Dear Singaporeans, I need your help. Should I move to Singapore?
Before I go into detail about why I want to move to YOUR country or why I need your help, here’s a bit about me.
I’m a 29 yr old male, white and English. Yes I know that you would consider me British and I am, it’s what my
passport says, but I identify myself as English. I am proud of my heritage, just as I would be if I was Scottish, Welsh or Northern Irish and I would still be British. It’s a small thing, but none the less important to me.
I imagine that you are already thinking, over privileged Ang Mo, wants to come to my home and take my job, but I assure you that is not it. For starters, I’m not over privileged at all, in fact, in my country I am the under privileged. I come from a poor working class background, raised by a single parent and university was never an option for me. I have no qualifications, passed that of compulsory education and no trust fund, everything I have, I have earned solely on the merit of my personal achievements.
I don’t want to deceive you, I do well financially. Now. I worked and still work very, very hard for what I have and I have sacrificed more than I could tell you to get here. I use my now “privileged” situation to help many of my friends and I consider it a duty to those I care about.
Despite my lack of qualifications, I am still more capable of what I do, than anyone can hope to be educated in. Experience at doing my job, still means more than someone who, in theory, has been taught to do it.
In the past 2 years or so, I have had the pleasure of travelling to Singapore many times, I have worked with and now for, a company that has a regional office at Changi airport. I’ve made friends with residents, both born citizens and PR’s and more recently fallen in love with someone who lives there and all (including Singaporeans) encourage me to move there.
It’s not just the personal relationships I have, that make Singapore appealing, it’s also the little things. Many things, from the economy and job market, to the side of the road you drive and the plug sockets. Yes, I love the fact we use the same plug sockets to power our electronics.
My personal opinions/feelings aside, I feel an overwhelming responsibly, as someone who has earned the ability to consider moving abroad for a better opportunity and quality of living, to take that chance, but there is one thing stopping me. Singaporeans.
I ask you to consider the following similarities in our worlds. We both live on islands, with strong economies and multi-cultural societies. Everyone around us, wants to move here and benefit from our way of living.
But as a diligent follower of Singapore culture and politics, there is the undeniable fact, that most Singaporeans have had enough of immigrants. You publically dislike anyone foreign that comes to your country for a better life.
Anyone from FT’s and PRC’s, to those genuinely immigrating to become a part of your society.
Whilst I can empathise with your position, I can’t agree with it. I too see the influx of foreigners to my country, seeking the opportunity of a better life and the result can mean less jobs or lower income for British people.
But I do not begrudge anyone the right to a better life. In most cases, people uproot their entire lives and families to make a move to the UK and that deserves nothing less than my admiration.
I love SG and I want to become a contributing member of its society.
So
Dear Singaporeans, I need your help.
Should I move to Singapore?
Last Avalonian
Contributions
To leave a message to the author of this article, leave a comment below.