Surviving in Singapore on $200-300 a month is impossible. Just paying the electricity and water bills is about that amount or even more. $2-$3 hawker meals is a totally unrealistic estimate, $6-7 is reality. Not to mention family daily necessities, children's school fees, parents medical bills, public transport etc. It requires a minimum of 1-2k to sustain a family even not considering home loan/rent. One of the reasons many people I know who are interested in entrepreneurship give up is because the loss of years of income and the high risks involved would be devastating to the family, rather than themselves. Its ok for us as individuals to give up luxuries like car but it pains people to watch their kids spend 1h going to school and parents struggling to walk to the bus stop and cross the road in time before the light changes. It really depends if one's whole family can and is willing to suffer for the short term in hopes of a brighter future.
He was referring to singles. His points are very idealistic. Too idealistic! Maybe the question here is he should be asked how much he is willing to pay for an employee. That itself we can gauge his perspective! He has not endured real hard times yet.
Things cut both ways, hiring foreigners do not equate to them transferring skills to the locals. I doubt he have seem companies where the majority of the management are all foreigner and locals are at the bottom of the hierarchy
I think some things said by Ben (which have been already pointed out in the comments) are quite misleading/over simplified. 1.It's very very rare to find/eat $2-$3 hawker food in Singapore now.. don't even mention CBD/town, but even in local places where I stay (AMK), you have to like hunt hunt for it, the nearest hawker to my house doesn't have it. 2.Living with parents : well it depends on how big your parents house is.If u're family is staying in a small condo, or 3 room/4 room HDB, you can if you're single, but if you're married, and with kids.. it's going to be very difficult. If you have sibilings/grandparents staying in the same household too, it's almost impossible. 3.The view of foreigners living in Sg is not just a Singapore problem, same in Japan, Europe, America etc etc ..majority of the locals are very wary of foreigners going in to get jobs, I do agree that there needs to be a balance but I'm just saying when there's a recession/inflation/economy is bad, the first "scapegoat" will probably be the foreigners , and that applies is most countires , not just Sg. But having said all these, Ben does raise up some good points too, currency is strong, security/safety is def. there, and Singaporeans do need to "keep up" and "upgrade" themselves to stay in touch with the Global market/economy and keep ourselves relevant/or even ahead. But this post feels more like a presentation of Singapore from a local perspective but very touched up/super postivie light to foreigners, wheather it's realistic or not .. depends on who you mingle with I guess..
Without a doubt. This is what I observed in most energetic and over enthusiastic younger Singaporeans. I myself had gone thru that phase. Now I just cringed at the things he says. The worst part is, he is trained well by his Chirstian community to preach like the way he did.
His rough calculations on daily living expenses are off the mark. Example, nowadays very rare to find $3 meals even in hawker centres. But agree on the overall point of how "technically", yes daily expenses in SG can be manageable - I myself probably spend $300-450/mth just on food if I mainly eat at hawker ctrs for example - but as is in any country, it depends how much of a "quality of life" standard are you willing to tolerate. So yes, $2k/mth for daily living expenses is definitely more than enough for 1 person. Of course this excludes luxuries like if you want to take holidays, medical expenses etc.
RUclipsr based in Singapore(SG) or is SG dependent will likely only show positive video of SG. The law of POFMA will always be the consideration when such YT create a video about SG.
It’s a shame that we’re seeing a growth in the popularity Gary Vee-esque characters. What an odd thing it is to say that you acknowledge the fragility of life, and then arrive at the conclusion that you should focus on making more money instead of spending quality time with your parents. Not to mention after making a speech about living with your parents for “free”. There are Singaporeans who are struggling just to pay for their parents bills, and would very much prefer to spend whatever time they have left together. Benjamin here already has the luxury to spend time with his parents, but has arrived at the conclusion that he should be instead focused on making more money so he can afford more lavish vacations for his parents. Time is fleeting. Singaporeans spend their whole lives grinding for that “ideal” life. And before they know it, they’re lying on their deathbed with the realisation that with the pursuit of said life, they never actually got to appreciate what they already had.
I think most humans if not all spend their lives grinding for that ideal life and before they know it they're on their deathbeds never having appreciating what they had, so it's not just them, that's why so many ppl migrate to other places in search of this 'ideal life'
You are out of touch. If you are a JC students or may undergrads or even new member in the workforce, then you may be able to survive with under $2K understanding that you are staying with your parent. This is because you are not the sandwich working class. I can't agree with you.
This young man has a lot of right values - like it is more blessed to give than to receive, looking after his parents, working hard, etc. All the best to your future, Ben.
There's not much of $3+ food in hawker centres nowadays. Minimum is $4+. Living with parents isn't entirely free. Many of singaporeans give their parents monthly allowance
u really don’t know singapore, and u really have to know this society more. many hawker has government subsidy to offer low price food for lower income people.
S$300-??? Crap & stop misleading pple. Max pls go to Hawker ctr n check prices n verify first b4 uploading…. Try asking - students, working adults & elderly to hv a comparison. Will still watch your videos but i stopped viewing quickly.
Very positive attitude. But wee bit detached from reality. The sentiment towards immigration is not always driven by protectionist mentalities. Singaporeans I know are competitive but also prefer a level playing field. With regard to living in the heartlands among Singaporeans, there are structural barriers to this - hdb quota on foreigners, low prioritization by local schools, etc.
Anti foreigner sentiment is driven by the few lazy entitled Singaporean who refuse to upgrade themselves and think its having a job is their gov given right
1) His cost of living is not reality. He is transferring a lot of cost back to Parent to hide the actual cost of living for a Single person living on his own. 2) Singapore is safer because we have more manpower like Police to cover the population and territory compared to other countries. This is because majorly of our servicemen like Police are Conscription rather than Professional. Singaporeans are unhappy because while we are protecting Singapore, Singapore are opening up to Foreigners at the expense of Singaporeans' job opportunity. That why there is a term call 'Jobs for FT (Foreign Talent), NS (National Services) for Sinkies (Singaporeans who are sinking)'. 3) Singapore Government (SG) like to make things complicated like education and it is not easy to explain especially to Foreigners. I would like to share that Singapore education is bad is a simple way. For example, Singapore raises the standard above Singaporeans' age capability (what you see in other country like Malaysia Secondary 2 will appear in Singapore Primary 5 standard) and based on your Primary 4 result (10 year old) will determine your future education pathway since Singapore created a lot of streams to phase off Students from advancing to higher education. For example, you can be a Secondary School Graduate with NT GCE N but it is considered as NA Secondary 2 (Year 8 Standard). With a Year 8 competency and a ITE Certificate like Nitec, you will have a hard time to cope even if you are advanced to education like Polytechnic Diploma. 4) The successful Singaporeans that he quoted are all working overseas and not in Singapore. SG favor Foreigners over Singaporeans. For example, SG hire Foreigners (with PR or work pass status) for public sector job like MOE Teachers even if it come with vocational training and there are a lot of Singaporean Job Applicants. To add salt to the wound, SG even hire Foreigners (with PR or work pass status) as WSG career Ambassador to teach Singaporeans how to find a job in Singapore which is an insult to Singaporeans.
IMO, it's absurd and more stupid for Ben to whine about the immutable characteristics of the land than other Singaporeans whining about the valid concerns of immigration policy. Singaporeans are not afraid of competition and most are not xenophobic. What Singaporeans dislike are dominant foreign cliques suppressing the opportunities of locals of which there has been ample evidence of it happening. That is a valid concern.
