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Singaporeans want regional work opportunities but life worries get in the way
A desire to start a family, a spouse’s career taking off, concerns about safety and racism – all these hold people back.
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Life will always offer reasons to stay in Singapore – such as family planning – but leadership, increasingly, requires the courage to leave for work roles overseas, says the writer.
ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
Joel Shen
In 2017, Mr Terence Tay was offered a role in a greenfield semiconductor company in Wuhan. He turned it down twice.
At the time, he and his wife were in their mid-30s and were trying to start a family. The role came without the safety nets of a large multinational, and accepting it would mean leaving behind his wife, who was pursuing her own career as a semiconductor professional in Singapore, as well as Singapore’s familiar support systems.
