Just An Ordinary Girl

CPF contribution are allocated first to Medisave Account, followed by the Special Account. The remaining is then allocated to the Ordinary Account. Below is the function of each account:
Funds in Ordinary Account can be used for a wide variety of purposes, but earn a lower interest rate. The savings in Ordinary Account can be used for investments, insurance, education, property and of course, retirement. Special Account can only be used for retirement and some other low-risk investment such as retirement-related financial products. The Medisave Account is primarily used for healthcare and can be used to pay medical care, hospitalization expenses and approved medical insurance.

A fourth account, the Retirement Account will be created upon reaching the age of 55 where savings from both the Ordinary and Special Accounts will automatically be transferred to form the Retirement Sum. Retirement sum is the amount of retirement saving primarily for retirement that will provide member a monthly payout to support a basic standard of living for the next 20 years.

Contribution Rates 

Below is a comparison between the CPF and EPF contribution rate.

In Singapore, all employed Singapore citizens and permanent residents up to the age of 55, earning $750 above, are obligated to contribute 20% of their monthly wage to their respective CPF account every month. The employer, on the other hand, are required to contribute 17% of employees' monthly wage to their CPF account. Those in high age groups (55 and above) contribute at lower rates. This is to encourage employers to retain older workers.

Whereas, in Malaysia, all employed Singapore citizens and permanent residents up to the age of 60, are obligated to contribute 11% of their monthly wage to their respective EPF account every month. Corresponding, the employers are required to contribute an additional amount equivalent to 13% of the employees' monthly wage.

However, for employees who earns a monthly income exceeding RM 5,000 and above, the employers are only required to contribute an additional amount equivalent to 12% of the employees' monthly wage. For employees aged 60 and above, they may opt to continue to contribute to EPF at reduced 50% rate.

Recently, EPF announced that the statutory rate for employees age 60 and below will be reduced from 11% to 8%. For employees age 60 and above, the contribution rate will be reduced from 5.5% to 4%. For employers, the contribution rate will however, remain the same. The changes above will start from March 2016 to December 2017. However, employees are given the option to maintain their EPF contribution rate at 11%.
Contribution Interest Rate

Next, let us take a look at the interest and dividend rate declared by CPF and EPF.
Funds in Ordinary Account earn a guaranteed interest rate of 2.5% per annum while funds in Special, Medisave and Retirement Account earn guaranteed interest rates of 4%. Despite inflation and rising cost of living, the interest rate has remained unchanged over the years.

Members are given a choice to transfer their balance in Ordinary Account to Special Account to enjoy the higher guaranteed interest rate, provided that the balance in the Special Account have not reach the minimum Retirement Sum of $161,000. However, I would not recommend doing so because the Special Account offers lesser flexibility for members to use the funds. Once the saving in the Ordinary Account is transferred to the Special Account, it cannot be transfer back.

Starting from 2016, CPF announced that an additional 1% interest will be paid on the first $60,000 of a member's combined balance (with up to $20,000 from the Ordinary Account). On top of that, members aged 55 and above will also earn an extra 1% interest on the first $30,000 on their combined balance. In total, CPF members aged 55 and above will earn up to 6% interest per year on their retirement balances.

EPF, on the other hand, also guaranteed a minimum 2.5% dividend rate every year, but usually, it is much higher. Despite the poor market performance last year, EPF has declared a 6.40% dividend rate for 2015. Over the past 5 years, the EPF Board has continuously declared above 6% dividend rates to its contributors.

CPF Withdrawals vs EPF Withdrawal

Both CPF and EPF provides various withdrawal options (pre-retirement and retirement) for members to use their savings in their accounts. Please note that the options below only applies to Singaporean / Malaysian citizen or permanent citizen of Singapore / Malaysia.

1. Retirement

EPF

For EPF, pre-retirement withdrawal is allowed. EPF members are allowed to withdraw all their saving in Account 2 upon reaching the age of 50 in order for them to start planning for their retirement. This is 30% of the total savings in the EPF Account. Upon reaching the age of 50, members can either choose to withdraw all the saving or a partial amount in Account 2.

Upon reaching the age of 55, members are allowed to withdraw all their EPF savings from both Account 1 and 2 to fund their retirement. Members can choose to withdraw their savings according the following options.

