter of time before the restrictions come in, which may very well kill the Singaporean blogging community. And, an association will raise the credibility of blogging. Members will be deemed ‘accredited’, and this will remove claims of blogs being unreliable by our government leaders. If bloggers can uphold a certain set of code of conduct, they can write with greater confidence and their words be taken with greater credibility.

Of course, as BL rightly pointed out, when people get together, there is bound to be politicking. However, should this even deter the formation of an association, given the benefits of having one? Singaporeans from all walks of life are blogging, and we can harness the collective expertise of this group, such as lawyers, academics, PR practitioners, writers etc to take the Singapore blogosphere to another level. Even if one does not wish for his/her blog to be a credible alternative to mainstream media, being a member of the association signifies that the content can be read with confidence because it is written in accordance with a set of guidelines.

On whether blogosphere is ready for such an association, I think that is a pointless debate. Maybe it’s just my perception, but I think that people will never agree on whether blogosphere is ready for such an association. I would just say that some bloggers should just get the ball rolling and see how things go from there. I’m willing to give this a shot. Anyone else willing to join?

The answer to whether one is a quitter or a foreign talent is simply one of perspective.

When a Singaporean decides to leave our shores for good, that person is labelled as a quitter: one who has reaped the benefits of what Singapore has to offer and instead of repaying back, he goes to another country that offers a sweeter deal than what Singapore can offer.

Frankly, what is wrong with that? Why do we label our country mates (or ex country mates) as a quitter for choosing “greener pastures”? After all, are we not perpetuating the quitter notion with our policy towards the so called “foreign talent”? For those we think (special emphasis on the word think because I am skeptical that most of them are actually real talents) are foreign talents, we give out scholarships freely, offer generous remuneration packages, cut taxes etc all in a bid to receive their services.

With the generous schemes in place for foreigners, we are luring them to quit their country to come to Singapore. It seems to me that there are double standards when we decry our own talents for leaving our shores while we actively encourage people of other nationalities to quit their country to come here.

I don’t think we should label the talented Singaporeans who choose to leave Singapore as quitters. They are foreign talents from the perspective of their new country. We should be gracious enough to accept the fact that as we poach from other countries, some other nation will similar come poach our talents. What goes around comes around.

If we want to criticise our own people for “quitting” the country, I think we should stop encouraging other people to quit their own country. You can’t have your cake and eat it at the same time.