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.
I totally agree with you.
It is not easy to find a fairer country
other from Singapore.
NIcely said Mike
I would also add that a government, while not wholly popular, nor one that readily admits mistakes – is at least a government FOR the people in general. And things that need to be done, get done. In places like India or the USA ( the ‘real’ democracies), its so much talk from every single interest group that by the time you get done what was suppose to be done – it doesnt matter anymore
Thank you David. I did make 3 mistakes…
1) Not all religions get 2 days of national holidays: Thaipusam is no longer a national holiday (it was in the 1970s) and Buddhists actually get Vesak Day.
2) CNY is mainly a Chinese holiday but as it is the lunar new year, many Asians celebrate it in some way including Thais, Vietnamese and even Mongolians.
3) The figure is $320,000 for the maximum of 20% tax rate to kick in.
I apologize for my mistakes and THANK YOU to those who noted the corrections. God bless you all
mike
Michael this was a “Left Field” Email and it has taken me for a loop. For so long now i have been considering relocating to the States to enjoy the dynamic nature of the country and the diversity that it has to offer BUT now you have caused me to reconsider my options and now i am looking into the new possibilities of Singapore – Thank you for opening my mind just a little further
CMS ( CAI )
Thank you Christopher.
I’m not saying that the USA is a bad place to live. My bride still wants to move back eventually for the reasons you mentioned and I might consider it in 5 more years if we got a place in the mountains with 25 to 100 acres around us.
BUT…
• 1 in 5 Americans has a sexually transmitted disease that will NEVER go away. Do I want my kids in that environment?
• Oprah, on one of her shows, claimed 50% of American 8th graders (Sec 2 students) had experienced oral sex, claiming it was not sex and many thought kissing was more intimate.
• Guns – Guns – Guns… One of the reasons the murder rate is so low in Singapore is NO GUNS. About 220 murders in Singapore a year. For 5 million people, that is REALLY low. Half of those are foreign workers killing other foreign workers.
• Graffiti is a crime here against society and punishable by caning (over 18 males only) and jail time. The MRT is 22 years old and looks pristine. In the USA, nazi symbols, swear words, dirty pictures and gang symbols can be everywhere in cities and even small towns.
• 60 Minutes featured a school valedictorian from a small Kentucky school who could not gain admittance into a junior college. Schools are NOT equal at all in the states.
I can go on, but you get the idea.
I LOVE America. I’m just frustrated and saddened at what it has become due to leaders that make decisions based upon what gets them re-elected rather than on what is good for the country.
A population where the majority does not care as long as beer and cable TV are cheap… many of whom (40% to 50% ??) are unable to put together a coherent sentence…eg: “What kind of outfit you got?” “Ford Ranger.” “Them are nice trucks.” (exact quote from a college grad in South Dakota) No better than Singlish.
I’m struggling Christopher whether to ever go back to live. If we HOME SCHOOLED our children, lived in a small community near a large city with a strong local Christian church… perhaps. It would all just have to be right.
STAYING in Singapore, we just have to make more money to have the same lifestyle and options. I think once someone in Singapore has over $10 Million, it can be similar to what you have in the USA (2 cars, boat, land around your house, etc.) with few of the downsides and a ton of upsides.
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