The "Cheong Wing Lee" Story

[scroobal]

Dear Mr.Wang,

Mr. Philip Lee's critical assessment about the pride of Singaporeans retiring abroad cannot be left unchallenged.

I have been retired for more than ten years and have been spending my time between Guangzhou in China and Vancouver in Canada. Contrary to what Philip Lee had said, both these cities are interesting, fun and cheaper than Singapore.

In Guangzhou, I live in a penthouse apartment that I bought for S$150,000 five years ago. It is situated in Tian He district (similar to District 10 in Singapore) and next to the beautiful 1,000 acres botanic garden that residents of the condo can access for free through a side gate. It is a gated community with a club house and first class facilities, Olympic size swimming pool and modern security services. A similar apartment in Singapore would have cost at least S$900,000 or more.

For about 5,000 yuan or about S$1,000 a month I live extremely well. A similar lifestyle in Singapore would cost me at least S$5,000 a month. One can easily survive well in Guangzhou for 2,000 yuan or about S$400. It would be cheaper if one decides to live in smaller cities like Fushan or Chungshan. A Singaporean who speaks proficient English can easily get a part-time job teaching English and earn 3,000 to 5,000 yuan a month.

A retired professor from NTU in Singapore has been living in the same estate as I in Guangzhou for the past few years. He teaches science at a local university and earns about 10,000 yuan a month. He too can testify to the cost of living in Guangzhou. He is unlikely to move back to Singapore as he has liquidated all his assets there.

In Vancouver, I live in a 5,000 sq feet waterfront property that costs me less than S$1 million. A similar piece of waterfront property in Singapore would have cost at least S$3 million or perhaps more. Attached is a photo of the view from the windows in my house.

I drive a Honda Civic Hybrid that I brought brand new five years ago for S$25,000. A similar new Honda Hybrid in Singapore would have cost close to S$100,000 if you include COE. If one prefers to drive more prestigous cars like a brand new Mercedes 250 or a BMW 325, these cars cost less than C$50,000. The cost of living for my wife and myself is less than S$2,000 a month. The cost of living for me in Vancouver would drop significantly when I reach the age of 65 when I am entitled to old age pension from the Canadian government. My wife and myself would then receive more than S$2,000 a month from the government.

Factor in the savings in the cost of purchasing a house and a car in Vancouver vs in Singapore, and the difference is more than enough to pay for a happy, comfortable retirement for the rest of your life.

If a person is more adventurous and hands-on, the cost of living in Vancouver can be only about a few hundred dollars a month. You can fish, catch crabs and prawns, grow your own vegetables, hunting etc. There are lots of places to fish and hunt. All you need then is to purchase rice, sauces, spices and pay for essentials like gas and electricity for the house you stay, telephone bills and transportation. These items amount to no more than S$500 a month. I have tried it and it is fun.

It is impossible to find similar opportunities in Singapore.

Philip Lee had personal experiences of depressing tales about lack of friends for retiring Singaporeans living overseas. I sympathize with him for "suffering from seasonal affective disorder", but I suspect Mr.Lee is an introvert and does not have a sociable personality. As long as one is an extrovert and willing to engage in and be pro-active, he will have lots of friends.

I have lots of friends of all races both in Guangzhou and Vancouver. I participate in dragon boat races in Vancouver, San Francisco, Guangzhou, Hawaii, etc. I am the only Singaporean with the rowing team and the oldest. The rest of the team are from Hong Kong, Taiwan, China, Thailand and some European countries. I play golf with friends of all races. I give free English lessons to Guangzhou universities students as well as local business persons.

I am a member of both the Guangzhou and Vancouver Toastmasters clubs, Guangzhou Canadian Friendship club, Friends of Taiwan club, etc. I am always welcome by friends in Guangzhou and Vancouver. We have activities all year round, i.e. snow hiking and skiing in winters, fishing, gardening, cruises to Alaska, and BBQ during summers, pot-lucks, mahjong, hunting, etc., throughout the rest of the year. There is hardly a dull moment.