Exactly. If this channel wants to "bridge the gap between locals and foreigners" without bias, it ought to be selecting and interviewing the right people especially from the local side. The locals are not afraid of competition. They are taught from young that the world does not owe them a living. They choose to remain open to the world. Regardless of whether jobs opportunities are actually being taken up at the expense of locals, it is in Singapore, unlike many other countries, that a foreigner can totally cut themselves out from the local people and not choose to respect the local culture. Foreigner or local, be it a wealthy businessman, a salaryman or a beggar on the street, the worst way to treat another human is to take a hit at one's pride. (In this case, a Singaporean's Pride)
@@KKOH007grow up. There are existing laws in place that makes (without forcing) companies to hire local instead of foreigners like the min salary threshold for EPs and S-Pass. If a company still wishes to pay more for foreigners and get them the relevant pass instead of you, then the problem is you. You fail to convince them of your value while the foreigners could. The same reason people would gladly pay $8 for starbucks but cry about it when local coffee cost $2.60. People see no value in local coffee as compared to starbuck. So the onus is on you to rebrand yourself
I don't agree with Benjamin on everything he said. For one, inflation is causing almost every cost to increase and quite rapidly. While public transport remains relatively affordable, most hawker food cut on portions or raise their prices by 30% or more, compared to just few years ago. In general, we still manage to live our lives but it's increasingly difficult even for us locals. However, I'm grateful that I'm born and bred here. Benjamin comes across as a charismatic public speaker. He kind of rattle his words.
It was definitely a very poor take on the costs of living in Singapore. Singapore isn’t ranked as one of the most expensive places to live in for nothing. If living with our parents (for free apparently) was a feasible idea for everyone, then you could argue the same thing for other expensive cities like HK, Sydney Tokyo. “It’s not expensive, just live with your parents and play basketball!” Singapore is expensive because housing and rent goes up constantly thanks to the ever growing population and land constraints. We also have no natural resources, and everything has to be imported. Because of that, the cost of discretionary goods like clothing is also higher. These are all issues that needs to be examined, and not simply dismissed because you can live in the YMCA for free.
Let's get one thing straight Singapore is a city state It's not typically a country because it's only made up of urban areas. Even developed countries in the West have rural areas and rural communities.. Having rural and urban areas doesn't not mean you are poor. It's just that it means that the concentration of urban households tend to have a higher income but the cost of living is also higher. So it's artificially distorted to compare a city-state with neighboring countries that's pure nonsense. Secondly if you listen to him he's really talking about survival and basically how cheap it is in neighboring countries. Nobody in their right mind if they had a choice would want to live like that. The idea of thriving not surviving is what is also part of Singapore's branding but here we end up talking about survival so there's a lot of inherent contradictions. I suggest you talk to the newer immigrants like the Filipinas, the maids and others who are challenged. There are many Singaporeans who work two jobs. You have been to Malaysia so you know you've heard from expats in Malaysia, you know recently about 2 years ago KL was ranked as the most livable city in the world and it displaced Singapore. Now these rankings are for expats at least in this particular episode you're talking to a Singaporean which is actually more authentic
Upgrading is always a must, but the trouble is we are facing unlimited competition, while disadvantaging Singaporeans. For example: - Very expensive cost of living, and we need more wages to survive. I hire Filippinos and people from third world countries, and there are entitled people there too. The big difference, is that a one room apartment in 2015 used to cost 50k, but something like that then would cost 500k. Then there's rhe 99 years issue. That is to say that there are entitled people everywhere, but we need 10x more income just to survive. In fact, former GIC economisrs Yeoh Lam Keong warned that if our cost of living keeps going up like this, we may be pricing ourselves out of the international labour market. - NS takes away 2 years of job experience, and if a job requires 10 years of experience but you have 8... you've just lost out on that job to a foreigner. Let's not forget that reservist is also a minor disadvantage because it's a minor disruption to operations. I think it's pretty BS if anyone wants equal opportunity, but asymmetrical liability
Dude, there are $350k or lower hdb in marsiling or kranji. Problem is Singaporeans think beggars can be choosers. They want cheap, big and central. If everyone wants the same thing then prices are going to go up. Simple supply and demand economics. The problem is there are many Singaporean who have a perverted perception of the world like 1) they think having a good degree guarantees them a good job 2) they don't express their achievements ir value but exlrct others to know or 3) over inflate their contributions 4) not willing to put in the effort to work harder or upgrade themselves but cry when others do and get promoted / get bigger bonus
Ben is very optimistic and this is the type of young people that can move Singapore forward. Sadly we have quite a number who whines and complains when things don't go their way. Only by opening up the economy ,then Singapore can flourish. The day that Singapore is closes its door,its the day that Singapore is doomed.
@@yaphong-weijonathan2683 There's various help for people with low income You don't know about it doesn't means it don't have. Don't find bone in egg lah. My friend income 1200 with 2 kids. Wife not working,the kids school fees,books laptops are alll provided by various agency through govermnet help. Please don't pour cold water on things you don't know.
@@leongyet9896 i grew up poor getting a laptop that was 8 years old while studying IT in one of the poly. while people have finished compiling their program my laptop is still starting up. this is the reality of being poor in singapore. heavily disadvantaged. so please you've never been poor dont try to tell the poor how blessed they are. you can always give away your money to try this blessing.
@@laocheebye So you expect the latest gadget when you are poor? So you didn't get any help at all? Didn't we get equal opportunities in education? If not,how did you get into poly? So I should whine and complain why people drive lambo or ferrari when I only drives a Toyota? No wonder our society getting worse with this type of whiner. Give you a wing,you want a whole chicken. Gave you a chicken you want it comes with drinks and fries,lol. Live within your expectations lah.
@@leongyet9896 for someone with the chicken and the drinks and the fries, yes please tell someone without chicken wings that he is very blessed already. this is the biggest problem in singapore. lack of compassion. people like you think that the poor gets a lot of help not your problem right? since not your problem means there is no problem at all.
This guy really love poverty porn. Listening to him speak makes me think of Oscar Wilde’s quote “To recommend thrift to the poor is both grotesque and insulting. It is like advising a man who is starving to eat less”
Ben is one of the minority, open minded Singaporean. He has a great attitude and perspective. No doubt, most Singaporeans are warm and friendly but not so open minded. Singapore feels ‘clinical’ after a few years. Most foreigners will not tell you what they actually feel or think on camera especially if they’re still living in Singapore.
Yeah right. Most countries don`t have their citizens serve military consccription for 2-2.5 years and reservists retraining till 40-50 years old as officers. That`s suck. Sing dollar is only good to some extent in Southeast Asia, but not in Japan or Australia or any other first world. so most cannot travel to places like Japan for more than 2 weeks as they can`t afford even a week without burning a big hole in their pockets.
Don't know how you get the idea of $3 per meal. Nowadays even at Bukit Batok, you are looking at $4.50 and above. In CBD areas you are looking at $6 and above. That's excluding any drinks. Other than that, you are quite spot on.
Firstly, sad to inform u that there ain't many $3 food anymore~ Everything is $4 - $5.50 even in heartland areas. Secondly, the perspective u failed to mention is that while our currency is stronger than our neighbouring countries and we get more value overseas etc., it is the same reason why we get out-competed in the job market. Even though foreigners need to pay rent while most Singaporeans live with their parents until they get married, the leftover money they have (though possibly little) could be tripled when sent back to their own country. As such they are willing to settle for less in order to beat the local to the job. Good news for bosses hiring. More supply, lower wages. I'm all for it if the foreigners bring real value to Singapore in certain sectors where there is a lack of manpower or skilled workers. But if foreigners are allowed into sectors where we have talents equal to them, then there is no value add for the competition they bring. So its not as simply as learning to be more open-minded, but rather something more tangible.
Another word as long as you have sufficient $ to survive your day to day, stop dreaming BIG you average Singaporean 😂.. he didn't know the issues about squeezing 3 generations in one small HDB😢
I still cannot understand why in Sg, the garbage trucks required 3 workers while in some countries, garbage collection is done by only one worker. If the current salary for one worker is $1.5k-2K, which amount to $4.5k to 6k for 3 workers, why not have a local worker with the skill to operator a one-man garbage truck and pay him $4.5k to 6k/m? Why is Sg not wanting to improve its productivity?
