Monday 1 June 2009

Working In Another Country

If you asked a yuppie Singaporean if he/she would like to work in another country, visions of expat status glam usually fills the head. London, Australia, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tokyo! Well we all have ambitions, haven't we?

This picture was taken at about 630pm on a Saturday at Kranji MRT station in Singapore. The snaking queue ends at the entrance to a bus headed for Woodlands Checkpoint then Johor Bahru. Most of these people are likely Malaysians who seek out Singapore dollar employment at the inconvenience of crowded buses, long queues, waiting, the irritation of going through immigration and pollution - conditions made worse when the weather turns rainy. I bet many are in manufacturing or production or packaging industries. Working on the weekends. Enduring.

The 2.3 to 1 exchange rate is too good to resist. I wonder if it was an ambition that took them across the border.

So how's work for you?

1 comment:

whimmykimmy said...

It's the lure of the S$ making it worth the daily inconvenience. But at the same time they get to be home everyday (also where living expenses are lower). Some ppl have to work overseas and don't get to go home for a long time. Given the chance, these ppl wouldn't mind the hassle.