View Poll Results: Stay or Leave Hong Kong

Voters
216. You may not vote on this poll
  • Planning to leave in 1-2 years

    74 34.26%
  • Planning to leave in 3-5 years

    42 19.44%
  • No plan at the moment

    73 33.80%
  • HK is my Home, will stay forever

    27 12.50%
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[Poll] Stay or Leave Hong Kong

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  1. #211

    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Posts
    4
    Quote Originally Posted by AsianXpat0:
    but you do get free elections, which may or may not influence governance and responsiveness...

    Some element of a mandate there, which helps quell tempers as well, at least in an Asian context.

    Plus, what direction is HK moving in if you look at all the newsrooms?

    Having said that, there are certainly arguments for more freedom of expression being desirable in Singapore too.
    Not sure what 'free election' you're referring to, that's available in SG but not in HK.

    There's now a pre screening before you can stand for election in Hk, but you can still vote even if you're in jail.

    In SG, if you're a 'national security ' threat, you're probably in jail already, and no chance to stand for election anyway.

  2. #212

    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Sai Kung
    Posts
    5,002
    Quote Originally Posted by SZ1:
    Not sure what 'free election' you're referring to, that's available in SG but not in HK.

    There's now a pre screening before you can stand for election in Hk, but you can still vote even if you're in jail.

    In SG, if you're a 'national security ' threat, you're probably in jail already, and no chance to stand for election anyway.
    The way I view this is that if people wanted to work/move to Singapore they’d have done so before coming to HK. NSL may Be with us but HK is still a comparatively freer and certainly a whole lot less sterile.

    I would advocate that anyone moving from HK to Singapore would be doing it purely because the job has moved there rather than HK has turned into a police/government state. It hasn’t yet but it’s certainly a lot closer than it was 12 months ago.

    An interesting question would be HK, SG or back to where you came from if you had the choice of all 3. For me HK is still streets ahead. Then again I don’t have a young family here in need of an education. That also changes the goalposts and I can see why families would choose SG, just the same as a couple of people on here are talking about finding UK school spots.

    That doesn’t mean I don’t have an exit strategy but I’m in the fortunate position of having a global role (currently APAC focussed) and could relate with work though, depending on where, not full tax equalisation. Net id still be marginally financially better off in UK.

    Korea remains a target which would also be work. Philippines remains a retirement target. El Nido before it turns into Boracay would be nice. Last time I posted my thoughts Thailand was in the running. To some extent that’s still true but I can’t see them ever shaking off the political and military uncertainty. Going for a holiday is one thing. Living there quite another. To counterbalance that I have a couple of friends and a relation living in Thailand none of which are currently concerned.

    No right or wrong answers to this question. Just as my views on SG vs HO are my views others may see it completely differently
    chingleutsch likes this.

  3. #213

    Join Date
    Oct 2018
    Posts
    487
    Quote Originally Posted by SZ1:
    Not sure what 'free election' you're referring to, that's available in SG but not in HK.

    There's now a pre screening before you can stand for election in Hk, but you can still vote even if you're in jail.

    In SG, if you're a 'national security ' threat, you're probably in jail already, and no chance to stand for election anyway.
    I don't know if you are trolling or what. HK: a government that doesn't give a fuck about the people, which has created land scarcities and where people upon graduation (to give an example) need 100% of their salary to rent a 300 sq. ft. flat. A place where roughly 20% of its young people can go to university, and where university fees are about 40% of the salary of the poorest 40% of the population. And that was before the NSL where everybody can be arrested and disappear in a Chinese prison for no reason.

    V. Singapore, a government that has built affordable housing for its people (as a student in Singapore I was living in a bigger flat than as a millionaire in HK), where upon graduation people can rent a decent flat. A place where 40% of the students go to university, where education is miles better, miles cheaper. The GDP per capita of Singapore is 40% higher that of HK.

    Yes, neither country has much political freedom, but the Singapore government knows that it can be voted out, so does policies to improve people's lives. The HK government is controlled by developers, interest groups, and the Chinese government, and as everybody knows it doesn't give a fuck about the people because it can't be voted out.
    TheBrit, Gatts, Greghouse and 3 others like this.

  4. #214

    Join Date
    Nov 2017
    Posts
    107
    Quote Originally Posted by Skyhook:
    I’m curious too, where are you from that was so bad ?
    And @Hkemail888,

    From the "rainbow nation" down in Effrika.

    Beautiful place with many pro's and so much potential, but all the corruption, crime, political and racial problems make it just not worth it. I don't see a future there. The majority of people I know there would also leave if they had the chance.

  5. #215

    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Location
    Taiwan and HK
    Posts
    6,158

    Out of quarantine in Taipei, so far so good, living in a new section of a suburb in New Taipei city (Linkou), gorgeous train across the street, always a seat) - it's the airport express line so posh seats on express trains, all for HK 20 dollars. Huge box stores everywhere, biggest Ikea I have ever been in, including the US. Super posh 3BD 2BA for about 10,000 HKD brand new. Separate garage just for bicycles and scooters, other entrance and different floors for cars. MRT so clean and great coverage, bus trips are about 4HKD can go far. Pretty easy life so far, great food super cheap. Friendly, helpful people...only downside so far has been a bad haircut- a guy recommended by expats but cut my hair crazy short- upside is no need for a haircut for at least 4 months...

    Bought a new emotional support hamster after the bad haircut (pre-ordered posh cage). Was going to be Fei Bo 2 but we are going with Mei Mei, hope it's a girl.

    I could get used to this...but will never take it for granted...

    TheBrit, alexdown, timonoj and 9 others like this.