@@dachee unless Singaporeans start learn how to dispose their waste in the correct order, given the population density per area, it makes more sense to have more manpower for now.
@@arsenal_84 in countries that uses different bins, disposing waste into the wrong bin is likely to result in a fine from the City Council. Nevertheless, it is not a valid reason for not implementing a one-man operated garbage collection system.
While I agree that we don't need a lot of money to live in Singapore, eating $3+ hawker food everyday isn't going to be healthy... since most of the food there are very oily and salty. You still have to make sure you eat healthily and that usually means spending more.
I quite wonder what he means by spending $200-300 a month. He needs to add on the caveat “as a dependant” I take the train daily, each ride is about $2, so to and fro $4…20 days of work (or school?) is $80. Assuming that I eat a $3 bowl of noodles twice a day daily with probably 2 fishballs and spring onions for veg for 30 days a month, that’s $180. The total is now $260. Mobile line $20 subscription. $280. You’re left with $20 to buy your stationery, shoes, socks, uniforms, school books, cold drinks and your hobbies, or save up to get a phone. When you’re an adult, you save 50% (ideally) give your parents 10% (conservatively) and spend the remaining 40% on life - mortgage utilities groceries consumables like soap even…can’t do any of that for $200…so yes, affordable if you can live off someone else 😂
really ah? 2 to 3 dollah per meal and 2 meal per day? stay home no need internet no need electricity no need watah ah? stay with ah pa ah ma 4 eva for 99 year ah? this joker want to tell ah gong we have it too good izzit, want to make our life difficult more ah?
Good points are brought up but some issues are addressed too simplistically or naively ideal. The costs of living in Singapore is really crushing as most foreign guests on this channel have voiced. Being able to survive and to live is 2 different things. As with most complex cities in the world it comes with its own unique difficulty and challenges for locals and foreigners living there.
@@userwheretogo It's not a month or 2. Do you want every Singaporean eating economic food their whole life? pay less for food to keep us healthy but end up paying expensive med?
This week, while Singapore government is cutting down sugar-consumption of the residents nationwide to reduce diabetes, Thailand government has just promoted more alcohol-drinking, after allowing more weed-use a year ago.
Well spoken and agree with much of what Ben shared. Fair enough that most Singaporeans are too comfortable in their status quo and are unwilling to step out of their comfort zone to take on new adventures and thrives in the new adventure. Most Singaporeans also need to travel and interact more with people living in other countries to form their own opinion instead of brainlessly accepting wholesale information from the media. Kudos to Ben to find the right motivation and work out to achieve his objectives. It is a good angle to provide this positive vibe and encouragement that one can succeed us with the right attitude and mindset. However, not everyone, even with hard work and dedication, gets the returns/rewards after years of efforts. Some unfortunate souls just have to work doubly hard to survive, let alone thrive. I believe most Singaporeans do not mind fair and decent challenges from foreigners. However the lack of control of foreigners coming into Singapore with dubious credentials and the fact that certain race can dominate certain sector of jobs go against how we have been conditioned. If Singaporeans want to take up the above 2 challenges, what can we do? How can normal Singaporeans control this unnecessary domination of certain race in certain sector? Personally I am agreeable to open up the country but there is a lot more to improve in controlling the quality of people coming into the country. What Singapore needs is quality and not quantity. Set minimum standards for employment permits, reject dubious credentials.
But the PAP government accept any tom dick harry leh. I don't agree with your 1st part of your comment but i do agree with the 2nd part of your comment.
is just a tiny piece of island to make into a country. tiny itsy-bitsy kingdom. Singapore is excellent is due to their tiny easy to manage island lifestyle but when come to long term living is a big No-No.
Don't think "living with parents" is fair when making a comparison to other countries cost of living... Assume that you will need to rent. That's the kicker
Thanks for this video and all your other videos. Very informative and interesting to see so many diverse views and perspective from different people. And always nice to see people who are positive and inspiring!
Lol. $300 to $500 can survive in Singapore? Why not he lead by example 1st? Or he NATO? Singapore is small is because we're a island country and we only got 1 season is because we're near to the equator. Heck, i never studied geography also know but he as entrepreneur he doesn't know?
No doubt Spore is a 6 star hotel. Contrast a home - delve deeper pls. Superficiality is good for advertisement and propaganda. It offers different experiences and fortunes for different types of people that go in there - and they depend on his position like in any hotel like whether you are the owner, board of directors, the GUEST , the supplier or a poor, toiling worker who doesnt own a stake except for a 99 yr public rental flat priced out of this world whc takes a life time to pay off and whose value depreciates to ZERO at the end. There goes your retirent CPF and family inheritance wealth after slogging for the hotel whole life.
Ride bicycle everywhere , eat maggie mee and drink 3 litres of water every day for a single person only. For shower , east coast free PAP toilet . You won't die lah.
With regards to the honoring the law in SG that is ONLY true to a certain extent. But if the govt keeps changing the goalposts of the policies be it CPF , HDB, foreigner inflow, new citizens or even increase of taxes be it property or personal, then we cannot say it is honoring any agreement. So if you see in this way where the govt change the rules and goalposts which makes the people lives more difficult, then i think its not at the best interest of its people. more at the mercy.
Huge respect to the man for bringing many perspectives into this conversation. I'm on the different side of the coin when it comes to the discussion on filial piety. I get where he's coming from given the sharing of his experiences with his parents. Perhaps $$ is the fundamental consideration when our parents are ill since any treatment or even caregiving needs money. Those with more resources will definitely be able to treat their parents better financially. That's undeniable. But to build on that, when our parents get older, they also want more quality time and conversation with us rather than being showered with gifts, money and overseas trips. And that's the values that I hand down to my children too that we might not be wealthy but we are emotionally and spiritually rich in terms of being contented with what we have and treasuring the memories we make together. Overall, I agree with most points that he shared. However, I disagree that even hawker food are as affordable as what he claims. You really don't get $3 food as a norm in our neighbourhood. It's even worse with the current inflation rate. So I decide to raise this misinformation.
Money is a renewable resource; time is not. I fear Benjamin does not truly understand the fragility of life, because his response towards his parents old age is that he should “work crazily hard” and “earn so much money”, instead of actually spending whatever remaining time with his parents. His perspectives unfortunately sound incredibly superficial to me and I strongly disagree with most of what he talked about, including the transactional nature of his so-called “giving”, where you should give because people “feel in debt to you”.
@@AndorranStairway glad you had eloquently rephrased my thoughts on time with parents to make it more readable. I'm not that good with such expression. And interesting you highlighted the part about giving. It also sounds a bit sus to me if viewed in the sense of authentic altruism. But hey, he's entitled to his opinions. And it's true that we shouldn't be too overly comfortable in our own bubbles if we want to progress at the international stage.
@@rinky_dinky yah...other than insufficient for an adult, imagine having that for multiple days a week- unhealthy, imbalanced diet and absolute insane. That's just a food out of the hundreds of others food available. So a fairer appraisal of the hawker centre food ought to the average rather than the cheapest one can get. And sadly, that's close to $5 nowadays. We all know that, or at least I know that since I frequently get my food from hawker centre.
Max, great refreshing interview with local Singaporean, Benjamin. Could see that it’s Love that lifted Ben ands given him the strength and the importance of family love and upbringing by his parents. May God bless him and his endeavors. Max, Hope u could also have interviews of the average employee Singaporeans to see their perspective of live in SG.
Life has its many forms at different stage of life. I believe it's so for many people around the world, let alone Singapore itself. At the end of his interview, you could feel his life perspective was giving the best he has had, or maybe it was edited to be like that. But I do believe that many of the Singaporean's core is very simple; to live out a comfortable life as much as possible. As for aspiration, I think it's not so easy for a native Singaporean to build on, unless he/she was born to a good start, financially and educational wise. Meritocracy way of environment can really push its people to work really hard in order to achieve the best in life. But how many would have the energy to go forward daily without any hiccups in life. But sometimes, with hiccups, it can also be the driving force for entrepreneurship to happen. There’s no one size fits all, we are all just wandering around in a big world looking for meaning in life. And as for Asian families, we are usually tied down to family obligations. Or perhaps it’s the same for everyone in the world…
There's no $150 in public transport. That means he don't know what he's talking about. MAX is $128 with a adult monthly unlimited pass. And I'm a driver for more than a decade.
