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Survey reveals: Singaporeans wish life was more like it was in the 70s and 80s

This article is more than 12 months old

Many Singaporeans wish life now was like that in the 70s, 80s and early 90s.

Yesterday (Mar 4), we wrote about a recent survey done in Korea where almost 60 per cent of Koreans said that they would not want to be reborn in Korea again as they longed for more free time - unlikely in "one of the hardest working societies in the world".

So we asked Singaporeans to take the survey, Would You Want To Be Born Again In Singapore?

Out of the 580 people who responded, around 50 per cent said "no", 30 per cent said "yes" and the rest said "maybe".

Surprisingly, many Singaporeans wished to be born in Singapore in its early days and have life continue being that "carefree, simple and happy".

Here are the results, see if you agree.

 

NO MORE SG FOR ME!:

1) It's too expensive, stressful and competitive.

2) I feel foreign talent get more perks than me. There are too many foreigners here. I feel like a foreigner myself.

3) I feel too controlled, stifled and I can't be creative here. I feel like a second class citizen in my own country, there is no freedom of speech.

4) There is over-crowding, it is over-populated here, I have to squeeze to get on the MRT.

5) The lifestyle is hectic, work hours are too long. I don't get enough family time, there is no work-life balance.

6) The laws are too tough, there is no welfare and education is too expensive.

7) There aren't many fun things to do here, shortage of entertainment places and everything is about success and money.

8) There is too little appreciation for sports and music. I want to be paid well for being good at sports and music.

9) Its an industrial jungle, there aren't much natural reserves, the weather is too hot and humid.

10) I don't want to serve national service, I feel like I have no identity here and our football's a joke. 

11) Life isn't what it used to be like in the 70s and 80s.

 

YES, I LOVE SG!:

1) I feel safe here, women are well protected and respected here and there is no place like home.

2) It is organised, efficient, good living, the education is good here, it is a very clean country.

3) I want Singapore in the 1980s and early 1990s where everything was simple and happy.

4) The air is clean and free of pollution and we have clean water that we can drink from the tap. We are clean and green.

5) We speak Singlish, multiculturalism makes us unique and we learn a lot about the different cultures.

6) There are many nice, open spaces, many people who migrate come back here to live eventually and we are a law-abiding city.

7) There is good public transport and medical services. There's frequent maintenance of public facilities and HDB flats and we have top class Internet access.

8) There is clear human rights, we are a true democratic society and we can't put a price tag on peace and security.

9) It is free of natural disasters, crime rates are low and there is political security.

10) In the 1980s and early 1990s, it was a period where I felt everybody had equal opportunities in education and career.

11) There is so much delicious food here. I love chicken rice.

 

 

Here's our favourite comment, from Facebook user James Tann

"For all the reasons people list as to why they don't want to be reborn here, the same problems are prevalent in other countries and worse. Grass is always greener on the other side. I know more people who migrated and came back than those who migrated and left for good."

One thing that someone mentioned as a positive is that Singaporeans have a "unique" sense of humour.

Here's what others said.
 

"Where else (can you) come here as a foreign talent earn money shiok.. get pr..build up CPF work abt 20 years chiow... sell house take the money go back home land... KING..."

"I wanna be born as a merman. Can swim everywhere and decide where to rest my fins." 

"I want to reborn as Batman or Ironman."

"I don't wanna die."

"Merlion looks like it's spitting on the lady."


Related reports: Would you want to be born again in Singapore?

SingaporesurveyUncategorisedSouth Korea