  6. #216

    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    Ex Sai Kunger Sunny Qld for now
    Posts
    8,318
    Quote Originally Posted by Nicolaas20:
    And @Hkemail888,

    From the "rainbow nation" down in Effrika.

    Beautiful place with many pro's and so much potential, but all the corruption, crime, political and racial problems make it just not worth it. I don't see a future there. The majority of people I know there would also leave if they had the chance.
    Thanks for getting back to us. I know a number of Sethers here in Brisbane, which have had a variety of stories to tell, one being the man who delivers my office toner cartridges for all our printers, which I see every couple of months and fully understand why these families have uptilts and moved their family's here.

    I think Australia might be one of the more popular countries to move to for South Africans, as the geography/climate etc is quite similar to South Efrica. There are lots living here in Brisbane, which I suppose would be climatically/geographically very similar to Cape Town.

    So o.k, I fully understand why you typed what you did previously, knowing what I have been told.
    Nicolaas20 likes this.

  7. #217

    Join Date
    Nov 2017
    Posts
    107
    Quote Originally Posted by Skyhook:
    Thanks for getting back to us. I know a number of Sethers here in Brisbane, which have had a variety of stories to tell, one being the man who delivers my office toner cartridges for all our printers, which I see every couple of months and fully understand why these families have uptilts and moved their family's here.

    I think Australia might be one of the more popular countries to move to for South Africans, as the geography/climate etc is quite similar to South Efrica. There are lots living here in Brisbane, which I suppose would be climatically/geographically very similar to Cape Town.

    So o.k, I fully understand why you typed what you did previously, knowing what I have been told.
    Yip, Aus and NZ are probably the most popular destinations for Saffers now.

  8. #218

    Join Date
    Feb 2018
    Location
    NT
    Posts
    212
    Quote Originally Posted by MABinPengChau:
    Out of quarantine in Taipei, so far so good, living in a new section of a suburb in New Taipei city (Linkou), gorgeous train across the street, always a seat) - it's the airport express line so posh seats on express trains, all for HK 20 dollars. Huge box stores everywhere, biggest Ikea I have ever been in, including the US. Super posh 3BD 2BA for about 10,000 HKD brand new. Separate garage just for bicycles and scooters, other entrance and different floors for cars. MRT so clean and great coverage, bus trips are about 4HKD can go far. Pretty easy life so far, great food super cheap. Friendly, helpful people...only downside so far has been a bad haircut- a guy recommended by expats but cut my hair crazy short- upside is no need for a haircut for at least 4 months...

    Bought a new emotional support hamster after the bad haircut (pre-ordered posh cage). Was going to be Fei Bo 2 but we are going with Mei Mei, hope it's a girl.

    I could get used to this...but will never take it for granted...
    Maybe you can enlighten us sometime as to the ins and outs / ease or difficulty in getting a work visa there.

  9. #219

    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Location
    Taiwan and HK
    Posts
    6,158
    Quote Originally Posted by Eva C:
    Maybe you can enlighten us sometime as to the ins and outs / ease or difficulty in getting a work visa there.
    So we just opened a company there and hired me...some other people are officers of said company...there are also some visas for Hong Kong people...but not sure if you need to be ethnically Chinese or not...so I make the same money I did in Hong Kong and it goes 3 or 4 times as far...business is good for now but I am not optimistic about the future...when the economy completely tanks, people are not busy applying for patents...make hay while the sun shines as they say...
    The man who cut my hair said many of his expat clients had already left...you definitely do not see the number of expats that you see in Hong Kong...
    emx, HK_Katherine and Eva C like this.

  10. #220

    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Posts
    4
    Quote Originally Posted by john_1122:
    I don't know if you are trolling or what. HK: a government that doesn't give a fuck about the people, which has created land scarcities and where people upon graduation (to give an example) need 100% of their salary to rent a 300 sq. ft. flat. A place where roughly 20% of its young people can go to university, and where university fees are about 40% of the salary of the poorest 40% of the population. And that was before the NSL where everybody can be arrested and disappear in a Chinese prison for no reason.

    V. Singapore, a government that has built affordable housing for its people (as a student in Singapore I was living in a bigger flat than as a millionaire in HK), where upon graduation people can rent a decent flat. A place where 40% of the students go to university, where education is miles better, miles cheaper. The GDP per capita of Singapore is 40% higher that of HK.

    Yes, neither country has much political freedom, but the Singapore government knows that it can be voted out, so does policies to improve people's lives. The HK government is controlled by developers, interest groups, and the Chinese government, and as everybody knows it doesn't give a fuck about the people because it can't be voted out.
    Don't get me wrong. I've worked in Singapore for a few years, that was still in Goh Chok Tong era, and I like the place. My wife's family used to live in there too, and some of her siblings did their high school, uni's there.
    They have all moved on and now having their families in HK. We still connect with friends in SG, so know a bit of life in there too. I just wanted to raise the point that HK is still having a free society, even when compared to SG.

    I can see why people are discontented with their governments, but claiming the HK govt doesn't give a fuck to the people is really too strong which I cannot agree. I'd say both HK/SG governments are run by civil servants. Both govts are not monarchy, not military, not from a special class, not politicians, and best of all not corrupted. From top to bottom are people just like you and I, trying to do a job for a salary.

    The problem you highlighted about HK property prices are common among all big cities, and SG has done a good job in this area. However I don't hear much complaints in HK about poor students not being able to attend higher education due to high cost.
    SG govt excels in their efficiency in making bolder decisions and faster implementations (much like China) but not everyone likes it this way, whereas HK will appear more bureaucratic, but probably more consultative with people, some of these are 'interest groups' such as businesses and politicians like you mentioned. But that's two sides of a coin, and you cannot win everything in life.