1. A single lump sum

2. A partial amount and/or transfer a partial amount for monthly payment and/or retain the balance in their account to enjoy the higher interest rates

3. Transfer the entire savings for monthly payments

CPF

Upon reaching the age of 55, CPF members are allowed to withdraw their CPF savings ONLY after setting aside a Full Retirement Sum or Basic Retirement Sum with sufficient property pledge in their newly created Retirement Account.

All the saving from both Ordinary and Special Accounts are automatically transferred to the Retirement Account to meet the Minimum Retirement Sum required. There are two types of Retirement Sum for members to choose from - Full Retirement Sum or Basic Retirement Sum.

Full Retirement Sum

The following Full Retirement Sum applies to members who turned 55 from 1 July 2013 to 2015:

The Full Retirement Sum has been increasing over the years as to combat inflation or rising cost of living. As of 1 July 2015, the Full Retirement Sum is $161,000.

Basic Retirement Sum

If you own a property, you will qualify for the Basic Retirement Sum with sufficient property charge or after you pledged your property to the CPF. A CPF charge is automatically created when member use their CPF savings to purchase the property. The value of the charge is the total amount of CPF savings plus the accrued interest that can be earned from those savings.

The CPF charge is considered sufficient only if it can restore the Full Retirement Sum after the property is sold, transferred or disposed. Members are required to pledge their properties if the CPF charge is not sufficient.

Member can pledge their properties for up to 50% of Full Retirement Sum required, which is $80,500 ($161,000/2). Pledging a property means that when the property is sold, the amount of the pledge have to be refunded to the CPF.


Please note that property to be pledged must have more than 30 years of remaining lease to qualify and studio apartments are not allowed to be pledged. So, if you do not own a property, you will not have much of a choice because you do not qualify for the Basic Retirement Sum.

After setting aside the Full Retirement Sum or Basic Retirement Sum with sufficient property charge/pledge, members will then be allowed to withdraw any remaining balance in their CPF account. Members who have reached the age of 55 in 2016 are allowed to withdraw based on the following criteria:

Members are allowed to withdraw up to 5,000 even if the Full or Basic Retirement Sum cannot be met. Withdrawal of savings from the RA will be based on monthly payment under the CPF Life Scheme upon reaching the payout eligibility age, which is currently at age 65. Apparently, the more savings you have in your CPF Accounts, the higher the monthly payout will be.

Enhanced Retirement Sum

Starting from year 2016, there is an additional option for members to choose from - Enhanced Retirement Sum. For members who have some spare cash in hand, they can choose to put in more of their money into their CPF Account to meet the Enhanced Retirement Sum, which is currently at $241,000. The good thing about this that you will receive a higher payout upon reaching the eligibility payout age at 65. But the bad thing is members will not be able to withdraw the amount of money they have put in after they have joined. So, I would advise anyone to think carefully before choosing to go for the Enhanced Retirement Sum.

CPF Life Scheme

CPF Life Scheme is a mandatory annuity bought using the savings in the Retirement Account. The Scheme provides members with a monthly payout for as long as they live. All CPF members will be automatically placed on the CPF Life Scheme if they have at least:

1. $40,000 in their Retirement Account upon reaching the age of 55
2. $60,000 in their Retirement Account upon reaching the age of 65

There are two types of CPF Life plans for members to choose from - LIFE Standard Plan and LIFE Basic Plan. So, how much is the monthly payout? The amount of payout vary for individuals, depending on the type of LIFE Plan they choose.

For members who own properties and choose to pledge their properties to CPF, they will receive a monthly payout of $660 to $720. For members who do not own properties or do not want to pledge their properties to CPF, they will receive a payout of $1,220 - $1,320 per month. For members who decided to put in more money in their CPF Accounts to meet the Enhanced Retirement Sum, they will receive a monthly payout of $1,770 - $1,920.

My Thoughts

EPF offers their members more flexibility to choose and manage their own finance. Unlike CPF, the EPF system is pretty much straightforward and relatively easy to understand.  However, the bad thing is there is a possibility that people might mismanage their finance and squander their savings within a few years time. But at least, people get to take responsibility for their own savings.

On the other hand, Singaporeans are 'forced' to set aside 20% of their income every month to contribute to the fund and most people would only get at most $5,000 back before you turned 65. The monthly payment that you will receive upon receiving the age of 65 is probably not enough for you to live a comfortable life, especially in a country where cost of living is forever rising.

