Singaporeans who quit the country and migrate overseas are disloyal

By: ROSE among THORNS

Loyalty for the country is something which one takes pride in. Loyalty simply means to be faithful, to one’s country, to one’s commitments and obligations and also to be of allegiance. Singapore started out with just a small plot of land and not much to brag about, with manpower as her only resource but after years of experience and much learning from critics, Singapore has become a very fine country with many needs and wants in which a country can offer to an individual.

Loyalty however is an individual’s choice. Though he or she was educated here, they may not like the work environment when starting a career in Singapore. Their choice is what decides whether they are loyal to the country or not.

Definitions of loyalty vary according to circumstances. There are a few reasons why Singaporeans just quit their country and migrate overseas. These few reasons are enough to state the fact that they want the best for themselves and not for others.

Some may say that education in Singapore is the best and we cannot deny the fact that some foreigners come here to make sure that their children get the best education possible. From these mindsets, some too have the same mindset in wanting their children to study overseas in the thinking that other countries have better standards and methods of educating and also the high prospects of job availabilities and a definite brighter future. Studying in Singapore is time consuming. 1/3 of our lives are just spent on studying and only on the later stage of our lives that we can start a career. In the end, can we say that other places also offer the same thing and that for most developed countries, 1/3 of their lives are spent on studying. Singapore itself is improving their methods of study and that education standards in Singapore improve each time. Quitting the country to migrate overseas and study is none other than their own individual choice and not because of disloyalty.

Besides education, some wanted to quit living in Singapore because they cannot stand the costly living standards here. Reason is that Singapore is very taxing and everything is to just pay, pay and pay. In terms of work too, some claimed that Singapore is too stressful and that they need to get away to a ‘not so stress’ country that offers the same job but with lesser stress. Excuse? Singapore too stressful and can die faster. But why then expatriates from other nations come here to start a business? And are successful at that? Our answer is simple and that it is all in the head, the mind. Overseas, they can live their life freely; more freedom and can even afford to build their dream home. From there, they learn to experience new ideas and things and learn to be independent and look at life from a different perspective. That can be the perspective of someone who dreams to live outside of Singapore. But Singaporeans can also enjoy the same freedom without even going outside of Singapore. All they need to do is to look at Singapore and its system from another perspective. Is not hard to imagine. We just have to try harder.

No eating and chewing of bubble gum. No smoking in air-conditioned places. No speeding. Wear helmets at all times. Limited freedom of speech is practiced here. However, these kinds of rules and regulations are ones that are already implemented not just in Singapore but also in other countries. Even with a semi democratic government, the government will still hear what their people will say before coming up with a rule and implementing them. Many say that Singapore have very strict rules but we do not realize that some countries may implement much more rules than Singapore. Fines in Singapore are not a major problem. It is just that Singapore has strict regulations and that Singapore follow closely with these rules.

In conclusion, we disagree with the statement that Singaporeans who quit the country and go overseas are disloyal. Singapore may not be the best country that a citizen may have but Singapore has done well in raising its only resource and that is its people. Though many went abroad to study and at the same time loving and living their life there, some still contribute to the society in many ways. Some still come back to contribute to the society. Others remain loyal to their country by being Singaporean everywhere they go. How can we name them disloyal when their way of life is still following the Singapore way, being “kiasu” and trying to be the best at everything?

They may quit Singapore and migrate overseas to have a better life and better future but deep down, all of them are Singaporean at heart. Disloyalty is one’s responsibility but we believe that when it comes to a time when Singapore is in need of help, even ones who quit the country may find themselves helping their homeland. Because wherever we are, whatever we may be, we are still a Singaporean. And still true to our country.