My wife who is a retired teacher from Singapore gives free English lessons to doctors and nurses at Chungshan Hospital in Guangzhou. She does volunteer work when in Vancouver. Life is so rewarding and there is simply no time to be depressed.

It is surprising that Philip Lee had said that we are treated as second-class citizens. It is inevitable that there will be a small minority of people who are racists and bigots. These people even hate their own kind. It is not the norm and that happens in any country including Singapore.

I have kidney failure and it cost the Canadian Government S$8,000 a month to treat me at no cost to me. There are nine friends who are willing to donate their kidneys to me. They include a Caucasian, a Taiwanese, a Malaysian, a Korean, a Mainland Chinese (a doctor herself) and four members of my family. It is unfair to say that we are 2nd-class citizens when people like Dr Ron Werb, head of department at St. Paul's Hospital personally accompanies us in dragon boat rowing practices twice a week together with other doctors.

I remember when I first immigrated to Canada more than twenty years ago, all my three children were given C$250 each as "milk money" until they reached high school. This policy is still ongoing. There are plenty of support organizations to help new immigrants of different cultures and races to assimilate into the Canadian society.

The Canadian Government even pays for my medical treatments when I travel overseas. Healthcare is very costly and a very important factor for retirees. To have access to good, free medical treatment during retirement is like striking a million-dollar lottery .

The benefits of free healthcare in Canada makes Singapore's claim of a lower cost of living quite meaningless.
Now, note the next part. Here's a personal invitation from Wing Lee. SPH and Mediacorp employees, please take note. This could be your chance to write an interesting story. Wing Lee has given his telephone number to me (and I have his email address, of course) - if you are a journalist and you want to contact Wing Lee, please feel free to email me.
To prove my case, I welcome any member of the Press to visit Guangzhou or Vancouver and stay with me for a month and experience the truth. However, I have one condition. Do not send an introvert and an eternal pessimist who only engages in self-pity and complaints. Then there is nothing to prove. The person should be open-minded and adventurous and enjoy sea sports. He must be a hands-on person and preferably be able to handle a rifle and likes hunting and able to cook.

Philip Lee is correct to say that life is not a bed of roses, but only if one is not prepared to make the necessary adjustments to adapt. If one works hard and stays positive, it is difficult to fail. As for me and many others, we are very happy immigrants. Life could not be better. There is no shame and we certainly have clear conscience when emigrating from Singapore.

Regards
Cheong Wing Lee
http://mrwangsaysso.blogspot.com/2008/09/two-perspectives-on-emigrated-ex.html

 

[Charlie9]

Re: Child tax benefits in Canada

"I remember when I first immigrated to Canada more than twenty years ago, all my three children were given C$250 each as "milk money" until they reached high school. This policy is still ongoing. There are plenty of support organizations to help new immigrants of different cultures and races to assimilate into the Canadian society." quoted from the above post.

* * * * *

CAUTION: Although I used to practise income tax in my early years with a big firm, after 1986, I have restricted my practice at a big firm, and thereafter on my own, to bankruptcy, insolvency and restructuring. Accordingly, the following is based on my best recollection, and only for discussions.

The above statement qouted from the previosu post, may be true in the 1980's.

I arrived in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in 1981. I married at age 37, later in life, relative to most individuals.

I believe that in and around 1981, parents with child(ren) under age 18, receive a monthly child allowance (about $34 per month if my memory does not fail me), regardless of the parents' income, payable to the child's mother (exception applies, where it would be payable to the child's father). The family allowance is included in the parent's income, and the parent claim a deduction for the dependent child.

Then in the 1990's, the federal govt. introduced the enhanced child tax benefits, which is based on the parents' income, which is no longer universal. In addition, for the middle income and higher income parents, not only do they not receive the family allowance, they also are not able to claim the dependent child(ren) deduction on their income tax return. However, I disagree with the govt policies, which may encourage adults to be separated or divorced, because a single (whether unmarried, separated or divorced) parent is allowed to claim one child as a married equivalent (as though the child is a spouse with no income) on his or her income tax return. I disagree with this use of fiscal policy which has negative social consequences. I have heard individuals (especially those single parents with low income - based on my bankruptcy work) who received up to $300+ of child tax benefits per child per month.