How can a monthly payout of $650 to $700 even enough for one to sustain a basic standard of living in Singapore? A monthly payout of $1,220 to $1,320 might be good enough, but the Full Retirement Sum might be a little difficult to meet. Most Singaporeans probably would not have that much savings in their Accounts since most of it would be used on housing.
The government should consider increasing the CPF interest rates rather than keep increasing the Retirement Sum. Obviously, the government guaranteed CPF interest rates are unable to keep up with inflation rate in Singapore.

2. Home Ownership

EPF

EPF members are allowed to withdraw their savings from their Account 2 to buy or build a residential house or a shop lot with residential unit. Members are allowed to withdraw 10% of the property price for down payment or all the savings in Account 2, whichever is lower but not less than RM 500. Withdrawal to purchase second residential house is allowed, but only after the first residential house is sold or disposed.

Please note this option is not available to members who purchase a land or house lot only. Withdrawal is also not allowed when the loan is taken to:

1. Renovate, repair or carry out additional works to the existing house.
2. Purchase third property
3. Purchase non-residential property
4. Overseas property
5. Taken an overdraft loan

In addition to that. members are also allowed to use their savings to:

1. Reduce or fully settle the housing loan balance
2. Make monthly housing loan installment payments
3. Or both

However, for withdrawal to reduce or fully settle the housing loan balance, application can only be made once a year.

CPF

CPF members are allowed to use their savings in the Ordinary Account to buy or build new or resale Housing and Development Board (HDB) flats and private residential properties in Singapore. The funds in the Ordinary Account can be used to pay the purchase price of the property and/or service the monthly loan installment taken to buy the property. It can also be used to pay the stamp duty, legal fees and other related costs.

Members who have used their CPF savings to finance their properties are required to refund the principal CPF amount that was withdrawn from their account and the accrued interest which they would earned to their CPF Account. For those who have pledged their property to withdraw their savings in the Retirement Account, they are also required to refund the pledged amount to their Account once the property is sold.

3. Healthcare

EPF

EPF members are allowed to withdraw savings from Account 2 to pay for medical expenses incurred for the treatment of critical illnesses and/or to buy medical aid equipment approved by EPF Board for yourself, spouse, children (including step children and legally adopted children), parents (including step parents), parents-in-laws and siblings. Members can withdraw all the savings in Account 2 or the actual medical cost, whichever is lower.

In the case where members become physically or mentally unfit to work, they are allowed to withdraw all the savings in both Account 1 and 2.In addition to that, they are also eligible to receive an one-time incapacitation benefit from EPF amounting RM 5,000.

CPF

Part of the monthly CPF contribution is allocated in the Medisave Account, which is basically a national medical savings scheme that help members to save for future medical and hospitalization expenses. Medisave can be used at all public healthcare institution and approved private hospitals and medical institutions, up to the respective Medisave withdrawal limits.

Medishield Life is a compulsory all-inclusive health insurance scheme that provides lifetime coverage for all Singaporeans and permanent residents. All Singaporeans and permanent residents will be automatically covered under Medishield Life and premium will be paid from member's Medisave Account.

Besides Medisave and Medishield Life, CPF members are allowed to withdraw their CPF savings on medical grounds.Withdrawal is allowed if the member is physically or mentally unfit to work, suffering from an terminal illnesses or have a reduced lifespan. Members can withdraw up to $5,000 or savings after setting aside a reduced Retirement Sum and will receive a monthly payout (minimum $450) from the Retirement Account until the account is exhausted.

4. Education

EPF

EPF members are allowed to withdraw the savings in Account 2 to pay for their own, children (including step-children or legally adopted children) tuition fee at an approved Institute of Higher Learning either locally or abroad. Your children must undertake a course at Diploma, Advanced Diploma, Bachelor Degree, Master Degree, Doctor of Philosophy or equivalent.

CPF 

CPF members are allowed to withdraw the savings from the Ordinary Account to pay for their own, children, spouse or relatives' subsidized tuition. However, only approved full time subsidized diploma/degree courses conducted locally at the approved institutions are covered under the Education scheme. Diploma/degree courses conducted locally but awarded by foreign institutions will not qualify for the CPF Education scheme.

The CPF Education scheme is actually a loan scheme where member can take up a loan with their own CPF Account. The student supposed to repay the principal amount withdrawn plus any accrued interest in cash to the CPF Account, one year after graduation or termination of studies whichever is earlier.

My Thoughts

So, instead taking up an education loan with commercial banks, you will getting the loan with CPF. All you just need to have sufficient savings in the Ordinary Account and Available Withdrawal Limits. But the funny thing is that you will have to repay your own or your parents' CPF Account when you are using your own money and with interest charged. I believe most parents would not charge their children any interest if they would like to borrow some money from them. So, why is CPF charging their members interest when they are using their OWN money?

