Why We Love Singapore So Much
Why We Love Singapore So Much?
Sometimes people ask me why I moved to Singapore with my family from the US when so many people are trying to move into the US. Well, here are some of the reasons why we love Singapore, The Garden City:
1. 20% taxes MAXIMUM and that is only after (I believe) $320k in income. Another figure I saw in the paper was that 95% of the taxes in Singapore are paid by the top 5% income earners of the country.
2. SAFE. In the USA, 1 out of 3 women gets raped in her lifetime (FBI stat). In South Africa, it is .85 rapes per woman on average. In Singapore, it’s 1 in 10,000. I have a bride and 2 daughters…
3. Ease of transportation. Buses, trains, taxis everywhere and cheap
4. First world clean and modern. All the conveniences. Brisk economy, plenty of entertainment and the arts, green city and cheap beach resort holidays within a 1 – 2 hour flight or 45 minute ferry ride.
5. AMAZING food of every imaginable kind
6. Our children go to local schools which are rated #1 in the world in Maths and Science (USA is 19th in math, 27th in science). Cost is $11 SGD per month (US $7) I’ve paid over $20k for schools in Minnesota, USA as a single guy through property tax when I had no kids and got nothing for that. Education is NOT free in the USA. EVERYONE pays whether they have children or not. Is that fair?
7. MUCH of the business in the world is here in Asia and is GROWIG. Within a 5 hour flight of Singapore there are 2.5 billion people, 1 Billion of which speak English
8. There is true religious freedom here. Unlike the US and many countries in the ‘West’ where you cannot MENTION God in schools or the platform, Singapore as a country celebrates the major religions. Christians get Christmas and Good Friday, Chinese get 2 days at Lunar New Year, Muslims get Hari Raya and Hari Raya Pusar and Hindus get Deepavali and Thaipusam. (Atheists get every Sunday off.) For these holidays, they decorate PUBLIC streets and buildings, put up shrines, process through the streets and do whatever that group wants to do. Now THAT is religious freedom.
9. Banks here charge 1.6% to 5% interest on mortgages AND from your first mortgage payment, 30% goes to the principle. Your LAST mortgage payment, 30% goes to the principle. SO.. in the first 5 years, you actually pay down your mortgage.
10. The government is not just DEBT FREE… they have BILLIONS in assets. SMART!! The USA pays about a third of every tax dollar collected for INTEREST on it’s debt. Another 1/3 goes to military. Only 1/3 of USA tax dollars goes to schools, libraries roads, etc. As more people are in government in the USA than in manufacturing (since 1998), government salaries outstrip those of manufacturing, taking the lion’s share of that non interest, non military 1/3.
11. Unlike the USA Social (in)-Security where the money we paid in for our retirements went into a general fund and is now completely underfunded to the amount of $107 Trillion, in Singapore, they have CPF (Central Provident Fund) and it’s invested in safe market securities and people can choose investments from a pool to manage that fund for higher returns. They can withdraw a portion from it to pay for their home and when they retire, get 50% in a LUMP SUM and the rest meted out in monthly amounts. Awesome retirement safety net.
12. True, transparent jurisprudence. Quick and speedy trial. Commit a crime and in 1 to 3 months the sentence is handed out. No juries swayed by emotional arguments but a legal team who knows the law. Appeal a judgement you think is unfair without proving just cause and your penalty can be doubled (don’t waste the court’s time!) As a result, the courts are not clogged like in the USA where it can take 3 years to get a final decision.
13. Healthcare is subsidized by the government and is very cheap but not free so there is little abuse. If you want to get to the front of the cue (line) and willing to pay a premium, you can.
14. The people here are respectful of their neighbours and do not curse and swear in public. We take our children out on public buses and local coffee shops and ‘pubs’ (public houses) and we never have to worry about the language used at the adjacent seat or table. This is a country of truly dignified people. Not perfect… but people I respect for their values of honesty, integrity, saving and industry.
Trust me, I can go on. An American wrote me recently and I felt the need to explain to him why we chose to live in Singapore and just got started writing. If you are Singaporean or expat living here, I hope you agree with me. If you are from outside Singapore, I hope I did not offend you as I’m sure there are dozens of great reasons why you like or love your country of residence. For my family and I, we really enjoy this environment and see it as the perfect place to raise our children. No matter where you live, remember to appreciate what you have and to do your best to make it the best environment for you and your family. God bless you all.
Smile Maker: Bragging or Admitting
A Texan was boasting to an elderly Singaporean one day, “When I drive around my ranch, it takes almost a whole day.” The Singaporean just said, “Alamak!… I used to have a car like that in my 20s.”
Got comments or questions about why we love Singapore so much? Just leave your comments here.
