I am currently in Singapore, where there is a large and growing Myanmar community. The Singapore government is notorious for hoarding data and information, so they do not indicate exactly how many people are here and in what categories. They are probably worried about upsetting the locals.
The last known estimate from Channel News Asia puts the number between 200,000 to 300,000. This is a small number compared to the diaspora in Thailand, but Singapore is also a much smaller location so I hear a lot of bamar and kayin being spoken as I walk the streets.
Again, there is no data published but talking to some friends in NGOs like HOME, NUS and government, I think that about 65% are here on short term work permits. About 10% are on longer term S pass and EPs. About 2% are here as students. Maybe 8% of that would be PRs and 2-3% are now Singapore citizens. They may be other passes and status that I don’t know about. Note that these just my personal guesses in terms of the percentages.
As a part of this diaspora, I have tried to talk to representatives of each group to learn about their positive and negative experiences. Here are some summarised points.
Positive: Strict law and order
Many have expressed appreciation for there being strict law and order, leading to much higher levels of personal safety. Girls here feel comfortable walking alone at 2am in the morning. You cannot bribe the police. This is a huge change compared to life in Myanmar.
Negative: Exploitation
To access law enforcement, individuals must be willing to report abuses and exploitation. Many bosses here know that low-income workers from Myanmar are not willing to report these cases to authorities lest they lose their permits and have to go back home. This has led to many abuse cases (underpaid salaries, long working hours, etc) becoming more common. And it is so frustrating for some to know that their bad bosses can be held to account but no one dares to report them.
Positive: Ability to earn money
A lot of workers have appreciated the ability to earn income in a strong currency. The work, especially those in the cleaning or F&B sectors, can be brutal but the income is steady. A lot are able to moonlight and do cleaning on the side and thus save up. There is virtually no income tax. And Singapore is quite open to businesses starting up so those friends who set up shops have found it very easy compared to the paperwork in myanmar.
Negative: High cost of living
Singapore is very expensive, which puts a dent into savings if one wishes to get decent rental rooms or to eat well. So if you are not careful, the money can disappear fast. One must also not forget agents in both Myanmar and Singapore who are asking for thousands of dollars in fees which they do not dare to impose on workers from China or Vietnam. similarly, for SME owners, rent is very high.
Positive: Welcoming locals
Locals here generally do not see the Myanmar community as a threat to their professional jobs. Most of the Myanmar workers are here as blue-collar workers. White collar workers from China and India are more likely to be seen as potential threats. Thus, cases of outright animosity against Myanmar folks are low, unlike in places like Thailand.
Negative: Abusive locals
However, it is just as likely for them to be condescending and see those from Myanmar as uneducated and unintelligent. This often leads employers, especially those of maids, to treat Myanmar folks as simpletons. It does not help that many of the Myanmar folks come with poor English levels and are unable to express themselves well. Thus, they have to put up with this.
Positive: Social mobility is possible
Singapore accept Myanmar folks as PRs and citizens. This is different from places like Dubai. Here, we get access to the same schools as the locals. Top local schools now have Myanmar origin students, and they also go into the top universities. They also give government scholarships to these Myanmar students and accept them in elite work positions. Companies and the government are far more likely to hire you based on skills and qualifications instead of looking at your race.
Negative: Social acceptance is more challenging.
Singapore puts on a strong emphasis on the Chinese, Malay and Indian communities here being all equal as citizens. This is to prevent the type of single race domination we see in places like Malaysia. However, it now means that if you are not part of this CMI group, it is difficult for Singaporeans to accept that you are truly a citizen. My friend has been in Singapore since he was 10. He became a citizen at 21. He served in the Singapore army and is an officer. He works in the Singapore government. He has a Chinese Singaporean wife. Even then, people still talk to him as if his country is Myanmar. So, he suspects that he will never be fully embraced as an equal.
Final thoughts
I don't want to portray Singapore as either a paradise for Myanmar people or a place where everyone is exploited and discriminated against. Neither description would be accurate.
For many people, Singapore offers safety, employment, education and opportunities that would be difficult to find elsewhere. For others, the cost of living, recruitment debts, workplace exploitation and the feeling of never quite belonging can be difficult to overcome.
And the experience of a domestic worker on a Work Permit is obviously very different from that of a university student, a professional or a second-generation Singaporean of Myanmar origin.
I'm sharing this because I think it is worth understanding the diversity of the Myanmar diaspora, including the experiences of people who have settled in places that receive less attention than Thailand.
I'm curious to hear from others in the Myanmar diaspora: If you've lived in Singapore, or in another country outside Myanmar, what has your experience been like? What surprised you most about living there, both positively and negatively?