Well, CPF might argue that the withdrawal will cause the member to 'lose out' since they are not able to earn the 2.5% fixed interest for the money taken out. This will result the member to have lesser savings in their accounts for retirement. Thus, it is logical to ask the student pay the loan amount plus all the accrued interest back. This is just to ensure that the CPF member has sufficient funds for retirement.

Well, the good thing about the CPF Education Scheme is that you do not need a guarantor in order to secure a loan from CPF. The interest rate charged by CPF is also lower than the rate charged by the banks.

5. Leaving The Country

EPF

Malaysian citizens or permanent residents who have renounced their citizenship and and planning to migrate to another country are allowed to withdraw all their savings in their EPF Accounts. Foreigners who have ceased employment and wish to return to their country of origin are also allowed to withdraw all their savings in the EPF accounts under this option.

CPF

Whereas, in Singapore, Singaporean citizens or permanent residents who have renounced their citizenship are ONLY allowed to withdraw their savings in full if they are about to leave or have left Singapore and West Malaysia permanently with no intention to return to either country for employment or residence.

Those who intend to reside in West Malaysia after they have renounced their citizenship are only allowed to withdraw if they are 55 years old and above, below 55 but above 50 years old and have not worked in Singapore for the last two years or physically or mentally incapacitated. The restriction does not apply if you are residing in the East Malaysia.

Conclusion

Click here is a quick summary of the differences between the CPF and EPF systems.

I would not say which is the better systems as there are flaws in both. However, it is apparent that both the CPF and EPF will not be enough for most people to live a comfortable life after retirement. Most people would have used a large part of their savings for housing. Thus, I would like to emphasize the importance of personal savings. It is never good enough to rely on your CPF or EPF savings for retirement.

EPF

Comparing to CPF, the EPF actually offers its members more flexibility to use their savings. The high dividend rate declared by EPF Board has helped members to enhance their retirement savings. It is good that the savings in the EPF Accounts can be fully withdrawn upon the reaching the retirement age of 55 since members are given the freedom to choose what they would like to do with their money. But sometimes, too much freedom may not a good thing because there are always possibilities that people might mismanage their finances and squander their savings in just a few years. The flexibility to withdraw will also mean that there will be lesser savings for retirement.

Unlike CPF, the EPF does not offer a medical saving or all-inclusive healthcare insurance scheme to its members. Although public healthcare in Malaysia is heavily subsidized and are made affordable to the Malaysian citizens and permanent residents, it is still important to have health insurance coverage. However, the thing is there are still a high percentage of people who do not have a medical insurance or enough insurance coverage. The inadequate healthcare insurance coverage is worrying because healthcare costs are usually the largest expenses after retirement.

CPF

The CPF system is good in the way that it provides lifelong monthly income to its members upon reaching the age of 65. Most CPF members would not have to worry about their life about retirement.

However, it seems like the government is treating Singaporeans like children who cannot manage their own finances well. The Singapore government should let Singaporeans have more freedom to choose what they would like rather than 'forcing' them to follow their rules.

CPF should allow greater flexibility for its members to use their savings and they should not be asked to pay back the accrued interest for using their own savings. Whatever amount the members withdraw from their accounts, they have to put them back eventually, plus any accrued interest that could be earned over the years. I understand the purpose of this is to make sure that the members does not lose out but it just does not make sense to me. Furthermore, even if the people pay this accrued interest back, most Singaporeans still do not have enough to retire.

The ever-increasing Retirement Sum is also very frustrating and I believe this is not going to stop. Instead, the government should consider increasing the CPF interest rate to help enhance the retirement savings of its members and perhaps, decreasing the interest rate charged for the savings withdrawn will help too.
Overall, it seems that the CPF system might have been 'intentionally' complicated to confuse its members. It will be good if the government can make it simpler and less complicated for its members to understand.

Be sure to follow me on Facebook or Twitter  for any latest updates on my blog. So stay tuned!

Ever since my "Why did I left Singapore" blog post went viral. I received a lot of emails and Facebook messages asking about my life in Malaysia.

I was very surprised that there are actually quite a number of Singaporeans living in Malaysia too. There are also a handful of Singaporeans who have plans to relocate but are held back by fear and doubt. I understand that this is a very tough decision to make because I had gone through the same thing too. We are actually in the same boat.

