Ain't No Competition

From the Sunday Morning Post letters page, 22 March 2009 :

I refer to the article "Singapore beats HK in survey of Asian expats", March 12. That "Singapore appears to have finally achieved its dream of being better than Hong Kong" was a highly laughable comment. Singapore has achieved the same status at the top for the past 10 years.

I am a European expat who stayed (or, more rightly, suffered) in Hong Kong for close to five years but chose to move to Singapore and obtained permanent resident status there (though I need to adjust my highly lucrative Hong Kong expat package in exchange).

My family and I are now enjoying the comforts, stability, safety and cleaner air of Singapore (plus the many more nice places and resorts that we can travel to in less than two hours, and the much more advanced and lively dining and entertainment options). This contrasts with the dirty and mundane, yet much more expensive Hong Kong.

But most important is the ease and efficiency of getting things done in a language I am more comfortable with, English. In fact, Singapore is so much more attractive than Hong Kong that I have the in-principle approval from our global headquarters to shut our office in Hong Kong and move it to Singapore, while maintaining a stronger presence in Shanghai.

Singapore beats Hong Kong in so many areas. Many friends are now making plans to move to Singapore after realising their misconceptions about the city.

Singaporeans may not be upfront with their thoughts and appear to be reserved, but I have made more local friends than I did in Hong Kong. At least, they are not like most arrogant but ignorant Hongkongers who think they know it all, and criticise and comment on almost everything and anything.

I can't help but find most Hongkongers just a bunch of empty vessels, and definitely NATO (no action, talk only idiots - that's how Singaporeans would describe Hongkongers).

Simon Morliere, Singapore

****************

It's no secret that the reporters of the South China Morning Post, especially one Nick Gentle, enjoy having a go at Singapore whenever the opportunity presents itself. Coverage by the SCMP on Singapore is usually scant, and when they do, the editors normally devote a wee bit of space to the umpteenth defamation lawsuit filed by the PAP regime against some opposition politician or foreign newspaper. Many would agree that our Gahmen deserves a lot of the bad press that it gets, but not enough credit is given to the things that Singapore does well, like its efforts to be a clean and green city and to achieve self-sufficiency in water.

While I was initially gratified that a seemingly independent person had written in defence of Singapore, after reading Morliere's letter in full I found his remarks unfair, generalising and ungracious. They irritated me as much as commentators that praise HK by slagging off SG. No doubt, the SCMP editors are counting on Morliere's letter to trigger a storm of chest-beating responses seeking to restore the good name of HK while smearing SG with the usual criticisms.

Why have people not realised the futility of comparing the two cities ? Some time ago, some Singaporeans put up a video on YouTube in which they sang about how SG was better than HK. This unprovoked shot across the bow was answered by a video counter-offensive uploaded by HKers. After watching both videos, the words "own goal" and "shooting oneself in the foot" come to mind. Every city holds its unique appeal to different people. I know many people that love one and dislike the other.

When I'm in HK, I miss the more laid-back mood, thinner crowds and variety of food in SG (and the more modest speeds of the taxi-drivers). Whenever I'm back in SG, I long for the transport convenience of HK, and wish that my countrymen that make a living in customer service would remember to turn on their brains when they go to work.

Like I mentioned in another blog, I feel privileged to be able to call both cities home.