In 2004 or 2005, the federal govt. introduced the Universal Child Care Benefits ("UCCB"), in addition to the previously implemented child tax benefits. This UC is $100 per child under age 8 per month regardless of the parents' income, payable to the child's mother. However, the UC must be included in the mother's taxable income

We have never received the child tax benefits because our annual taxable income exceeds C$35,000.00. We did receive the UCCB of $100 per child for our second, third and fourth children (not from the date of birth, except the fourth child).

Unfortunately, since more than a decade ago, the universality of the federal govt. social programmes have been reduced, because the federal govt. introduced clawback provisions (means the tax payers have to repay the social benefits to the fed govt.). For example, the Old Age Security ("OAS"), approximately $4,000 a year paid to individuals age 65 and better. When such a tax payer's annual taxable income exceeds about $53,000, he or she has to repay the OAS to the fed govt.

For individuals age 65 and better, and whose annual taxable income is less that about $13,000 less the benefits from Canada Pension Plan ("CPP") [this particularly benefits individuals who immigrated to Canada later in life, and did not earned much income to be eligible for close to the maximum CPP benefits], the said individuals are eligible for the fed govt. guaranteed income supplement ("GIS"), which tops up their OAS from about $4,000 per year to about $13,000 a year. Accordingly, individuals age 65 and better will not starve. Such individuals are also eligible for subsidized apartments (rent geared to income, at about 30 or 35% of the monthly income), and subsized accomodation in nursing homes.

Therefore, for immigrants to Canada, the govt social programmes provide a downside protection. These govt social benefits result in a relatively high personal income tax regime, for example: an individual with taxable income of $75,700 and $123,000, pays federal income taxes of $14,000 and $26,300, respectively, and for Ontario residents, the same individual als has to pay Ontario income taxes: taxable income of $72,000, pays income taxes of $5,475 plus surtaxes of $263, whereas with taxable income of $123,000, pays income taxes of $11,167 plus surtaxes of $3,530. As a rough estimate, and individual with taxable income of $72,000, is required to pay federal income taxes of $12,500 plus Ontario income taxes of $5,700 for a total of $18,200 [$18,200 divided by $72,000, say 25 per cent, which I believe is significantly higher than the Singapore income tax regime].

I am not discouraging any individual from emigrating to Canada. If you are willing to work smart and hard, implement tax avoidance strategies (not tax evasion), you can do reasonably well.

 

[Hock]

Re: Child tax benefits in Canada

"I remember when I first immigrated to Canada more than twenty years ago, all my three children were given C$250 each as "milk money" until they reached high school. This policy is still ongoing. There are plenty of support organizations to help new immigrants of different cultures and races to assimilate into the Canadian society." quoted from the above post.

* * * * *

CAUTION: Although I used to practise income tax in my early years with a big firm, after 1986, I have restricted my practice at a big firm, and thereafter on my own, to bankruptcy, insolvency and restructuring. Accordingly, the following is based on my best recollection, and only for discussions.

The above statement qouted from the previosu post, may be true in the 1980's.

I arrived in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in 1981. I married at age 37, later in life, relative to most individuals.

I believe that in and around 1981, parents with child(ren) under age 18, receive a monthly child allowance (about $34 per month if my memory does not fail me), regardless of the parents' income, payable to the child's mother (exception applies, where it would be payable to the child's father). The family allowance is included in the parent's income, and the parent claim a deduction for the dependent child.

Then in the 1990's, the federal govt. introduced the enhanced child tax benefits, which is based on the parents' income, which is no longer universal. In addition, for the middle income and higher income parents, not only do they not receive the family allowance, they also are not able to claim the dependent child(ren) deduction on their income tax return. However, I disagree with the govt policies, which may encourage adults to be separated or divorced, because a single (whether unmarried, separated or divorced) parent is allowed to claim one child as a married equivalent (as though the child is a spouse with no income) on his or her income tax return. I disagree with this use of fiscal policy which has negative social consequences. I have heard individuals (especially those single parents with low income - based on my bankruptcy work) who received up to $300+ of child tax benefits per child per month.