I figure it out that it will be better for me to write a FAQ post than to reply to each email and message individually. In this post, I will also give a personal update on my life in Malaysia. Hopefully this will help those of you who are currently in the same dilemma.

Below are some of the most Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).

It seems that many of you are curious about my life in Malaysia. Overall, my life has been good. I have a well-paying job, a car, a place to call home and food on my table.

I married at a young age of 23. To quit my job with not much savings and no plans for my future is an extremely difficult decision for me to make. Moving to another country is a huge step no matter how well prepared or confident you are. Life was never easy for me too.

Fast forward three years later, I am glad that I am settling and adapting well to my new life in Malaysia. It took a long while for me to settle down and adapt to the life here.

Finding a job in Malaysia is just like in Singapore. I searched and applied for jobs through online job portals such as jobstreet.

Salary package differs from company to company and person to person. It is unlikely that you will receive any kind of expat package in Malaysia. I would say most of the time it has to do with your qualifications and negotiation skills.

In Kuala Lumpur, the basic starting pay for an university graduate in Malaysia generally range between RM 2 K to 2.5 K. Some people would probably get more and some would probably get much less than that. Do not convert what you are earning in your country and expect to earn the same amount of money in Malaysia. It does not work that way.

Foreigners are basically not obligated to make EPF contribution, but are given an option to contribute. If an employee has opted to make a contribution, both such employee and employer shall be liable to contribute and the option may not be revoked. I did not opted to make a monthly contribution to EPF. The reason is because EPF withdrawal for foreigner is allowed only when the individual ceases employment in Malaysia and leaves Malaysia on a permanent basis, or upon confirmation of death.

A foreigner is also allowed to make EPF withdrawal just like other Malaysians if the individual have become an EPF member before 1 August 1998 or had obtained a Permanent Resident status in Malaysia.

For Non-tax Resident, do expect to have 26% of your salary deducted for income tax. Any individual, regardless of nationality, will be considered a Non-Resident for income tax purpose if the individual is physically present in Malaysia for less than 182 days during the calendar year. But do not worry. An individual will be treated as a Tax-Resident once the individual have continuously reside in Malaysia for more 182 days. A Tax-Resident will be subjected to normal tax rates in Malaysia.

I am holding a Long Term Social Visit Pass (LTSVP) which will allow me to stay and remain in Malaysia for a certain period of time. If you are holding a LTSVP like me, you are not allowed to apply a Employment Pass in Malaysia. Instead, you have to apply for the permission to work under the LTSVP work endorsement program. The work endorsement entitled the holder to be engaged in any form of paid engagement or in any business or paid employment without converting the LTSVP to an Employment Pass.

The endorsement is given free of charge and is only available to spouses of Malaysian citizens but not other LTSVP holders.

When you are first issued the LTSVP, the pass will state that "Any form of employment is strictly prohibited" . Do not be intimidated by this statement as it can be amended once your work endorsement is approved.

I have written a detailed blog post on how to apply a LTSVP and work endorsement in Malaysia. To know more about the application procedure, please refer to my Marrying A Malaysian Part 2: Obtaining A Long Term Social Visit Pass (Spouse Pass) Malaysia post.

Please note that you are only allow to apply for a work endorsement only after you have obtained a job offer letter from a company.

To drive a vehicle in Malaysia, you must possess a valid Malaysian Driving License for the class of vehicle that you want to drive. For those who hold a Singapore Driving License, it can be automatically converted to a temporary Driving License in Malaysia. Automatic conversion is available for applicants whose driving license is issued from a country that has a bilateral agreement with Malaysia. For more information about the application procedure, please refer to the Road Transport Department Malaysia (JPJ) website. 

I have not converted my Singapore Driving License to a Malaysia one. The reason is simply because I could not drive even though I have a Singapore driving license. It really makes me wonder how I actually managed pass my driving examination in Singapore.

KL is infamous for its traffic jams. For those who can drive, traffic can be very bad in KL, especially during peak hours. Be prepared to be stuck in traffic jam for at least an hour. It can be a very annoying and irritating experience. However, it seems that people in KL has just gotten used to it.

Since I could not drive, I try to look for job that is located close to the train station. Basically, I take the LRT to work everyday. It is the fastest, convenient and most reliable way to get to work. The entire train journey takes about 15 minutes. I prefer taking the train than to be stuck in an hour long traffic jam everyday.