This interview is powerful 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 Perhaps because i have been living too long in Singapore but certainly such mindset should be adopted about how we are being inspired to move forward each day no matter how crazy a situation can be at times. Not many would like to speak the low points in their life, but to me, he shares it out with positive attitude. Thank you very much, Mr. Chernov 🙏🏽🙇🏻♀️
How odd, because it feels like I’ve worked with Benjamins my whole career. Always the same spiel about hustling and grinding; constantly focused on wealth accumulation and career development. This guy is emblematic of modern day Singaporeans
SG has a dynamic economy, how many times each have to upgrade themselves?I dun see expat upgrading themselves here. Some work here as long as 20 years and working same field different company. And if one look carefully, there are "certain" industries predominantly occupied by certain race, once they reached the management level, they get their own kind. And surprisingly some are sub-con to government projects. Their HR had the audacity to tell you they employed singaporean for getting quotas.
I need to add to the powerful dollar thing. Unlike Malaysian who earn in SGD and spend in Malaysia, having a powerful currency means nothing if it doesn’t translate.
Hi Max, you have 2 videos interviewing a rich lady in Singapore who owned a landed property, but it is no longer in your playlist. Can I know if you had deliberately taken it down? She gave good advices and I would like to view it again. Thanks.
@@MaxChernov I see, I guessed it must have brought some trouble. It is very rare for a rich Singaporean to share so much details about her success in public, especially if she is not a high profile celebrity or c-suite constantly in public eye.
Living in the tropics has it's pros and cons. Firstly we dun have to buy winter clothing and we also save on electricity for heating during winter. You dun have to dress up nicely when you are out and about except for work and formal occasions. Yes I agree life can be boring in the tropics without the four seasons. There is no snow or winter scenery to speak of. There is no change of seasons and the scenery is basically the same whole year round.
Sometimes its the attitude of the employee, be it foreigner or locals. Foreign workers are not cheaper than locals in many cases, the levy, lodging, salary etc. I rather pay it to a local if there are willing locals.
Singaporeans are too comfortable in their own country. They would go for business trips to many countries but once you asked them to station overseas many rejected the idea, especially those not so glamorous countries. One has to remember for the MNCs Singapore is a regional HQ and need people with vast experience and contacts. If one’s experience is confined in Singapore it will be very difficult to bring in any new idea or energy. Especially those big companies mostly deal with the regions. Before we complain about jobs being robbed, go overseas to “rob” others’ jobs and gain the regional experience required to excel instead of being a mountain turtle(or turtle in the well). I wish my country and my country men the best.
you clearly don't know that it is very difficult for a singaporean to go to other countries to rob other's job. only people who are rich enough to study overseas has this opportunity. there are protection mechanism in all other countries, except ceca worshipping singapore.
Funny the first thing I notice about Ben is how fast he speaks and the number of 'perspectives' and jargons used. Other than that, as a Singaporean living overseas, I can identify with some of the points he has mentioned.
Watch next 👉 ruclips.net/video/iZuizUbSh5I/видео.html The story of a foreign woman who obtained Singaporean citizenship. Will she ever truly belong in Singapore? 🤔
Going to disagree on following contracts. I was one of the folks who got ripped off investing in Six Capital. Guy got away with 140 million dollars from investors. We suspect this happened because someone important was involved....
When he's talking about contracts he's not talking about the rule of law per se but only to the extent of honoring contracts. The rule of law is not so even in Singapore in many respects it's better in Malaysia for example the drug laws are harsh in Singapore but the drug kings and drug lords can launder their money in Singapore so I don't know where this is coming from or going but at least in Malaysia they want to abolish the death penalty and they're seriously looking at it and it was passed unanimously in the lower house of Parliament. So Singapore has got some miles to go and it's very weird to hear people so close to each other like Malaysia and Singapore with relatively free media like RUclips not knowing these things which actually are very powerful in terms of differentiators.
Surviving in Singapore on $200-300 a month is impossible. Just paying the electricity and water bills is about that amount or even more. $2-$3 hawker meals is a totally unrealistic estimate, $6-7 is reality. Not to mention family daily necessities, children's school fees, parents medical bills, public transport etc. It requires a minimum of 1-2k to sustain a family even not considering home loan/rent. One of the reasons many people I know who are interested in entrepreneurship give up is because the loss of years of income and the high risks involved would be devastating to the family, rather than themselves. Its ok for us as individuals to give up luxuries like car but it pains people to watch their kids spend 1h going to school and parents struggling to walk to the bus stop and cross the road in time before the light changes. It really depends if one's whole family can and is willing to suffer for the short term in hopes of a brighter future.
He was referring to singles. His points are very idealistic. Too idealistic! Maybe the question here is he should be asked how much he is willing to pay for an employee. That itself we can gauge his perspective! He has not endured real hard times yet.
Things cut both ways, hiring foreigners do not equate to them transferring skills to the locals. I doubt he have seem companies where the majority of the management are all foreigner and locals are at the bottom of the hierarchy
$200-$300 a month? Try buying infant milk! In my opinion, Ben need more experience about Sg.
I think he referring to staying with parent? 😂
My simple mixed veggies and meat rice with a drink at a HDB town is almost S$8-10 per meal.
Are u sure this guy is a Singaporean? I doubt so..Either that or his life is very lucky and privileged.
He is talking rubbish.
Hard truth that pampered entitled Singaporeans don't want to accept
This guy is from our country he's not Born here
OMG he is out of touch, hawker food $3...its more like basic $5. Nothing is cheap, you fall sick its $50-60 at a GP.
I think some things said by Ben (which have been already pointed out in the comments) are quite misleading/over simplified.
1.It's very very rare to find/eat $2-$3 hawker food in Singapore now.. don't even mention CBD/town, but even in local places where I stay (AMK), you have to like hunt hunt for it, the nearest hawker to my house doesn't have it.
2.Living with parents : well it depends on how big your parents house is.If u're family is staying in a small condo, or 3 room/4 room HDB, you can if you're single, but if you're married, and with kids.. it's going to be very difficult. If you have sibilings/grandparents staying in the same household too, it's almost impossible.
3.The view of foreigners living in Sg is not just a Singapore problem, same in Japan, Europe, America etc etc ..majority of the locals are very wary of foreigners going in to get jobs, I do agree that there needs to be a balance but I'm just saying when there's a recession/inflation/economy is bad, the first "scapegoat" will probably be the foreigners , and that applies is most countires , not just Sg.
But having said all these, Ben does raise up some good points too, currency is strong, security/safety is def. there, and Singaporeans do need to "keep up" and "upgrade" themselves to stay in touch with the Global market/economy and keep ourselves relevant/or even ahead. But this post feels more like a presentation of Singapore from a local perspective but very touched up/super postivie light to foreigners, wheather it's realistic or not .. depends on who you mingle with I guess..
thanks for your comprehensive perspective!
Without a doubt. This is what I observed in most energetic and over enthusiastic younger Singaporeans. I myself had gone thru that phase. Now I just cringed at the things he says. The worst part is, he is trained well by his Chirstian community to preach like the way he did.
@@PrimeChaosVCoh no wonder why he speaks like a Christian preacher
His rough calculations on daily living expenses are off the mark. Example, nowadays very rare to find $3 meals even in hawker centres.
But agree on the overall point of how "technically", yes daily expenses in SG can be manageable - I myself probably spend $300-450/mth just on food if I mainly eat at hawker ctrs for example - but as is in any country, it depends how much of a "quality of life" standard are you willing to tolerate.
