Businesswoman shares reasons for moving to Malaysia with family
In March, a Singaporean businesswoman shared on social media why she left Singapore for Malaysia about three years ago.
Among the reasons she listed were her child’s education and the lifestyle in Singapore.
The post has since gained more than 390,000 views on Facebook, and garnered mixed reactions from netizens.
Why businesswoman decided to move family out of Singapore
Ms Goh, who runs a Singapore-based sales consultancy that helps scale up companies in Asia, told MS News that she had always wanted to relocate out of Singapore, though not necessarily to Malaysia.
Desiring the “freedom” to work anywhere and anytime she wanted, Ms Goh started making preparations for such an arrangement five years ago.
And in 2022, she and her husband finally moved from Singapore to Malaysia when their child was a baby.
Image courtesy of Shannon Goh
At the time, the couple, who traveled frequently for work, concluded that it did not “make as much financial sense” to maintain a property or lifestyle in Singapore when they were away so much.
They officially began preparing for their move from Singapore a year before they actually left.
Ms Goh and her husband had considered a few countries to relocate to, bearing in mind their finances and property prices, and even took trips to get a feel of the environment.
They made trips to survey the neighbourhoods they wanted to move into, and looked at the properties, schools, and establishments in the area.
Ultimately, they decided to move to Kuala Lumpur, signing a short-term lease while applying for long-term residency as they thought the environment was a good fit for their family.
Mother wishes for child to experience a different kind of education
In her video, Ms Goh said that her child’s education was among the reasons behind their move.
She told MS News that back when she first started thinking about relocating, there had already been talks of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
This led her to question whether traditional education in Singapore is still relevant to a child’s development and success.
Ms Goh says Singapore’s education system has long geared its students to become a “human resource capital for the world”, allowing them to be hired by multinational companies and be paid well.
However, she believes that the traditional emphasis on grades will not remain relevant with AI replacing many jobs. Instead, critical thinking, adaptability and resilience are crucial in today’s changing environment.
Because of this, she wants her child to learn in a more adaptable setting.
Image courtesy of Shannon Goh
“I don’t know whether Singapore’s education system can provide that because there’s so much parental pressure on kids’ grades rather than the exploration of skill sets like vibe coding, content creation,” said Ms Goh.
She also pushes back against the common belief in Singapore that studying hard and getting good grades at national examinations is what one needs to secure a good job.
“I disagree with that because I don’t have a university degree [but] I run a pretty successful company,” added the businesswoman.
Ms Goh shared that she has encountered others in Singapore who don’t have a degree but are successful. Similarly, there are also those who received a conventional education and took further studies and are doing well.
As such, she believes that success is not just a result of education, but environment, experiences, and one’s own hunger for success.
Learning opportunities in Malaysia
Ms Goh shared with MS News that their current living situation in Malaysia allows her child to explore more of her interests, something that would cost a lot more in Singapore.
Her daughter attends an international school, as enrollment into Malaysia’s public schools is primarily reserved for Malaysian citizens, with foreign students requiring special approval and subject to limited placement.
“The school talks about self-expression, and about not boxing them up,” shared Ms Goh.
Image courtesy of Shannon Goh
Apart from regular school, their daughter also attends ballet classes twice a week and takes Chinese lessons. Further down the road, they also plan to enrol her in swimming lessons, which they feel is an important life skill.
However, Ms Goh emphasised that it is not only Malaysia that can facilitate such learning opportunities for children.
Image courtesy of Shannon Goh
She explained that it’s just more difficult to afford enrichment classes in Singapore, and that parents are generally more inclined to spend on tuition due to the focus on grades.
“In Malaysia, you can do a lot of different things with the same budget,” said Ms Goh, who clarified that their move was not motivated by the idea of spending less, but rather doing more with the same amount.
Perks of preparing ahead of time
As for her young child, Ms Goh did not observe any difficulty in terms of adjustment.
Although they moved when their daughter was a toddler, Ms Goh believes that the child would have still enjoyed the transition had she been older.
Older kids, she believes, are “funfinders”, so they would warm up to the idea of moving if it means they can have more fun.
Either way, it is the parents’ job to help their children adjust to new environments, added Ms Goh.
For both her and her husband, they were well-prepared to spend as much time as possible with their daughter in this new setting.
Image courtesy of Shannon Goh
“[Our child is] very, very lucky to have both parents working from home,” she said, adding that they are able to do this as they had planned the move many years in advance.
And while they have employed helpers to aid with day-to-day routines, the family spends every evening together.
Ms Goh’s husband also takes time off his schedule to send their daughter to her ballet classes.
Family lives a more comfortable life in Malaysia
The move also afforded the young family a more comfortable lifestyle in terms of transportation and housing.
While Singapore has efficient public transport, Ms Goh said this still can be difficult for couples with young children who both have day jobs or salespeople who need to meet a lot of clients.
Image courtesy of Shannon Goh
They either have to take private-hire vehicles often or buy a car, which costs a lot, considering the price of a Certificate of Entitlement (COE).
In Malaysia, where they now have a car, Ms Goh and her husband can conveniently move around and care for their child.
Although spending the same amount as she does in Singapore, Ms Goh said she gets to have more freedom, flexibility, and convenience in Malaysia.
However, the Singaporean still misses a few things about Singapore, including the efficiency in government processes.
And while Ms Goh has found that Malaysia suits her better, she notes that Singapore is the ideal environment for career advancement — a fact that has drawn other nationalities, including Malaysians, to the Little Red Dot.
Different countries for different people
Ms Goh still travels to Singapore twice every month to meet her clients, spending about a week per month in her home country.
“Not everybody wants to travel all the time… It’s not everybody’s cup of tea, but that’s mine,” she said.
Ms Goh explained that this arrangement allows her to be more productive and efficient at her job.
“I’m fully present in Malaysia with my family. I’m also fully present at work when I’m there.”
Image courtesy of Shannon Goh
While Malaysia and Singapore are often compared in various areas, she stressed that it is important to understand that Malaysia’s culture is different, and therefore it has a different pace.
“The biggest thing I tell any Singaporean when they want to move to Malaysia is to respect its culture, its pace, its people, and see the beauty and the upsides of it,” said Ms Goh.
Ultimately, she believes that people should not look too far into the future when deciding to move into a new place.
“You know, it’s just seasons of life. Don’t be overly obsessed about thinking 30, 40 years ahead,” she advised.
“The world is moving so fast. Just do what your heart is willing to do for the next 10 years.”
She mentioned her openness for another relocation further down the line. “I don’t know. Who knows, right?”
Overall, Ms Goh said she is very satisfied with her relocation to Kuala Lumpur, adding that it is one of the best decisions they have made for their family’s overall happiness.
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Featured image courtesy of Shannon Goh.