Unlike in Singapore, there are seldom LRT breakdown or delay, though it can be very crowded during peak hours too. I used to spend 3 hours communing to and from work and I could not describe how much I hate it every single day. That was three years ago.

Looking back, the long commute tired me out. I have to get up extra early and get home late. Although I loved my job very much, I hate the long commute, so much so that I could not imagine living the same life as before now.

My husband and I own a car in KL too. So, other than working days, my husband will usually drive me around the city. Fortunately, the traffic is not as bad during the weekends and public holidays. As the public transportation is still lacking in Malaysia, living without a car can be difficult and extremely inconvenient.

But luckily, cars are relatively affordable in Malaysia as compared to Singapore. Price of local brand cars such as Perodua starts as low as RM 25 K. 

I intended to settle in Malaysia for good since I have gotten comfortable with my life now. Most Singaporeans would probably be surprised by my plans and would not able to understand my reason for choosing Malaysia instead of Singapore.

I flew back to Singapore to vote in the election last September. It has been three years since I last stepped into Singapore. I hate the feeling the very moment I landed in Changi Airport.

I tried to look at Singapore in the eyes of a foreigner. Compared to Malaysia, Singapore is very beautiful, safe and clean. This is just the perfect place to live in. But Singapore is too perfect, which makes it an extremely stressful place to live in.

I took the MRT train from Changi Airport all the way to Woodlands station. This is where I have lived for the past twenty years and I was surprised how much Woodlands has changed over the last three years. Everything I knew felt so unfamiliar now. It is not the same place that I have lived in anymore. That was also when I realized that Singapore is no longer home to me.

The one way train journey from Changi Airport to Woodlands station took about an hour and a half. I am actually glad that the trains were not packed since the polling day is declared a public holiday. Even so, that does not make the hour long commute extremely pleasant.

I could have taken a taxi instead. But that will be too expensive. The MRT and buses are the cheapest way to get around in Singapore. But I hate the daily long commute. It can be very stressful and I certainly would not want to go through all that again.

So I have told my friends that there is absolutely no reason for me to return to Singapore now (unless, I am not allowed to stay in Malaysia). Apart from the stronger Dollars, there is just nothing else back home for me.

In KL, I managed to secure a stable and decent paying job. Although the ringgit does not offer the same purchasing power as the Dollars, it is enough for me to live rather comfortably.

I get to own a car and a condominium (which will be ready in 2017) after working for two years. In addition to that, I also have the chance to travel at least once a year too. These are things which I think I would never be able to afford in Singapore.

In Singapore, it is a well- known fact that employees have to wait for their superiors to leave the office before they can head home for the day. Singaporeans are simply expected to work overtime even when there is no work to do. Everyone is just putting up a 'show' in the office. However, the worst thing is that overtime is usually not compensated with time off or extra cash.

In KL, I do not have to work overtime. I get to knock off at 5.30 pm everyday, which actually gave me plenty of time to enjoy life outside work. I enjoyed the work life balance and the working environment. Of course, I knew well that this does not apply to every other company in Malaysia. Perhaps I am just lucky to be able to work for a good company.

Life is also much less stressful in Malaysia as compared to Singapore. But do not get me wrong. I do not mean that Malaysia is a very easy place to live in. With increasing prices and stagnant wages, KL is becoming a more and more stressful city to live in too. But for Singaporeans, I believe the level of stress that you feel in KL is nothing comparable to the level of stress you will feel in Singapore

I feel so much happier now. I enjoy the freedom and the slower pace of life in Malaysia.

Some people are also asking me whether I would consider sending my children back to Singapore for education in the future. Well, my answer will be a "no". Why? You may be asking why I would not consider sending my children back to Singapore for education since it has one of the best education system in the world.

I actually touched on the topic of education earlier in my "Singaporean Living In Malaysia - My Response To The Naysayers" blog post. But since there are many people asking, I shall discuss more about this topic in this FAQ post too.

It is a undoubted fact that Singapore's education system is among one of the highly regarded in the world. Although the education system is efficient in developing a strong foundation in individuals, it is also very competitive and rigid, with the stronger emphasis placed on academic excellence.

Children are taught how to excel in examinations rather than to learn valuable lifelong skills. Education in Singapore focuses on excelling in examinations, which is often heavy on memorization and light on critical thinking and creativity.

It is also sad that most Singaporeans in Singapore today could not read, write or even communicate in their Mother language due to a strong emphasis placed on English language. Well, you would argue that the fluency in English language actually offers one a far wider choice of career prospect and often higher pay. The adoption of English as the national language will ensure Singapore remain globally competitive.