So yes, $2k/mth for daily living expenses is definitely more than enough for 1 person.
Of course this excludes luxuries like if you want to take holidays, medical expenses etc.
Same. The hawker center near my home sells at a minimum of $4 and I also spend between that amount you stated.
I think you can still find a $2.50 chicken rice in Singapore but after you eat it, you'll still be hungry.
typical opposition everything kpkb expensive but splurge on travelling because of our powerful SGD
RUclipsr based in Singapore(SG) or is SG dependent will likely only show positive video of SG. The law of POFMA will always be the consideration when such YT create a video about SG.
It’s a shame that we’re seeing a growth in the popularity Gary Vee-esque characters.
What an odd thing it is to say that you acknowledge the fragility of life, and then arrive at the conclusion that you should focus on making more money instead of spending quality time with your parents. Not to mention after making a speech about living with your parents for “free”.
There are Singaporeans who are struggling just to pay for their parents bills, and would very much prefer to spend whatever time they have left together. Benjamin here already has the luxury to spend time with his parents, but has arrived at the conclusion that he should be instead focused on making more money so he can afford more lavish vacations for his parents.
Time is fleeting. Singaporeans spend their whole lives grinding for that “ideal” life. And before they know it, they’re lying on their deathbed with the realisation that with the pursuit of said life, they never actually got to appreciate what they already had.
I think most humans if not all spend their lives grinding for that ideal life and before they know it they're on their deathbeds never having appreciating what they had, so it's not just them, that's why so many ppl migrate to other places in search of this 'ideal life'
Is Ben even local? Stopped watching when he mentioned kids taking Uber. Err... Uber has ceased to operate in sg for long long long time. Loll.
Probably malusian
@@Utube1024i hope he is from malaysia so that there would be more and more sucessful malaysians in Singapore.
He sounds like hard selling salesman. LOL
You are like very competitive mice in a lab, sounds very positive to me.
You are out of touch. If you are a JC students or may undergrads or even new member in the workforce, then you may be able to survive with under $2K understanding that you are staying with your parent. This is because you are not the sandwich working class. I can't agree with you.
This young man has a lot of right values - like it is more blessed to give than to receive, looking after his parents, working hard, etc. All the best to your future, Ben.
There's not much of $3+ food in hawker centres nowadays. Minimum is $4+.
Living with parents isn't entirely free. Many of singaporeans give their parents monthly allowance
Ah... Now we know that you treat the allowance given to your parents as rent.
@@uwet.8826 You said it. He did not. He wants to ensure there is no omission of this allowance from budgetary counting.
How much is normally a monthly allowance to parents?
@@MaxChernov I gave my mum $3,000 mthly.
@@MaxChernov
I gave 500 even though I don't live with them.
Somehow I don’t find Benjamin authentic. Feels like he’s projecting a positive image for the camera
Yea sounds so fake tbh
If you guys don’t like Singapore go to Australia loh
His rate of speech truly represents Singapore's pace of living. Dude doesnt even pause to breathe 😂
😂
Sorry I'm Singaporean and I watched this on 2x speed.
I watched it at 2x speed too 😂
I switched off after this guy mentioned hawker food available for 2 to 3 dollars
At current inflation rate, is hard to even find $3 meal.
u really don’t know singapore, and u really have to know this society more. many hawker has government subsidy to offer low price food for lower income people.
Thought I put x2 speed on by accident
S$300-??? Crap & stop misleading pple. Max pls go to Hawker ctr n check prices n verify first b4 uploading….
Try asking - students, working adults & elderly to hv a comparison.
Will still watch your videos but i stopped viewing quickly.
Very positive attitude. But wee bit detached from reality.
The sentiment towards immigration is not always driven by protectionist mentalities. Singaporeans I know are competitive but also prefer a level playing field.
With regard to living in the heartlands among Singaporeans, there are structural barriers to this - hdb quota on foreigners, low prioritization by local schools, etc.
Anti foreigner sentiment is driven by the few lazy entitled Singaporean who refuse to upgrade themselves and think its having a job is their gov given right
Max, thank you for the multi-faceted content you are putting out about Singapore!
1) His cost of living is not reality. He is transferring a lot of cost back to Parent to hide the actual cost of living for a Single person living on his own.
2) Singapore is safer because we have more manpower like Police to cover the population and territory compared to other countries. This is because majorly of our servicemen like Police are Conscription rather than Professional. Singaporeans are unhappy because while we are protecting Singapore, Singapore are opening up to Foreigners at the expense of Singaporeans' job opportunity. That why there is a term call 'Jobs for FT (Foreign Talent), NS (National Services) for Sinkies (Singaporeans who are sinking)'.
3) Singapore Government (SG) like to make things complicated like education and it is not easy to explain especially to Foreigners. I would like to share that Singapore education is bad is a simple way. For example, Singapore raises the standard above Singaporeans' age capability (what you see in other country like Malaysia Secondary 2 will appear in Singapore Primary 5 standard) and based on your Primary 4 result (10 year old) will determine your future education pathway since Singapore created a lot of streams to phase off Students from advancing to higher education. For example, you can be a Secondary School Graduate with NT GCE N but it is considered as NA Secondary 2 (Year 8 Standard). With a Year 8 competency and a ITE Certificate like Nitec, you will have a hard time to cope even if you are advanced to education like Polytechnic Diploma.
4) The successful Singaporeans that he quoted are all working overseas and not in Singapore. SG favor Foreigners over Singaporeans. For example, SG hire Foreigners (with PR or work pass status) for public sector job like MOE Teachers even if it come with vocational training and there are a lot of Singaporean Job Applicants. To add salt to the wound, SG even hire Foreigners (with PR or work pass status) as WSG career Ambassador to teach Singaporeans how to find a job in Singapore which is an insult to Singaporeans.
😢
IMO, it's absurd and more stupid for Ben to whine about the immutable characteristics of the land than other Singaporeans whining about the valid concerns of immigration policy.
Singaporeans are not afraid of competition and most are not xenophobic. What Singaporeans dislike are dominant foreign cliques suppressing the opportunities of locals of which there has been ample evidence of it happening. That is a valid concern.
Exactly.
If this channel wants to "bridge the gap between locals and foreigners" without bias, it ought to be selecting and interviewing the right people especially from the local side.
The locals are not afraid of competition. They are taught from young that the world does not owe them a living. They choose to remain open to the world.
Regardless of whether jobs opportunities are actually being taken up at the expense of locals, it is in Singapore, unlike many other countries, that a foreigner can totally cut themselves out from the local people and not choose to respect the local culture.
Foreigner or local, be it a wealthy businessman, a salaryman or a beggar on the street, the worst way to treat another human is to take a hit at one's pride. (In this case, a Singaporean's Pride)
French companies
@@KKOH007grow up. There are existing laws in place that makes (without forcing) companies to hire local instead of foreigners like the min salary threshold for EPs and S-Pass. If a company still wishes to pay more for foreigners and get them the relevant pass instead of you, then the problem is you. You fail to convince them of your value while the foreigners could. The same reason people would gladly pay $8 for starbucks but cry about it when local coffee cost $2.60. People see no value in local coffee as compared to starbuck. So the onus is on you to rebrand yourself
Yea nah, I got to check out after he said you can live with lesser than 2K SGD.
I don't agree with Benjamin on everything he said. For one, inflation is causing almost every cost to increase and quite rapidly. While public transport remains relatively affordable, most hawker food cut on portions or raise their prices by 30% or more, compared to just few years ago. In general, we still manage to live our lives but it's increasingly difficult even for us locals. However, I'm grateful that I'm born and bred here.
Benjamin comes across as a charismatic public speaker. He kind of rattle his words.
It was definitely a very poor take on the costs of living in Singapore. Singapore isn’t ranked as one of the most expensive places to live in for nothing. If living with our parents (for free apparently) was a feasible idea for everyone, then you could argue the same thing for other expensive cities like HK, Sydney Tokyo. “It’s not expensive, just live with your parents and play basketball!”
