There’s so much wrong info and mistaken assumptions going on that it isn’t funny and can be quite misleading to the TS.

I’ve been a PR in Singapore for close to 25-30 years.

I came down for a S$1,700 salary. As a Q pass holder (equivalent to an EP now). No need to pay CPF. I worked regular 12 to 18 hour shifts, sometimes 24 hours. I took MRT and buses. I used a pager for 8 years. I lived in a rented room at Clementi. And ate either at the work canteen, or at hawker centres.

I still had money left over to save regularly.

Nearly 30 years on, I now work 6 hours a day, 5 days a week and 3 hours for the other day. I don’t work on Sundays and public holidays anymore. I have at least 60 days of leave a year, not counting the weekends. I’m now a PR, which means I pay CPF. You can read HERE if you want to know why I stayed on in Singapore for so long.

3kk! is correct in saying that you cannot buy private property as a PR if you already have a resale HDB flat. That privilege is reserved for Singaporeans only. You CAN buy commercial properties though. I know this for a fact because my wife had to become Singaporean so we could continue to live in our HDB while we made purchases of residential and commercial properties in Singapore. We eventually sold off our HDB but I’ve remained a PR while she is now Singaporean.

If TS is young (like I once was), you should come down to give it a try. Never try, never know. If you like it, you stay and help share your version of the facts as you perceive them to be (like what I’m doing here).

If you don’t like it, you go - and you can share the reasons why you left.

Just remember this: Singapore has no mercy for the weak, the mediocre, or those with a tongkat mentality. If you can’t perform, they’ll replace you with someone that can, regardless whether you’re Singaporean or not, what more if you’re just a foreign worker. This is now meritocracy works. Like I said before, it’s a blessing for those who can work hard and have genuine talent. It is a curse for those who are lazy and have a tongkat mentality. The former group will thrive and prosper. The latter group will end up disillusioned and be a bunch sour grapes and spread half-truths and outright fabrications about Singapore.

Different strokes for different folks, different grass for different cows, your mileage may vary.

This post has been edited by hksgmy: Nov 28 2019, 08:41 AM

Do you know why there are so many foreign workers in Singapore?

It's because the Singapore Government gives a lot of tongkat to Singaporeans, in comparison to foreign workers/permanent residents.

Subsidized housing, subsidized schooling, subsidized government hospital and polyclinic visits, GST rebates, utility rebates (electricity, water, waste disposal), CPF & Medisave cash top ups, Bonus cash payments in times of good budget surpluses. I know all of this because my wife (who is now Singaporean) gets them, while I (who have remained a PR) is not given any of these benefits and special privileges.

So, the tongkat has spoiled the native Singaporean. They've become demanding, always asking for more. Always wanting more. Never wanting to work the hard jobs, only wanting the cushy jobs with the high pay. But, what can the government do? If they take away the tongkat, the government is afraid that they'll lose the election - so, more tongkat on the way. Pioneer generation, Merdeka generation. What's next? Mari Kita generation? Mangala generation akan datang, if this goes on.

In the end, the government needs to import foreign talents and foreign workers - because these bunch of people are hungry and are willing to work hard, with no misplaced sense of self-entitlement and mistaken sense of self-importance or unwarranted sense of supremacy. And what do the native Singaporeans do? Plotek, plotek - say Gahmen don't give work to Singaporeans, only want foreign workers. HOW TO GIVE WORK TO SINGKIES WHEN THESE BUMIS DON'T WANT TO DO WORK AND ONLY WANT EASY HANDOUTS?

Bodoh Singaporeans.

Lucky my wife is only Singaporean on IC, but still very Malaysian in mentality.

Sorry, I didn't understand your English. What did you mean by "how low the marginal propensity to save over there"? Did you mean that a lot of them have very little savings/hard to save? Or, did you mean that although they save, the amount saved is very little?

Please forgive my substandard command of English.

Terima kasih atas penjelasan tuan.

Sekian.

Thank you so much for the explanation - it is very much appreciated.

Cheers!

Aiya, it's okay cloudwan0 - haters will hate, butthurters will hurt. I suppose they have to say it's hell in Singapore because it somehow makes them feel better about themselves. Don't lose any sleep over it.