Jon just got his PR identity card number today. Which reminded me that I should check when I should renew mine. Fortunately this was easy to do as the date of issue was right behind the card. Next January it would be five years. Five years of PR-ship in Singapore. And up till now it's been five years of living in Singapore.
It's going to be harder and harder for foreigners over here to renew their five yearly stay. I know the White Paper says that there is going to be room made for more... But LKY's influence is going to come to pass one day. Replaced by younger politicians with strong sentiments having grown up to compete all the way with foreigners. Politicians who may feel for locals being ousted by their foreign competitors, who dislike having to share their facilities, who think it's unfair for people to treat Singapore like a giant multi national company that they could just come and leave.
There are many of these young people. And I do not say they are wrong. And I understand where they are coming from. And I also realize that PR-ship is akin to fence sitting: meaning that I draw the line to which how much I want to contribute to Singapore.
To me Singapore is not just 'the place I earn my money'. I have grown to love the way of life here, appreciate it's history and growth and tried to make sense of its political state and its people. I hope that by and by I would be able to do more for the community, for the economy and for the people around me coming from different countries. I have always wondered what I would choose if one day it all boils down to two alternatives: stay as a citizen, or leave as a foreigner. No PR fence sitting and half hearted commitments. Would I stay or would I leave?
I know in one way or other I had grown affectionate to this little red dot but in what way? The way Lot loved the city of Sodom? The way Jacob served Eygpt? The way David loved Jerusalem? Or the way Daniel served in Babylon - loyally he served but never forgot who he was and where he was from.
Still the truth is - this world is not my home. I know I am called to serve in a place but where is my harvest field? I can wonder and ponder, but it is all about making every here and now count.