Singapore is expensive because housing and rent goes up constantly thanks to the ever growing population and land constraints. We also have no natural resources, and everything has to be imported. Because of that, the cost of discretionary goods like clothing is also higher. These are all issues that needs to be examined, and not simply dismissed because you can live in the YMCA for free.
@@AndorranStairway Exact sentiment.
I believe that he was born with a silver spoon, he is not from a 3 or 4 room hdb home. Most people here might not relate to him
Let's get one thing straight Singapore is a city state It's not typically a country because it's only made up of urban areas. Even developed countries in the West have rural areas and rural communities.. Having rural and urban areas doesn't not mean you are poor. It's just that it means that the concentration of urban households tend to have a higher income but the cost of living is also higher. So it's artificially distorted to compare a city-state with neighboring countries that's pure nonsense. Secondly if you listen to him he's really talking about survival and basically how cheap it is in neighboring countries. Nobody in their right mind if they had a choice would want to live like that. The idea of thriving not surviving is what is also part of Singapore's branding but here we end up talking about survival so there's a lot of inherent contradictions. I suggest you talk to the newer immigrants like the Filipinas, the maids and others who are challenged. There are many Singaporeans who work two jobs. You have been to Malaysia so you know you've heard from expats in Malaysia, you know recently about 2 years ago KL was ranked as the most livable city in the world and it displaced Singapore. Now these rankings are for expats at least in this particular episode you're talking to a Singaporean which is actually more authentic
Upgrading is always a must, but the trouble is we are facing unlimited competition, while disadvantaging Singaporeans. For example:
- Very expensive cost of living, and we need more wages to survive. I hire Filippinos and people from third world countries, and there are entitled people there too.
The big difference, is that a one room apartment in 2015 used to cost 50k, but something like that then would cost 500k. Then there's rhe 99 years issue.
That is to say that there are entitled people everywhere, but we need 10x more income just to survive. In fact, former GIC economisrs Yeoh Lam Keong warned that if our cost of living keeps going up like this, we may be pricing ourselves out of the international labour market.
- NS takes away 2 years of job experience, and if a job requires 10 years of experience but you have 8... you've just lost out on that job to a foreigner.
Let's not forget that reservist is also a minor disadvantage because it's a minor disruption to operations.
I think it's pretty BS if anyone wants equal opportunity, but asymmetrical liability
Dude, there are $350k or lower hdb in marsiling or kranji. Problem is Singaporeans think beggars can be choosers. They want cheap, big and central. If everyone wants the same thing then prices are going to go up. Simple supply and demand economics.
The problem is there are many Singaporean who have a perverted perception of the world like 1) they think having a good degree guarantees them a good job 2) they don't express their achievements ir value but exlrct others to know or 3) over inflate their contributions 4) not willing to put in the effort to work harder or upgrade themselves but cry when others do and get promoted / get bigger bonus
Ben is very optimistic and this is the type of young people that can move Singapore forward.
Sadly we have quite a number who whines and complains when things don't go their way.
Only by opening up the economy ,then Singapore can flourish.
The day that Singapore is closes its door,its the day that Singapore is doomed.
Lol. Why not you try surviving with only $300 to $500 a month in Singapore before commenting? Can the government survive with this amount 1st?
@@yaphong-weijonathan2683
There's various help for people with low income
You don't know about it doesn't means it don't have.
Don't find bone in egg lah.
My friend income 1200 with 2 kids.
Wife not working,the kids school fees,books laptops are alll provided by various agency through govermnet help.
Please don't pour cold water on things you don't know.
@@leongyet9896 i grew up poor getting a laptop that was 8 years old while studying IT in one of the poly. while people have finished compiling their program my laptop is still starting up. this is the reality of being poor in singapore. heavily disadvantaged. so please you've never been poor dont try to tell the poor how blessed they are. you can always give away your money to try this blessing.
@@laocheebye
So you expect the latest gadget when you are poor?
So you didn't get any help at all?
Didn't we get equal opportunities in education?
If not,how did you get into poly?
So I should whine and complain why people drive lambo or ferrari when I only drives a Toyota?
No wonder our society getting worse with this type of whiner.
Give you a wing,you want a whole chicken.
Gave you a chicken you want it comes with drinks and fries,lol.
Live within your expectations lah.
@@leongyet9896 for someone with the chicken and the drinks and the fries, yes please tell someone without chicken wings that he is very blessed already. this is the biggest problem in singapore. lack of compassion. people like you think that the poor gets a lot of help not your problem right? since not your problem means there is no problem at all.
This guy really love poverty porn. Listening to him speak makes me think of Oscar Wilde’s quote “To recommend thrift to the poor is both grotesque and insulting. It is like advising a man who is starving to eat less”
1:06 $6 x 30 days is $180 a month, not a day. Talk slowly and your brain will catch up with your mouth.
Ben is one of the minority, open minded Singaporean. He has a great attitude and perspective. No doubt, most Singaporeans are warm and friendly but not so open minded. Singapore feels ‘clinical’ after a few years. Most foreigners will not tell you what they actually feel or think on camera especially if they’re still living in Singapore.
He is a very good chatter box. In good way. If you have a friend like him, you wont get bored if you switch him ON.
Yeah right. Most countries don`t have their citizens serve military consccription for 2-2.5 years and reservists retraining till 40-50 years old as officers. That`s suck. Sing dollar is only good to some extent in Southeast Asia, but not in Japan or Australia or any other first world. so most cannot travel to places like Japan for more than 2 weeks as they can`t afford even a week without burning a big hole in their pockets.
More interviews with locals like Benjamin? Or stick with foreigners mainly?
Both sides have their stories to share.
A balance of both is good..
Interview a Singaporean in their 20s or 30s who have grown up poor and how Singapore meritocracy have benefited them.
having both sides meet up and share together will be really interesting. We will also get to see some real-time responses
This is good with both side of the story
Don't know how you get the idea of $3 per meal. Nowadays even at Bukit Batok, you are looking at $4.50 and above. In CBD areas you are looking at $6 and above. That's excluding any drinks.
Other than that, you are quite spot on.
Firstly, sad to inform u that there ain't many $3 food anymore~ Everything is $4 - $5.50 even in heartland areas.
Secondly, the perspective u failed to mention is that while our currency is stronger than our neighbouring countries and we get more value overseas etc., it is the same reason why we get out-competed in the job market. Even though foreigners need to pay rent while most Singaporeans live with their parents until they get married, the leftover money they have (though possibly little) could be tripled when sent back to their own country. As such they are willing to settle for less in order to beat the local to the job. Good news for bosses hiring. More supply, lower wages. I'm all for it if the foreigners bring real value to Singapore in certain sectors where there is a lack of manpower or skilled workers. But if foreigners are allowed into sectors where we have talents equal to them, then there is no value add for the competition they bring. So its not as simply as learning to be more open-minded, but rather something more tangible.
Another word as long as you have sufficient $ to survive your day to day, stop dreaming BIG you average Singaporean 😂.. he didn't know the issues about squeezing 3 generations in one small HDB😢
I still cannot understand why in Sg, the garbage trucks required 3 workers while in some countries, garbage collection is done by only one worker. If the current salary for one worker is $1.5k-2K, which amount to $4.5k to 6k for 3 workers, why not have a local worker with the skill to operator a one-man garbage truck and pay him $4.5k to 6k/m? Why is Sg not wanting to improve its productivity?
@@dachee unless Singaporeans start learn how to dispose their waste in the correct order, given the population density per area, it makes more sense to have more manpower for now.
@@arsenal_84 in countries that uses different bins, disposing waste into the wrong bin is likely to result in a fine from the City Council. Nevertheless, it is not a valid reason for not implementing a one-man operated garbage collection system.
foreign talents are there cuz singaporean birth rate is declininig, also it is there to maintain demography
3 dollars per meal is not possible enough...at least $4.5 per meal now
While I agree that we don't need a lot of money to live in Singapore, eating $3+ hawker food everyday isn't going to be healthy... since most of the food there are very oily and salty. You still have to make sure you eat healthily and that usually means spending more.