In 2004 or 2005, the federal govt. introduced the Universal Child Care Benefits ("UCCB"), in addition to the previously implemented child tax benefits. This UC is $100 per child under age 8 per month regardless of the parents' income, payable to the child's mother. However, the UC must be included in the mother's taxable income

We have never received the child tax benefits because our annual taxable income exceeds C$35,000.00. We did receive the UCCB of $100 per child for our second, third and fourth children (not from the date of birth, except the fourth child).

Unfortunately, since more than a decade ago, the universality of the federal govt. social programmes have been reduced, because the federal govt. introduced clawback provisions (means the tax payers have to repay the social benefits to the fed govt.). For example, the Old Age Security ("OAS"), approximately $4,000 a year paid to individuals age 65 and better. When such a tax payer's annual taxable income exceeds about $53,000, he or she has to repay the OAS to the fed govt.

For individuals age 65 and better, and whose annual taxable income is less that about $13,000 less the benefits from Canada Pension Plan ("CPP") [this particularly benefits individuals who immigrated to Canada later in life, and did not earned much income to be eligible for close to the maximum CPP benefits], the said individuals are eligible for the fed govt. guaranteed income supplement ("GIS"), which tops up their OAS from about $4,000 per year to about $13,000 a year. Accordingly, individuals age 65 and better will not starve. Such individuals are also eligible for subsidized apartments (rent geared to income, at about 30 or 35% of the monthly income), and subsized accomodation in nursing homes.

Therefore, for immigrants to Canada, the govt social programmes provide a downside protection. These govt social benefits result in a relatively high personal income tax regime, for example: an individual with taxable income of $75,700 and $123,000, pays federal income taxes of $14,000 and $26,300, respectively, and for Ontario residents, the same individual als has to pay Ontario income taxes: taxable income of $72,000, pays income taxes of $5,475 plus surtaxes of $263, whereas with taxable income of $123,000, pays income taxes of $11,167 plus surtaxes of $3,530. As a rough estimate, and individual with taxable income of $72,000, is required to pay federal income taxes of $12,500 plus Ontario income taxes of $5,700 for a total of $18,200 [$18,200 divided by $72,000, say 25 per cent, which I believe is significantly higher than the Singapore income tax regime].

I am not discouraging any individual from emigrating to Canada. If you are willing to work smart and hard, implement tax avoidance strategies (not tax evasion), you can do reasonably well.

Very nice. Thank you for your time and effort. I am sure it helps
those who are heading to Canada. Any good URL for tax avoidance
strategies(not tax evasion)? Thanks.

 

[Charlie9]

Re: Tax Avoidance

I believe that very few Canadian residents, prior to preparing and filing their annual personal income tax returns, would read one or more of the following:
1. the income tax guide, which for the past several years, is in a separate booklet from the income tax forms [google Canada Revenue Agency];
2. CCH's Preparing your Personal Income Tax Return (about C$30);
3. the booklet from one of the major Chartered Accountants firm (Deloitte & Touche, Ernst & Young, KPMG, PricewaterhouseCoopers); and
4. several other books on the market.

For the average individual who is an employee, there are not many tax avoidance strategies.

 

[Asychee]

Re: Child tax benefits in Canada

I was receiving $1200/ month with my 4 kids, when i landed. I received it for around 1.5 years. Now i think, it is around $400/month.

 

[wendypoh]

This is what Cheong Wing Lee didn't tell you about the Canadian healthcare system and didn't want you to know about.

But Canadian Brock Lesnar will tell you the Canadian healthcare system is like a Third World country and Canada has a big, big problem.

Read for yourself

 

[chewed]

This is what Cheong Wing Lee didn't tell you about the Canadian healthcare system and didn't want you to know about.