But let's admit that most Singaporeans could not speak or write in perfect English. I belong to this group of Singaporeans who could not speak or write in English very well. In fact, I was failing most of my English examinations in school, which made me hate the language very much. I do not remember a time when I actually enjoy attending English classes because I simply do not have the interest in the subject.

People look down on me because I cannot speak in English well, even though I am relatively fluent in the Chinese language. But luckily, I still managed to pass (just pass) my GCE 'O' Levels examination in English language. Passing the subject was not a difficult thing. All I have to do is to 'memorize' all the past years answers and rewrite them in my examination.

I was not learning in school. I was memorizing the set of standard model answers provided to me and I scored well because I am good in memorizing. Of course, I failed because I was too lazy to memorize. Over the years, I developed an interest in writing, which led me to start this blog. My English proficiency gradually improved over time and I am happy to say that I no longer hate the language as much as before.

In Singapore, we are always told that one should be a professional such as doctors, engineers, lawyers or accountants to be successful in life. Other degree programs are often seen as not useful and usually, do not allow one to secure a decent paying job.

Although I have mentioned that I actually prefer the education system in Singapore more than in Malaysia, I would not want my children to grow up in such a stressful and elitist society.

The education system in Singapore breeds elitism. Those with high academic achievements are often seen as arrogant and snobbish. I would not want my children to become one of them. Furthermore, academic excellence can no longer guarantee you the success in today's world. Although academic excellence does help you to climb the corporate ladder earlier and faster, it is never the only key to success. Other than academic excellence, I think there are many other things in life that are equally as important as well.

If I am to have children, I would like them grow up to be confident, independent, risk-taking and humble. I want my children to be able to enjoy childhood and not spend most of their time attending tuition and enrichment classes.They should have the freedom to choose what they would like to do in life, but not just obsessed with chasing paper qualifications in school. I believe this will help them to build and foster greater relationships with people.

Unlike Singaporeans, most Chinese Malaysians are multilingual and can speak at least three languages in moderate fluency - Mandarin, English and Malay. The good thing is, Malaysians generally do not look down on others who cannot speak a language well.

However, nobody knows what will happen in the future, so there is still a possibility that my plan will change. There are many factors to consider before I make any decision. Furthermore, I am not yet a parent, so it is actually too early to say anything now. But right now, my answer will be a "no." I would not consider sending my children back to Singapore for education because I simply do not see the reason why I should.

Singapore nowadays have forgotten the real purpose of education - to learn and gain valuable skills and knowledge. The mindset of the society has to change. Elitism has to be eliminated in Singapore education system. But I guess this will not be happening anytime soon.

This is actually a very difficult questions to answer because it really depends on individuals.

I actually received a lot of emails from both Singaporeans and Malaysians telling me how good the life in Vancouver, Melbourne or USA is. Many of you were trying to convince me that I was making a huge mistake by moving to Malaysia. I should consider moving to Vancouver / Melbourne / USA instead!

But can anyone guarantee me a comfortable life if I ever moved to whatever country that you told me is good? What if I am unable to get a good income like you do? I believe there is no such thing as the most perfect place to be. Every place has its pros and cons.

There are others asking me for advice whether they should quit their well-paying job in Malaysia and accept the higher wage in Singapore. First, you have to ask yourself what are the most important things in life. Money or personal time? If you value money more than personal time, then Singapore would be a good place for you to earn a better living. However, if you value personal time more than money, then Malaysia is definitely the better place to work and live in.

I find Malaysia a better place to live in because I actually value work-life balance more than money. It is important that you figure out what you want in life before making any decision.

It is true that Malaysia is not as safe as in Singapore. Or maybe it is because Singapore is just too safe. Singaporeans are always telling me how dangerous Malaysia is. They would not want to visit Malaysia for the fear of being robbed, raped or even murdered.

In Malaysia, you have to constantly stay alert at all times. People have to learn to protect themselves. One thing I always tell Singaporeans is try not to carry too much branded products around with you when you are visiting Malaysia. Unfortunately, this is also one of the bad thing living in Malaysia.

I am not sure whether Malaysia is a good place to raise a family because I do not have my own family yet. But so far, I do not find it a bad place to live in. Then the next question will be "when". What will be right time time to make the move? Should you wait to save enough to make the move? How much money do you need to make the move?