Love this video 👍🏻 Thank you, Max 🙌🏻
I quite wonder what he means by spending $200-300 a month. He needs to add on the caveat “as a dependant”
I take the train daily, each ride is about $2, so to and fro $4…20 days of work (or school?) is $80. Assuming that I eat a $3 bowl of noodles twice a day daily with probably 2 fishballs and spring onions for veg for 30 days a month, that’s $180. The total is now $260. Mobile line $20 subscription. $280. You’re left with $20 to buy your stationery, shoes, socks, uniforms, school books, cold drinks and your hobbies, or save up to get a phone. When you’re an adult, you save 50% (ideally) give your parents 10% (conservatively) and spend the remaining 40% on life - mortgage utilities groceries consumables like soap even…can’t do any of that for $200…so yes, affordable if you can live off someone else 😂
Lastly you produced so kany valuable videos. I haven't seen them all, but I see your channel is so precious. 😊
Thanks so much:)
really ah? 2 to 3 dollah per meal and 2 meal per day? stay home no need internet no need electricity no need watah ah? stay with ah pa ah ma 4 eva for 99 year ah? this joker want to tell ah gong we have it too good izzit, want to make our life difficult more ah?
Good points are brought up but some issues are addressed too simplistically or naively ideal. The costs of living in Singapore is really crushing as most foreign guests on this channel have voiced. Being able to survive and to live is 2 different things. As with most complex cities in the world it comes with its own unique difficulty and challenges for locals and foreigners living there.
Not all competitions are the same once your age comes older you really don't like competition.
Hawker food 2 -$3 where sia??
He is selling la...LOL
Benjamin’s entrepreneurial spirit is so strong!
A plate of noodles now at neighbourhood coffee shop cost at least $4 to $5. No longer $2 to $3 anymore.
Nah just had my bcm at 3.2 and up size at 3.7 and its neighborhood sembawang
Really like your contents Max! Keep continuing the good works! 👍
🙏
Such an interesting interview! As usual!
3 meal about $6 a day? lol, i think he was thinking of his childhood days
It is still possible in the rundown economic beehoon store
@@userwheretogo It's not a month or 2. Do you want every Singaporean eating economic food their whole life? pay less for food to keep us healthy but end up paying expensive med?
@Wannaleave5505 I think the last time you bought was 20 yrs ago. Nowadays it's at least 4sgd.
This week, while Singapore government is cutting down sugar-consumption of the residents nationwide to reduce diabetes, Thailand government has just promoted more alcohol-drinking, after allowing more weed-use a year ago.
Well spoken and agree with much of what Ben shared. Fair enough that most Singaporeans are too comfortable in their status quo and are unwilling to step out of their comfort zone to take on new adventures and thrives in the new adventure. Most Singaporeans also need to travel and interact more with people living in other countries to form their own opinion instead of brainlessly accepting wholesale information from the media.
Kudos to Ben to find the right motivation and work out to achieve his objectives. It is a good angle to provide this positive vibe and encouragement that one can succeed us with the right attitude and mindset. However, not everyone, even with hard work and dedication, gets the returns/rewards after years of efforts. Some unfortunate souls just have to work doubly hard to survive, let alone thrive.
I believe most Singaporeans do not mind fair and decent challenges from foreigners. However the lack of control of foreigners coming into Singapore with dubious credentials and the fact that certain race can dominate certain sector of jobs go against how we have been conditioned. If Singaporeans want to take up the above 2 challenges, what can we do? How can normal Singaporeans control this unnecessary domination of certain race in certain sector?
Personally I am agreeable to open up the country but there is a lot more to improve in controlling the quality of people coming into the country. What Singapore needs is quality and not quantity. Set minimum standards for employment permits, reject dubious credentials.
But the PAP government accept any tom dick harry leh. I don't agree with your 1st part of your comment but i do agree with the 2nd part of your comment.
is just a tiny piece of island to make into a country.
tiny itsy-bitsy kingdom.
Singapore is excellent is due to their tiny easy to manage island lifestyle
but when come to long term living is a big No-No.
We are global citizens and jobs competition are global.
Don't think "living with parents" is fair when making a comparison to other countries cost of living... Assume that you will need to rent. That's the kicker
I really like this guy! So well-spoken and an awesome global perspective.
Thanks for this video and all your other videos. Very informative and interesting to see so many diverse views and perspective from different people. And always nice to see people who are positive and inspiring!
Singaporean graduates studying so hard like f, many foreigners just buy their degrees from mills.
$3 for meals ???
Great to have a enthusiastic Singaporean come with his positive views as opposed to a lot of the negativity from many keyboard warriors we see. 😊
Yalor... we Singaporean kena bombarded.
Lol. Negativity? You cannot accept others people opinions? Or you only can accept toxic positivity?
Lol. $300 to $500 can survive in Singapore? Why not he lead by example 1st? Or he NATO?
Singapore is small is because we're a island country and we only got 1 season is because we're near to the equator. Heck, i never studied geography also know but he as entrepreneur he doesn't know?
He probably pays his employees 500 dollars a month and most of them are foreigners. Now telling us how to live. So out of touch ah this fella
This guy has playback speed of 2x -.-
hahaha Ben thinks and talks fast
No doubt Spore is a 6 star hotel.
Contrast a home - delve deeper pls. Superficiality is good for advertisement and propaganda.
It offers different experiences and fortunes for different types of people that go in there - and they depend on his position like in any hotel like whether you are the owner, board of directors, the GUEST , the supplier or a poor, toiling worker who doesnt own a stake except for a 99 yr public rental flat priced out of this world whc takes a life time to pay off and whose value depreciates to ZERO at the end.
There goes your retirent CPF and family inheritance wealth after slogging for the hotel whole life.
Ride bicycle everywhere , eat maggie mee and drink 3 litres of water every day for a single person only.
For shower , east coast free PAP toilet .
You won't die lah.
As for this guy, he just want cheap labour!
Excellent interview. We need more Singaporeans like this and not those who constantly whines.
$2 a meal in spore???
Simple mee rebus without much ingredients already $4....LOL.
This guy is a typical Singaporean dude, having lived a sheltered life in tiny SG. He lacks exposure.
Where can find $3 ones haha
Benjamin gives me a headache.
Thank God I am in India with such a nice job. Our land is generating so many opportunities that I don't need to look towards foreign land.
When you interview them.. check and ask who they voted at last election.. you'll hear different stories for sure
With regards to the honoring the law in SG that is ONLY true to a certain extent. But if the govt keeps changing the goalposts of the policies be it CPF , HDB, foreigner inflow, new citizens or even increase of taxes be it property or personal, then we cannot say it is honoring any agreement. So if you see in this way where the govt change the rules and goalposts which makes the people lives more difficult, then i think its not at the best interest of its people. more at the mercy.
Benjamin’s very much an inspirational leader just by how he speaks. Very insightful as well.
Huge respect to the man for bringing many perspectives into this conversation.
I'm on the different side of the coin when it comes to the discussion on filial piety. I get where he's coming from given the sharing of his experiences with his parents. Perhaps $$ is the fundamental consideration when our parents are ill since any treatment or even caregiving needs money. Those with more resources will definitely be able to treat their parents better financially. That's undeniable.
But to build on that, when our parents get older, they also want more quality time and conversation with us rather than being showered with gifts, money and overseas trips. And that's the values that I hand down to my children too that we might not be wealthy but we are emotionally and spiritually rich in terms of being contented with what we have and treasuring the memories we make together.
Overall, I agree with most points that he shared. However, I disagree that even hawker food are as affordable as what he claims. You really don't get $3 food as a norm in our neighbourhood. It's even worse with the current inflation rate. So I decide to raise this misinformation.
Money is a renewable resource; time is not.
