George Yang, Author at Goody Feed

In the last two months, more people just realized that Singapore isn’t located in China. In June, Singapore hosted the Trump-Kim Summit – the world held its breath as everyone watched the handshake between the two leaders took place in an area that’s just a Grab ride away from us. Then, two weeks ago, Crazy Rich Asians was released in the US, and our tiny island was once again shown to millions of people. Just a few days back, popular Facebook vlogger Nas Daily, whose real name is Nusseir Yassin, came to Singapore and posted not one, not two but three videos about Singapore. Let’s focus on the first one first: titled “Why I Hate Singapore”, Nas Daily talks everything good (well, almost) about Singapore: from her rapid development to her diversity. The video has so far garnered over 28K Shares and 2.9 million views. The feel-good vibes, of course, is Nas Daily’s trademark, and let’s just say that with the first video, and the abovementioned global events, we’re going to see a stream of (rich) tourists contributing to our economy. But hey, Nas Daily posted two more videos, and for the first time, Singapore isn’t exactly represented by Mercs-driving people living in bungalows. Nas Daily’s Second Singapore Video: A Highlight on Dumpster Diving / Freegan One day after the first Singapore video, Nas Daily’s second video focused on a Singaporean who lived his life as a Freegan: he doesn’t need to spend a lot to survive because he eats leftover food, takes home unwanted groceries and even ransack rubbish bins to find valuable items. While it has touched the nerves of some viewers as it seems to be too extreme, especially so as the guy isn’t poor to start off with, it still feels like yet another Nas Daily video that’s engaging and meaningful. Channel NewsAsia has featured the same guy before, and without a one-minute limit, it provides a better representation of the man’s mission: https://www.youtube.com/watch?vhBFQUDt66fg But it’s the third video that has captured everyone’s attention, and for good reasons. Nas Daily’s Third Singapore Video: A View of Singapore…From the Other Side So far, with Crazy Rich Asians and Nas Daily’s first video, it does feel like many Singaporeans drive a Mercedes or BMW, and many of us sleep on a bed of cash. Any Singapore would know that nothing could be further from the truth. In Nas Daily’s third video that focuses on stereotypes, he addresses this in his usual fast-paced yet though-provoking manner though Singapore: that despite all the glam (the stereotypical view that I drive a Mercs), most Singaporeans live in HDBs and take public transport. Here’s the breakdown of his points that he found: An average person in Singapore makes SGD$3,900 per month That amount is just enough to “get by”, because… A meal is SGD$9.10 An MRT ride is SGD$2.60 Rental is SGD $1,690 He then spoke about how most people live in HDBs instead of in MBS (HAHA), and that migrant workers are paid just $600 a month. It’s a good video that showcases the other side of Singapore, but of course, any Singapore would take a second look at the numbers mentioned above. While we can’t verify of migrant workers are paid $600 a month (which is allegedly $1.90 per hour: hey, better than NS, yo!), the numbers mentioned are rather debatable. Let’s break it down: A meal is SGD$9.10 I’ve just had my lunch in a kopitiam with cai png and a drink: the total cost is less than $5. If I forgo that drink, my meal is only $3.20. I’m pretty sure tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, the price would remain the same. Heck, if I’m feeling rich and go for fishes, I think the maximum is $7. An MRT Ride is SGD$2.60 I just checked the price from Joo Koon MRT Station to Pasir Ris MRT Station (coz I ain’t going to spend an hour just to check the price, that’s crazy), and guess what? It’s at $2.01. But of course that’s if one is using Ez-link card instead of cash, but for an average person in Singapore, he or she would be insane not to use an Ez-link card. And well, he or she would go insane taking the train for so long #justsaying Average Rental is at SGD$1,690 Now, let’s just look at this more closely, because when I saw that, I thought I’m really a Crazy Rich Asian. For $1,690, one can rent a one-bedroom or studio in a condo; alternatively, one can get a 2-bedroom HDB (and we’re not talking about just the room, but the entire flat itself). Of course there prices are for areas that are not within walking distance from an MRT station, but you get the idea. $1,690 is a lot of money. In reality, most people in Singapore live in their own HDB flats, and the loan is being serviced by CPF. In other words, one technically won’t need to fork out a single cent for housing from his or her take-home salary…except for the SP Group bills lah. Even if one needs to rent, he or she would just rent a room for $600 – and for that price, it could be near an MRT Station. There’s also one point that netizens are debating about: the HDBs mentioned in the videos. Here, take a look: Image: Screengrab from Facebook (Nas Daily) It’s not a misrepresentation: HDBs do look like this. But let’s face it: new BTOs look so much like condos nowadays, you can’t differentiate the two unless you specifically look for a guardhouse. Finding old HDBs like those in the video is as hard as finding Nemo in a fish tank. Good Video But Debatable No doubt it’s a great video: something that shows the other side of Singapore, but hey: not everyone makan a $9 meal every day, and pay $1,690 rent per month. If I did, I’d agree that a salary of $3,900 is really just “getting by”.

George Yang

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