Now, let me ask you how much money would you consider enough? 100 K? 500 K? A million? How much time do you need to save enough money? 6 months? A year? Several years? Will there ever be a right time? Well, I have no idea too.

So, I figure out that it was better for me to make the move when I have nothing much to lose. You will never ever have enough money in your life. Humans are too greedy to think that they have enough money.

Of course, there are a number of challenges I have faced moving to Malaysia

One of the biggest challenges I faced is getting the right visa to stay and work in Malaysia. Although it is not difficult to get the LTSVP, the amount of paperwork required for my visa application is overwhelming. There are no specific guidelines on visa application on the internet. I have make multiple trips to the immigration office just to submit all the relevant documents. The LTSVP has to be renewed before the pass expires. A foreigner who married a Malaysian citizen is not automatically granted the Permanent Resident status in Malaysia.

A foreign spouse is only allowed to apply for a Permanent Resident status after the individual has live in Malaysia continuously for a period of five years with a LTSVP. There are no specific guidelines on the Permanent Resident visa application on the internet too. It can be very frustrating because I certainly have no idea what should I do next. I am looking forward to the day when I can finally get a red IC and I believe this will be a very long wait.

As I mentioned above, it is not convenient to get around KL if you do not know how to drive. Most of the time, I have depend very much on my husband to drive me everywhere (other than work). It can be very frustrating, especially when you have enjoyed the convenience of public transportation system in Singapore. But I got used to it after some time. It is not a very big problem for me now.

The language is however, one of the most difficult barrier I have faced. As Bahasa Malaysia is the national language in Malaysia, it is important for one to be conversant in the language. Since I could not speak the language, I found it extremely difficult to engage in meaningful conversations with the Malay population. Most of them are usually not fluent in the English language.

Finding is a job in Malaysia is highly challenging too. Being a Singaporean does not provide me an advantage when looking for a job in Malaysia since priority is given to Malaysians. Furthermore, opportunities will be severely limited without a fluency in Bahasa Malaysia. I sent out countless of resumes without hearing anything back and also attended numerous interviews only to receive rejection emails. Many interviewers questioned about my decision of leaving Singapore, with more than half of them reluctant to employ a foreign spouse because I do not hold work permit like other foreigners.

There are also some other employers who offered salaries that were so much lower than expected. Even though I was desperate for a job, I rejected the offers. 

It took two months to finally get my first job in Malaysia, which I quit after 3 months due to contractual dispute and hostile work environment. But this time, I was lucky. I received a job offer from my current employer immediately after I left my previous company. Things have been great ever since and I am glad that I made the right decision to quit my previous job. 

I received email asking me what would happen to their CPF money in Singapore if they decided to relocate to Malaysia.

According to CPF regulations, a Singaporean or Permanent Resident of Singapore is only allowed to withdraw your CPF in full if you have renounced your citizenship or Permanent Resident status and have left Singapore and West Malaysia permanently with no intention of returning to either country for employment or residence. This means that I would not be able to withdraw any money from my CPF account even if I renounced my Singapore citizenship (which I do not intend to) because I am residing in West Malaysia.

Luckily for me, I did not have a lot of money in my CPF account. So, this does not really bother me too much.

Throughout the three years, I received a lot of messages asking me how is my life in Malaysia, if I had any regrets and if, I am given the chance to choose again, would I have done anything differently.

When I made the decision to quit my job and move to Malaysia, I knew there was going to be a difficult road ahead. Leaving 23 years of my life behind me in Singapore was tough, because that was everything I knew. Moving to Malaysia would mean that I have to start everything anew.

I have no job, little savings and no plans for my future. I spent countless of sleepless nights lying in my bed wondering whether I have made a huge mistake. But looking back now, it was those failures and disappointments that made me who I am today. I learned and grew to become a better me.

I am glad that I have managed to found a great job - one that I think I will work for until retirement. I am satisfied with my current life and glad that I have made the move. Life is too short to hesitate, to wait and regret. I believe if I hesitated and waited for the 'right' time (which I do not know when), I would regret.

Yes, that was the right time.

So if you ask me whether I have ever regretted my decision of leaving Singapore for Malaysia. My answer will always be a "yes" and a "no". "Yes" for the things I have lost and "no", for the things I have gained.

Humans are greedy creatures.We always want the best of everything. But the fact is there is no such thing as perfect life in this world. I believe for every gain, there will be a loss.

Of course, there are things which I have to give up when I made the move. Life can be difficult without any of my family and friends around. But I do not regret. I am happy and content with my life now.