I fear Benjamin does not truly understand the fragility of life, because his response towards his parents old age is that he should “work crazily hard” and “earn so much money”, instead of actually spending whatever remaining time with his parents.
His perspectives unfortunately sound incredibly superficial to me and I strongly disagree with most of what he talked about, including the transactional nature of his so-called “giving”, where you should give because people “feel in debt to you”.
@@AndorranStairway glad you had eloquently rephrased my thoughts on time with parents to make it more readable. I'm not that good with such expression.
And interesting you highlighted the part about giving. It also sounds a bit sus to me if viewed in the sense of authentic altruism.
But hey, he's entitled to his opinions. And it's true that we shouldn't be too overly comfortable in our own bubbles if we want to progress at the international stage.
$3 food is highly possible in hawker centres , econ bee hoon 1 egg. that's $3 but bloody hell it's not enough for me
@@rinky_dinky yah...other than insufficient for an adult, imagine having that for multiple days a week- unhealthy, imbalanced diet and absolute insane.
That's just a food out of the hundreds of others food available. So a fairer appraisal of the hawker centre food ought to the average rather than the cheapest one can get. And sadly, that's close to $5 nowadays. We all know that, or at least I know that since I frequently get my food from hawker centre.
Max, great refreshing interview with local Singaporean, Benjamin. Could see that it’s Love that lifted Ben ands given him the strength and the importance of family love and upbringing by his parents. May God bless him and his endeavors. Max, Hope u could also have interviews of the average employee Singaporeans to see their perspective of live in SG.
Life has its many forms at different stage of life. I believe it's so for many people around the world, let alone Singapore itself. At the end of his interview, you could feel his life perspective was giving the best he has had, or maybe it was edited to be like that. But I do believe that many of the Singaporean's core is very simple; to live out a comfortable life as much as possible. As for aspiration, I think it's not so easy for a native Singaporean to build on, unless he/she was born to a good start, financially and educational wise. Meritocracy way of environment can really push its people to work really hard in order to achieve the best in life. But how many would have the energy to go forward daily without any hiccups in life. But sometimes, with hiccups, it can also be the driving force for entrepreneurship to happen. There’s no one size fits all, we are all just wandering around in a big world looking for meaning in life. And as for Asian families, we are usually tied down to family obligations. Or perhaps it’s the same for everyone in the world…
There's no $150 in public transport. That means he don't know what he's talking about. MAX is $128 with a adult monthly unlimited pass.
And I'm a driver for more than a decade.
this video is great for a drinking game, every time he says "amazing" take a shot.
Hahahahaha
This guy is awesome. Love his attitude towards foreigners. Truly inspiring.
This interview is powerful 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 Perhaps because i have been living too long in Singapore but certainly such mindset should be adopted about how we are being inspired to move forward each day no matter how crazy a situation can be at times.
Not many would like to speak the low points in their life, but to me, he shares it out with positive attitude.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chernov 🙏🏽🙇🏻♀️
This guy is not credible… seriously he does not represent Singaporeans. Lots of nonsense from him.
I wish more Singaporeans are like Benjamin. He is practical and forward looking, with a global outlook.
How odd, because it feels like I’ve worked with Benjamins my whole career. Always the same spiel about hustling and grinding; constantly focused on wealth accumulation and career development. This guy is emblematic of modern day Singaporeans
Sure. You can find many at Singapore NK Sq in front Buddha Tooth Temple, Chinatown dancing happily at weekends.
Why is Benjamin so far away from the camera and standing in the middle of a field and not sitting comfortably like your other guests?
SG has a dynamic economy, how many times each have to upgrade themselves?I dun see expat upgrading themselves here. Some work here as long as 20 years and working same field different company.
And if one look carefully, there are "certain" industries predominantly occupied by certain race, once they reached the management level, they get their own kind.
And surprisingly some are sub-con to government projects. Their HR had the audacity to tell you they employed singaporean for getting quotas.
No matter how succesful u're,real man always put their family first especially parents,so this guy got 👍👍👍👍👍 from me
Briyani kambing at Tekka market costs $7.50....add a coke to that... you'll hit $10
Even a bottle of plain water cost more these days
Tampines Murtabuk kambing/chicken costs $10. This guy must be referring to across the Causeway price.
I need to add to the powerful dollar thing. Unlike Malaysian who earn in SGD and spend in Malaysia, having a powerful currency means nothing if it doesn’t translate.
Hi Max, you have 2 videos interviewing a rich lady in Singapore who owned a landed property, but it is no longer in your playlist. Can I know if you had deliberately taken it down? She gave good advices and I would like to view it again. Thanks.
Sorry had to put them down for private matters
@@MaxChernov I see, I guessed it must have brought some trouble. It is very rare for a rich Singaporean to share so much details about her success in public, especially if she is not a high profile celebrity or c-suite constantly in public eye.
Benjamin was born to be an Entrepreneur..What an impressive guy!
Is not totally truth… there is no such country to have so much rainbow and sunshine
This guy got the gift of the gap, good salesmanship!
Living in the tropics has it's pros and cons. Firstly we dun have to buy winter clothing and we also save on electricity for heating during winter. You dun have to dress up nicely when you are out and about except for work and formal occasions. Yes I agree life can be boring in the tropics without the four seasons. There is no snow or winter scenery to speak of. There is no change of seasons and the scenery is basically the same whole year round.
But you can travel to those four seasons countries during holiday.
Sometimes its the attitude of the employee, be it foreigner or locals. Foreign workers are not cheaper than locals in many cases, the levy, lodging, salary etc. I rather pay it to a local if there are willing locals.
This man has some next level narrative talking skills. Instantly got me hooked throughout the video.
Singaporeans are too comfortable in their own country. They would go for business trips to many countries but once you asked them to station overseas many rejected the idea, especially those not so glamorous countries. One has to remember for the MNCs Singapore is a regional HQ and need people with vast experience and contacts. If one’s experience is confined in Singapore it will be very difficult to bring in any new idea or energy. Especially those big companies mostly deal with the regions.
Before we complain about jobs being robbed, go overseas to “rob” others’ jobs and gain the regional experience required to excel instead of being a mountain turtle(or turtle in the well).
I wish my country and my country men the best.
you clearly don't know that it is very difficult for a singaporean to go to other countries to rob other's job. only people who are rich enough to study overseas has this opportunity. there are protection mechanism in all other countries, except ceca worshipping singapore.
This guy is very smart
Funny the first thing I notice about Ben is how fast he speaks and the number of 'perspectives' and jargons used. Other than that, as a Singaporean living overseas, I can identify with some of the points he has mentioned.
Oh dear Benjamin .. you need to breathe. This is one of the very first thing Singaporeans need to learn - breathe and speak slowly.
I like how Benjamin is so enthusiastic! Good dude!
Watch next 👉 ruclips.net/video/iZuizUbSh5I/видео.html
The story of a foreign woman who obtained Singaporean citizenship. Will she ever truly belong in Singapore? 🤔
Errr....Im local but im not so sure about pig organs and chicken feet. Didnt enjoy them lol.
Lol
Pig organs has a really subjective taste for individuals and it is dependent on how well the organs are washed in the preparation process.
Going to disagree on following contracts. I was one of the folks who got ripped off investing in Six Capital. Guy got away with 140 million dollars from investors. We suspect this happened because someone important was involved....
When he's talking about contracts he's not talking about the rule of law per se but only to the extent of honoring contracts. The rule of law is not so even in Singapore in many respects it's better in Malaysia for example the drug laws are harsh in Singapore but the drug kings and drug lords can launder their money in Singapore so I don't know where this is coming from or going but at least in Malaysia they want to abolish the death penalty and they're seriously looking at it and it was passed unanimously in the lower house of Parliament. So Singapore has got some miles to go and it's very weird to hear people so close to each other like Malaysia and Singapore with relatively free media like RUclips not knowing these things which actually are very powerful in terms of differentiators.