"We do not deserve to be disadvantaged this way." (FKA "Take the good with the bad if we retire to Malaysia.")

This is taken from a letter sent to The Forum Online in The Straits Times:

"My wife and I recently retired to Malaysia due to the property rules as well as the high cost of living in Singapore.

"We come back to Singapore to visit relatives and friends and attend medical appointments every two to three months.

"However, the LTA has informed me that as I am not an employee in Malaysia, my wife and I - a Singaporean and Singapore PR - are not allowed to drive our Malaysia-registered car into Singapore.

"I understand that this ruling is to close the loophole in the control of the vehicle population in Singapore, but I hope that the LTA can allow me to drive our Malaysia-registered car in based on the following..."

The writer went on to list 5 reasons, all of which I do not find convincing, ending the letter saying "We do not deserve to be disadvantaged this way."

I feel that since the writer understands that the rule exists for a good reason, then, he should not expect Singapore to make an exception for him.

I know people who moved to stay in Johor Bahru and rent out their HDB flats in Singapore for passive income. Not all are retired. In fact, a good number commute daily to Singapore for work.

I have always wondered why this is allowed since I believe that HDB flats are subsidised public housing and if these people are not staying in their flats, they should sell them to Singaporeans who need them more. It could possibly help to bring down the prices of resale flats too.

For Singaporeans who have chosen to make Johor Bahru their new home, I understand all their reasons for doing so with the lower cost of living in Malaysia usually at the top of the list.

However, understand that every choice made in life comes with consequences and we have to live with those consequences. 

We should not think that exceptions have to be made for us so that we can have our cake and eat it too, especially not when the exceptions will exact a cost on fellow Singaporeans.

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