But Canadian Brock Lesnar will tell you the Canadian healthcare system is like a Third World country and Canada has a big, big problem.

Read for yourself

you haven't been around much, have you?

 

[wendypoh]

you haven't been around much, have you?

Yourself? :p

 

[chewed]

Yourself? :p

you wanna post crap, do it in another folder.

Most of the folks in this folder are well travelled, having lived in more than a few countries.

 

[southwest]

you wanna post crap, do it in another folder.

Most of the folks in this folder are well travelled, having lived in more than a few countries.

In all fairness, she posted a newspaper article about the state of healthcare in Canada. It is not like she wrote something that she cannot substantiate.

People should be given access to information from all parties, whether good or bad. Only then they can make an informed decision on whether to migrate and if so, to which country.

 

[scroobal]

I think the comment is not to be simplistic and you won't be if you have travelled and have been around.

Cheong Wing Lee was comparing Canada against Singapore. The big picture is that health care in Canada is universal and its cradle to grave. No where compared to Singapore in terms of a safety net and huge psychological plus for a Canadian resident.

Many of us have been to Canada and have friends/relatives treated there whilst as student or as migrants and they speak very well about it. Unless it fell apart in the last few days, it vastly superior. Wendypoh's comments about Cheong Wing Lee hiding "didn't want you to know" a bad system does not ring well.

The obvious conclusion is that Wendypoh is not a worldly person and thus have not been around - suaku or frog in the well.

In all fairness, she posted a newspaper article about the state of healthcare in Canada. It is not like she wrote something that she cannot substantiate.

People should be given access to information from all parties, whether good or bad. Only then they can make an informed decision on whether to migrate and if so, to which country.

 

[chewed]

I think the comment is not to be simplistic and you won't be if you have travelled and have been around.

Cheong Wing Lee was comparing Canada against Singapore. The big picture is that health care in Canada is universal and its cradle to grave. No where compared to Singapore in terms of a safety net and huge psychological plus for a Canadian resident.

Many of us have been to Canada and have friends/relatives treated there whilst as student or as migrants and they speak very well about it. Unless it fell apart in the last few days, it vastly superior. Wendypoh's comments about Cheong Wing Lee hiding "didn't want you to know" a bad system does not ring well.

The obvious conclusion is that Wendypoh is not a worldly person and thus have not been around - suaku or frog in the well.

exactamundo

 

[Charlie9]

Re: Canada's medi-care

Notwithstanding a few weaknesses, and waiting time for certain surgery, I believe that the free universal medi-care in Canada is very much appreciated (although, so far, I do not have to rely on it). The Canadian medi-care system does protect the average person from financial insolvency if he or she has major illness(es), and accordingly, is better than those countries where individuals alleged that it is better to die than to fall ill.

 

[american]

Re: Canada's medi-care

I have heard of many Canadians who need surgery but the wait times in Canada is too long, so they go down south to USA to do their surgery.

Notwithstanding a few weaknesses, and waiting time for certain surgery, I believe that the free universal medi-care in Canada is very much appreciated (although, so far, I do not have to rely on it). The Canadian medi-care system does protect the average person from financial insolvency if he or she has major illness(es), and accordingly, is better than those countries where individuals alleged that it is better to die than to fall ill.

 

[fishbuff]

Re: Canada's medi-care

I have heard of many Canadians who need surgery but the wait times in Canada is too long, so they go down south to USA to do their surgery.

have u watch michael moore's documentary entitled "sicko" before?

 

[mayliewwan]

Re: Canada's medi-care

I am surprised that Wendy Poh did not bother to post the news article of Newfoundland's premier Danny Williams opting to go to US to have his heart surgery instead of getting it done in Canada.


www.cbc.ca "Williams recovering from US heart surgery"

I have heard of many Canadians who need surgery but the wait times in Canada is too long, so they go down south to USA to do their surgery.

