Expatriate Lifestyle Interview with Laura Webb

Singaporeans: cross-Causeway cousins

Singaporeans choosing to live in Malaysia? Actually, it's not as rare as you might think, as these opinionated professionals tell.

Lyla and Ashwin are two very different Singaporeans living in Kuala Lumpur but they’ve some surprising similarities in their thoughts. Lyla Lin is sales and marketing manager for il Lido restaurant. Ashwin Binwani is executive director of Peak Prosperity Consulting, a wealth management company. Lyla moved for work, Ashwin for quality of life.

“It’s very easy to live here,” says Lyla, as she shifts glistening wine glasses and crisp white napkins from the restaurant table to make room for our interview. “People here are very relaxed, what we Singaporeans call chin chai, they’re very easy going and friendly. I think that’s one thing I really appreciate about this country.”

She admits though, that before she moved north, her friends and family had reservations. “When I first moved here people were a bit scared. They asked me why I was moving to Malaysia. In Singapore there is a lot of wrong information about this country, even though it’s so close. They said to me ‘it’s so dangerous, don’t go out at night, there’s nothing to do there...’ My parents were very worried. And then when you come here,” she says enthusiastically, “you realise that it’s just not true, there are tonnes of parties and people are not malicious as sometimes they’ve been painted out as being.”

She admits that living here may not be quite as squeaky clean as Singapore, as she says laughing, “but where in the world can you find somewhere as safe as Singapore?” And with Singapore revelling in its recently awarded glory of being the world’s least corrupt country, it is a hard place to compete with. As Lyla honestly admits, “I think we’re very spoilt people, we’re very sheltered and pampered. But what I have learnt here is that you cannot be calculated. It’s just different. In Singapore things are very precise, if they say meet at 4.50 they mean 4.50, whereas here it is more likely to mean 5 lah!” she laughs with a twinkle in her eye. “But it’s great, you don’t feel stressed or worried. In Singapore people move very fast and you have to work at that speed.”

Lyla says that she’s been surprised at how quickly she settled here and made friends. But when you meet this bubbly young woman, it’s no surprise that she’s been quickly swamped with friends. “I think when you’re a newcomer here they’re very welcoming and people like to bring you around with them. And for me, I’m a big foodie, and when I tell them about me and food, that’s it, I’m in! It’s a great conversation starter here, you just have to ask where can I get the best ...?” And Lyla admits that although Singapore may be ahead of the game when it comes to fine dining, Kuala Lumpur is leagues ahead with choice and quality of local food.

Lyla explains, “For me, for example, if I compare my job working in Singapore in PR to working here, the media in Singapore are slightly more,” she pauses grinning, “... professional... and are very cold. But here people take the extra steps to get to know you better and they warm to you. As long as you’re a nice person they just welcome you. People don’t have an ulterior motive here, they just want to be your friend”. She even admits to missing Kuala Lumpur when she returns to Singapore for a weekend. “I think, I want to go back now!”

ASHWIN BINWANI IS LIVING here for different reasons. He’s made a lifestyle decision and is applying for the Malaysia My Second Home scheme. “I like Malaysia to live in. The pace of life is slower. Don’t get me wrong I can take stress, but it’s nice to go to hectic Singapore for the day and come back here and get home to something quiet and private. I like living here; privacy, quietness, space, food is good, people are friendly, I won’t say efficient!” Ashwin laughs. He’s no stranger to stress having worked in the financial markets in Singapore as a money broker. He set up his own wealth management company a year ago and now has the luxury of choosing his own hours and workplace.

“It’s different, the feeling is different here in Kuala Lumpur,” he explains. “It’s not Singapore’s fault, it’s the space constraint there—no matter how much money you have you can’t find the kind of peace and quiet and countryside atmosphere that you can have here”. When asked how he would sum up Singaporeans, he replies with complete sincerity, “I think most Singaporeans are pressure cookers; efficient pressure cookers. They’ll forgive me for saying this. I’m a Singaporean... They’re very efficient and also under a lot of pressure, boiling up and all you need is one tip and then they’ll spill over.”

Ashwin explains that this lifestyle takes a toll on your health. “It’s not our fault, it’s the circumstances and the environment,” he explains, “it’s the way the whole country has been set up. They’ve done very well and you have to pay a price for that and the price you pay for that is stress. I don’t want that. For 23 years I was in Singapore living that pressurecooker lifestyle from the office to the pub and my health has improved so much by leaving!”

This fascinating man is a fountain of knowledge; he speaks excitedly of the financial markets, of commodities, resources, frontier economies, rare earth elements and most importantly Asia’s position in world. “For the next 30 years the action will be in Asia, for business of all fronts. If you’re not involved in India or China then you’re not involved. We’re looking at very exciting times in Asia and Malaysia and Singapore are in the middle of it all. I feel that by living here I get the best of both worlds. I am always travelling and Asia becomes very accessible when you’re living in Kuala Lumpur. I miss things about Singapore so will continue to fly down. Singapore has no resources but we have services, we make things work. One call to the bank and everything is done—that’s what we’re good for. It is a one stop shop centre for business. And I think Malaysia is a good place to live and to have that on your doorstep. It’s great to make use of both.”