There’s no denying that Singapore has a stronger currency than Malaysia and it’s also one of the reasons why Singaporeans always want to shop here now that our Ringgit has gone down to an all-time low. However, despite their country’s financial status, is it true that Singaporeans are secretly envious of Malaysians? And for what reason?
Yesterday (Thursday, 16th November), a TikTok user who goes by Cflieu, shared his thoughts on why he believes Singapore may have a “secret desire” to have things that Malaysians have. “I believe Singaporeans are jealous because Malaysians are taking things that they could’ve had [in their country].” The man, who described himself to be a financial strategist, further elaborated by listing down things in Malaysia that are not so easily accessible in the neighbouring country.
@cflieu Replying to @cflieu this is the clip @Malaysia Finance Strategist for Malaysians, as a licensed financial advisor who has Malaysian clients with Singapore permanent residency, working in Singapore yet planning to retire rich, retire early before 60 back in Malaysia after milking that strong Singaporean dollar during their peak earning power years in their 40 and 50 years of age. #ringgitmalaysia #malaysiavssingapore #cpf #cpflife #singaporevsmalaysia
Firstly, the TikToker pointed out that if a Malaysian chooses to retire early and go back to his home country after years of working in Singapore, they will instantly become rich after withdrawing their CPF (Central Provident Fund) and converting the Singaporean dollars to Malaysian Ringgit. He added the fact that during the Covid-19 lockdown, the Malaysian government allowed citizens to withdraw money from their EPF (Employees Provident Fund) to help them survive whereas Singaporeans were not allowed to do so with their CPF.
Secondly, the content creator shared another reason why he believes Singaporeans may be envious of Malaysians is how the latter can easily own a car despite their currency being lower than the former’s saying that a fresh graduate salary would already be enough for Malaysians to own their own vehicle. “Singaporeans can work 10 years but still struggle to get just the permit to own a car,” he said.
However, despite all the comparisons he made, the Malaysian man noted that Singaporeans have a lot to be grateful for like the MediSave, for example. For your information, Singapore has the MediSave component in their CPF which helps individuals set aside part of their income to pay for health and medical needs. “Which government forces you to save money so that you can pay for medical care during your old age?” Cflieu asked in the video.
The financial strategist also noted that Singapore has a more sufficient and convenient public transport system and cleaner public spaces and facilities compared to the ones in Malaysia. As seen in the screenshots above, netizens, including those from Singapore agreed with his points that there are certain things that are easily accessible for Malaysians that would be difficult for them in their country.
Of course, there were some who argued that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side saying that both countries have their own pros and cons and that it’s all a matter of how one adapts to their environment. Do you agree with Cflieu’s opinions? Share with us your thoughts on the matter.
Source: TikTok
