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Letter about leaving Spore strikes chord with readers

By Melissa Aw | Yahoo! Newsroom 17 hours ago

Dear Singapore, Im sorry, u" Im lea#ing you$ I#e %allen in lo#e wi"h somewhere else, an& you woul&n" li'e her,( wro"e a

)on"riu"or "o a Singapore wesi"e$

In an un&a"e& pos" on s"ories$sg "i"le& *e""er "o Singapore(, au"hor +ing "hen wae& nos"algi) %or *on&ons raw

un&ergroun& )ul"ure an& -u"apose& i" agains" "he -a&e&( %eeling he .or she/ %el" %or Singapore while growing up$

Im 0 years ol& an& I &on" wan" "o e -a&e&, u" youre alrea&y %ee&ing me &e%ea"ism an& anali"y as a li%es"yle )hoi)e,(

"he wri"er oser#e&, a&&ing "ha" "he o%%i)e &rone an& money2)hasing li%es"yle "ha" mos" Singaporeans le& %el" "ri#ial "o

him3her$

I loo'e& in"o your &reams one nigh" an& "hey were %ull o% &ollar signs$ 4hey were %ull o% people ge""ing y on "heir

Mer)e&es, "heir "wo mai&s, "heir )oun"ry )lu memership$ 5e""ing y an& no" li#ing$ 5e""ing u" no" a)hie#ing$ Buying

an& selling u" no" gi#ing,( "he )on"riu"or a&&e&$

+ing also wro"e o% "he %ree&om one )oul& %eel in *on&on$ In *on&on, I )an e a sain" or sinner6 I )an e posh, poor,

upmar'e", &ownmar'e", )ha#, "o%%, hippie, in&ie$ I )an e gay or s"raigh", man or woman$ I )an ma'e mysel% up, ma'e

mysel% &own$ An& *on&on will s"ill emra)e me, an& I will always %in& somewhere "ha" will "a'e me in$(

Bu"8, Im no" sure you )oul& e#er &o "ha" Singapore,( +ing wro"e, as he3she eplaine& "ha" al"hough "he )i"y2s"a"e )laims i"

)elera"es &i#ersi"y, we only gru&gingly "olera"e i"($

None"heless, "he au"hor s"resse& "ha" he3she &oesn" wan" "o ma'e Singapore8 some"hing youre no"6 Im -us" "rying "o

ma'e you see "ha" youre more "han &ollar signs$(

Youre more "han people -us" s)rapping y, &reaming o% money an& %i#e2s"ar ho"els$ Youre a hell o% a lo" more "han -us" a

goo& air2)on&i"ioning sys"em6$ You li'e "o hol& on "o "his i&ea o% eing "his )lean, per%e)"ly e%%i)ien" )i"y, when really i"s"he &ir" "ha" ma'es you who you are,( "he le""er2wri"er sai&$

By 9ri&ay a%"ernoon, a%"er "he ar"i)le was repos"e& on 0 Sep"emer on ano"her lo)al log )alle& You &on" ha#e "o agree(,

"he le""er a""ra)"e& o#er 1: )ommen"s on "he si"e$

;ro"eAussie%ie&, I" "a'es a Singaporean who has een o#erseas %or a sus"an"ial perio& o% "ime immerse& in a &i%%eren"

)ul"ure "o see where youre )oming %rom$ ;ell wri""en, I share many o% your "hough"s$ Singapore &oes no" owe me a li#ing,

&o I owe her one

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Ano"her )ommen"er =i"u""wro"e, I &o %eel %or "he wri"er8$ I lo#e my )oun"ry u" no" "he way i"s eing8 run$ ;e are orn

-us" "o )hase %or "ha" &ollar sign an& i"s a non2s"op pro)ess "ill we are 7%" un&ernea"h$ >n%or"una"ely age is no" on my si&e$ I

-us" ha#e "o s"ay pu" here, )hasing %or "ha" &ollar sign "o sur#i#e in "his )ompe"i"i#e )oun"ry$(

?owe#er, on "he o"her en& o% "he spe)"rum, se#eral o"hers &isagree& wi"h +ing an& aggressi#ely &e%en&e& "heir mo"herlan&$

A )ommen"er who a&&resse& himsel% as @&&iewro"e, 9un&amen"ally, i"s aou" )hoi)e$ Noo&y %or)e& you "o e an o%%i)e

&rone$ Di%%eren" people )hoose "o li#e "heir li#es &i%%eren"ly6 4he you"hs nowa&ays wan" e#ery"hing u" only a" "heir own

)on#enien)e$ An& when i" &oesn" go your way, you whine$(

4he power o% )hange lies in your han&$ Singapore nee& less whiners, i" nee&s more &o2ers6 Singapore is no" a one2sie2%i"s

2all, i" -us" &oesn" sui" you .now/$ Youre only "wen"y$ You are in a posi"ion "o )hoose 22 whe"her "o ring posi"i#e )hange or

-us" lea#e$ I% you "ruly lo#e "his )oun"ry, "hen you shoul& 'now wha" is "he )hoi)e "o ma'e,( he a&&e&$

Ano"her )ommen"er See 4owsai&, ur )oun"ry &oes no" owe you a &u"y "o )hange -us" a" your whim an& %an)y6 You, wi"h

all o% your 0 years o% li%e eperien)e, ha#e een li#ing a shel"ere& li%e, shiel&e& y genera"ions o% loo& an& swea" o% our

%ellow Singaporeans$(

I woul& li'e "o urge you "o lo#e your )oun"ry, Singapore$ 5ran"e&, Singapore has many %laws an& many "hings )oul& e

impro#e& on6 Bu"8, -us" 'now "his when "he &ay o% re)'oning )omes, I will ha#e a )oun"ry an& a mo"herlan& "ha" I )an

"ruly )all my home, e)ause I ha#e gi#en her my hear" an& soul an& lo#e& her un)on&i"ionally,( he a&&e&$

;ill you ha#e a pla)e "o "ruly )all home< A lan& "ha" lo#es you as un)on&i"ionally as you lo#e her

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