Coronavirus: Singaporeans overseas: Staying there

Choosing to hunker down, to avoid risk of spreading virus

As the coronavirus spread around the world, many Singaporeans based overseas headed home, but some stayed on. In a follow-up to the report two weeks ago of those who returned, The Straits Times speaks to Singaporeans who hunkered down abroad and those planning to return to their homes overseas.

(From left) Dubai-based marketing executive Pao Ying Zhi, hotel brand manager Megan Ong, and Mr Jason Lim, founder and chief executive of a management consulting company in Hong Kong. PHOTOS: COURTESY OF PAO YING ZHI, MEGAN ONG, JASON LIM

While many Singaporeans left their homes overseas to return here as the coronavirus spread globally, others decided to hunker down.

The decision to stay put was never easy, they say. From worries about catching Covid-19 during long-haul flights, to concerns about bringing the virus home and spreading it to older relatives, they had to make quick decisions in the midst of a chaotic situation.

Dubai-based marketing executive Pao Ying Zhi, 30, said it crossed her mind that she should return home. She was last in Singapore in February after celebrating Chinese New Year with her family.

The last eight months are the longest she has been away from her family. She usually returns home about three times a year.

"While I miss my family, I felt like I would rather stay put and stay home to minimise the risk of catching the virus," said Miss Pao, who is single.

She is also worried about catching the virus and infecting her 94-year-old grandmother, who lives with her parents in Singapore.

"I would rather be extra cautious about this," added Miss Pao, who has lived in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for over eight years.

The UAE has reported over 100,000 confirmed Covid-19 cases and more than 400 deaths.

The separation has been hard for her, but she talks to her parents every week and writes letters to her grandmother at least once a month.

According to the Government's annual Population in Brief report released last month, the number of Singaporeans based overseas dipped for the first time in at least the past decade because of the pandemic, with many returning home. But there are still 203,500 Singaporeans overseas, down from 217,200 last year.

Hotel brand manager Megan Ong, who has been living in the United Kingdom for eight years, did consider returning home in March but had to change her mind.

During the flurry of activity as many Singaporeans abroad were trying to catch flights home, the 28-year-old experienced flu-like symptoms and decided it was safer to stay put and not expose anyone to the virus she had. She did not get swabbed for Covid-19 but has since recovered from the illness.

"I have close friends in the UK, but I do feel the pangs of homesickness as this is the longest I've been away," said Miss Ong, who is single. She usually returns to Singapore at least once a year.

Britain went into a period of strict lockdown as the number of Covid-19 cases climbed. To date, there are over 590,000 infection cases with more than 42,000 deaths from the virus, with talk of another lockdown.

Even when Miss Ong was furloughed for three months, she decided to stay put as her company was still paying 80 per cent of her salary. Miss Ong, who returned to work only last month, said she is working towards securing permanent residency there.

TIME DIFFERENCE

For Miss Faith Lim, 30, a software product manager in Berlin, the six-hour time difference in Singapore was one reason she decided to hunker down.

She said it would have been a hassle to deal with, especially because her job requires her to work closely with her Berlin-based colleagues.

"I felt that it would be easier for me to coordinate meetings and work with colleagues in Germany if I was in the same time zone as them," said Miss Lim, who has lived and worked in Berlin for a year.

At present, Germany has more than 300,000 cases with over 9,000 deaths.

Miss Lim said most people do comply with the restrictions and wear masks in public, which makes her feel safe.

"I'm also generally staying home, apart from going to work or going out to get necessities," she added.

This sense of security extends to her job. Miss Lim works for a tech start-up and is confident of job prospects there as the start-up scene in Germany is growing, she said.

Mr Jason Lim, founder and chief executive of a management consulting company in Hong Kong, has lived there for almost a decade.

"My family (parents and two younger siblings) is in Singapore, but my career is here. Most of my things are here, including my pets," said Mr Lim, who is 47 years old and single.

He added that besides the hassle and high cost involved in relocating his pets - two cats and two dogs - if he were to return to Singapore, he was sure Hong Kong would be able to successfully battle the virus. The city has about 5,000 confirmed cases with a little over 100 deaths.

"It was just after Chinese New Year and I had returned from Singapore when my friends in Hong Kong told me to start stocking up on masks and sanitiser," said Mr Lim.

Locals, he added, were well prepared after the experience of the severe acute respiratory syndrome epidemic in 2003.

The thought of returning to Singapore never crossed his mind as he has lived overseas since 1996. He was previously in Australia and Panama in Central America.

Said Mr Lim: "If you think about it, nowhere is safe from the virus. So the only thing we can do is to do our part and be self-disciplined to keep ourselves safe."

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on October 12, 2020, with the headline Choosing to hunker down, to avoid risk of spreading virus. Subscribe