SINGAPORE: A man recently took to Reddit to ask Singaporeans, “Is SG citizen + SG PR (malaysian) the best partner combi nowadays?”
In his post on r/askSingapore, he mentioned that his Malaysian friend recently highlighted during one of their conversations that this type of partnership provides a fantastic mix of perks, enabling couples to fully take advantage of the opportunities available in both Singapore and Malaysia.
He then proceeded to outline some of the benefits associated with this relationship.
“For the Singapore side:
-Still eligible for BTO flats and all housing subsidies
-The permanent resident (PR) gets a CPF account and employer CPF contributions
-The PR can access healthcare subsidies and some government handouts/aid—easier for a malaysian to get PR here
For the Malaysian side:
-The Malaysian spouse can buy a huge, cheap property—probably the biggest draw—without any restrictions and easier to get bank loans as a resident
-Easy to settle/retire in MY: the malaysian can sponsor a dependent pass for the other spouse and not need to go thru MM2H or whatever special visas
-Can rent out the HDB, live in MY and enjoy a very good standard of living with rental + work (or CPF if retired) income
-Able to buy a malaysian car and enjoy the subsidized petrol
-Also eligible for their healthcare subsidies, etc.”
After laying out these compelling points, he concluded by inviting others to share their thoughts on this partnership dynamic. He wrote, “What are your views?”
“I think a compatible partner is the best combo and will outweigh any nationality combination.”
In the comments section, many users agreed that the combination of a Singapore citizen and a Malaysian with Singapore PR is indeed a great match.
One user pointed out, “The main benefit of marrying a Malaysian is that you could rent out your HDB here and use the rental money to live comfortably in MY. It’s a great retirement plan. I’ve a relative who retired early and did this.”
Another commented, “Yes, it’s a well-known fact. This is also why some Malaysians convert to Singaporean citizenship just to BTO with their Malaysian girlfriend.”
However, not everyone was on board with this perspective. One user remarked, “I feel like Malaysians stand to benefit more than Singaporeans because the Malaysians will always be going back to their hometown and their loyalty lies there.”
Another user added that while all the perks sound great, there are definitely some downsides to consider.
He explained, “Its also extremely messy if divorce happens. If you look at the list of pros and cons, you’d notice one thing. SG is great for living in SG. MY is great for living in MY. Typically, in your young age, you need to live in SG to work. In your retirement age, then only you consider moving to MY for retirement.
“So what happens? This creates a dynamic where the MY spouse is at the mercy of the SG spouse whenever there’s marital issues and concerns of divorce. And even at old age, the SG spouse can always just stay in SG for retirement, so its not like they need the MY for retirement.”
Others, meanwhile, pointed out that it doesn’t matter how many perks there are. If either person in the relationship is difficult or toxic, it’s still a union bound for disaster.
One user added, “I think a compatible partner is the best combo and will outweigh any nationality combination.”
Featured image by Depositphotos (for illustration purposes only)