 

[chinchai]

Anti-Olympic protesters clash with police in Vancouver

VANCOUVER — Anti-Olympic protesters clashed with police in Vancouver on Saturday, as the demonstrators smashed windows and spray-painted cars and buses.

More than 200 masked protesters marched through the streets of downtown Vancouver, throwing objects at police officers and damaging cars and businesses, Vancouver police said.

The black-clad mob smashed the front windows of a Hudson’s Bay Company store. The company is the main retailer for Games merchandise.

Vancouver police said seven people were arrested, and that charges of mischief were pending.

Police said a bag with a hammer was recovered and that one suspect had a bicycle chain wrapped around his fist when he was arrested.

The rally was organized by the Olympics Resistance Network to protest capitalism and “aimed to disturb ‘business as unusual’ on the first day of the Games,” according to a news release.

Vancouver police spokeswoman Const. Jana McGuinness called the situation “pretty intense.”

Saturday’s protests followed a standoff Friday night between demonstrators and police.

Two officers were injured as protesters hurled debris, Vancouver police said.

After Friday’s opening ceremony, Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson and British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell admonished protesters for escalating beyond a peaceful demonstration.

“I’m really disappointed there was violence and disrespect shown by protesters. I think all in Vancouver expect there will be peaceful protests and a few individuals crossed that line,” said Robertson.

Campbell went further in his comments Friday night, saying while all people have a right to free speech, “There’s nothing that says we all have a right to attack.”

“The protesters are trying to attract attention to themselves. The protesters are trying to frighten people,” he said.

© Copyright (c) The Canadian Press

 

[Hock]

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE61B2B020100212

Vancouver, Toronto & Calgary are among the top 5.

 

[neddy]

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE61B2B020100212

Vancouver, Toronto & Calgary are among the top 5.

Anti-Olympic protesters clash with police in Vancouver

VANCOUVER — Anti-Olympic protesters clashed with police in Vancouver on Saturday, as the demonstrators smashed windows and spray-painted cars and buses.

So what if Vancouver is ranked Number one if people choose to see the negative points, depend on others to take the lead to make their own lives more bearable and have the "you owe me a living" mentality.

My Sinkee friend greets me Happy New Year and expects me to be his guardian angel. Let me explain more.

1. He complains about the SG govt but does not want to do anything. He is hoping for a miracle perfect leader to appear out of nowhere to check on the current govt and as a result, make his life better. He do not even want to vote for this leader if he or she appears, and expect others to do the job for him.

2. He does not dare to migrate because of racism, job prospects in countries like Australia. He prefer Canada because of less racism and cheaper housing. 5 years on, no action from him. Now, he panicks and calls me because Australia/Canada tighten immigration process.

At the end of the day, you create and/or take the best opportunities for yourself and make your adopted city the Top city for yourself. Do I make sense?

 

[axe168]

So what if Vancouver is ranked Number one if people choose to see the negative points, depend on others to take the lead to make their own lives more bearable and have the "you owe me a living" mentality.

My Sinkee friend greets me Happy New Year and expects me to be his guardian angel. Let me explain more.

1. He complains about the SG govt but does not want to do anything. He is hoping for a miracle perfect leader to appear out of nowhere to check on the current govt and as a result, make his life better. He do not even want to vote for this leader if he or she appears, and expect others to do the job for him.

2. He does not dare to migrate because of racism, job prospects in countries like Australia. He prefer Canada because of less racism and cheaper housing. 5 years on, no action from him. Now, he panicks and calls me because Australia/Canada tighten immigration process.

At the end of the day, you create and/or take the best opportunities for yourself and make your adopted city the Top city for yourself. Do I make sense?

Spot on ! the common behaviours of sinkies..

- they will complain about everything but do little to change the condition..

- They follow & adhere to news, notices, rules & laws. Not knowing the reasons.. but simply obeying is good.

- Lack of risk taking appetite, they would search, hunt and pray for adverse findings, in order to provide justifications to prevent them from moving ahead.. in the end, they are relieve they are within their enclosed comfort zone..

- They follow history, instead of creating a history..


SG NS and SG Education is killing us !