Wah, this Malaysian friend of mine, his story really make me shake head sia. He came to Singapore at 23 years old, fresh from uni, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. Starting salary? Only $2,200 a month — not much but enough to survive lah. But this guy, steady steady work hard, no complain, always overtime, always show boss he “can do”. Slowly, salary naik naik — 5 years later kena $4,000, then $5,500, now at 45, he pulling $7,000 a month. Wah, respect lah.
CPF interest and lump sum payout after cancel PR
But hor, what really got me boiling is this: He’s Malaysian but got Singapore PR. So every month, both him and his company shiok shiok put money into CPF. CPF contributions can be killer sia, but he tahan because he knows later got bonus — interest and lump sum payout after cancel PR.
Here’s the kicker: He plan to work ONLY till 45 years old, then he going to cancel his Singapore PR. Yes, cancel PR! After 22 years working here, he just say, “Okay lah, done enough liao.” Then he claim back ALL his CPF money — entire lump sum, with interest included. That’s like getting free money from Singapore government because he was contributing all these years.
Imagine this: work damn hard, earn more than most locals also, then after only 22 years, say bye bye to PR, cash out CPF, and go back Malaysia to enjoy life. No need to wait until 62 or 65 like normal people suffer. Early retire, chill with family, travel, and spend money how he wants.
What really grind my gears is how Singapore government give so much chance to foreigners like him, but later when he cancel PR, all this CPF money flies out of the country! Meanwhile some locals suffer under heavy taxes, CPF not enough, and must work until old also. Some people born here, no chance for early retire leh.
Meanwhile many Singaporeans work their whole lives but never got this kind of lucky break.
And this uncle? Every year salary increase steady like clockwork, but also means his CPF contributions more and more. He get to multiply money inside CPF pot, while many Singaporeans still kena squeeze. Then after all these years, he just pull out money and disappear, no longer contribute to our economy or pay taxes.
Then hor, after cancel PR, he still can come back Singapore to visit, buy property also can (depending on rules lah), but CPF money all gone. So the country subsidised him big time, only to get nothing in return. This kind of “take then run” mentality really make local workers mad lah.
The whole story damn infuriating because it shows the loophole — how foreigners with PR status can benefit from CPF system, work here, earn good money, then just cancel PR and cash out CPF early. Meanwhile many Singaporeans work their whole lives but never got this kind of lucky break.
But what can do? This uncle friend say he just playing the system smartly, nothing wrong. He say better plan early and retire young than later struggling. True lah, but at what cost to the country and local workers?
Moral of the story: Malaysia PR earn triple salary here, enjoy CPF benefits, then cancel PR and leave with CPF pot in hand. Singapore lose out, locals frustrated, system get abused. Sian lah, how to balance fairness when CPF become carrot for foreign talents but at the same time drain national savings?
You tell me, how not angry this kind of story?