China National castigates Singapore netizens for being “naive” and “insecure” over the Zhang Yuanyuan fiasco
October 12th, 2009 | 
Author: From our Correspondent
A probable China National by the name of He Zhiyu had written to the Straits Times Forum castigating Singapore netizens for being “naive” and “insecure”! (read letter here)
Zhang Yuanyuan, a Singapore PR drew flak from the online community recently by proclaiming her undivided loyalty to China in an interview on CCTV Channel 7.
Ms Zhang worked in Singapore for 5 years as a Chinese teacher before returning to China where she participated in China’s 60th National Day Parade.
Equipped with only a diploma from an unknown school in China, she came to Singapore on a study pass and obtained a PR within two months.
Mr He chided Singapore netizens for being “naive” and praised Ms Zhang as a ”motivated” global citizen:
“The outcry reflects netizens’ naivety in thinking that PRs will renounce their citizenship and show undivided loyalty to Singapore once they obtain their blue identity card. It also reveals the insecurity of Singaporeans compared to the motivation of global citizens like Ms Zhang.”
Mr He also lent support to Ms Zhang’s motives for taking up Singapore PR:
“The reasons given by Ms Zhang for her decision show a highly motivated and pragmatic individual who did not forget her roots. She does not hide the fact that she applied for Singapore PR simply to make it easier to travel between Singapore and China, while she improved her English and obtained a degree during her five-year stay in the Republic.”
Like the Singapore government, Mr He seems to miss the point completely. Singaporeans are not angry with PRs like Ms Zhang for not renouncing their citizenships, but peeved with the government’s liberal immigration policies at the expense of local-born citizens.
Nowadays, PRs are easily obtained by foreigners who are semi-skilled workers like Ms Zhang with the intention of keeping them in Singapore for the long-term so that they may take up Singapore citizenships one day.
The blue NRIC is not for the purpose of easing travel between Singapore and other countries, to save one’s trouble for renewing the work permit or buying resale HDB flats which has been systematically exploited and abused by many foreigners.
The relentless influx of foreigners in recent years has led to sky-rocketing of resale and subsequently new flats thereby pricing young couples in need of a home of their own out of the housing market.
While Singapore does require foreigners to boost its flagging population, PRs and citizenships should not be given indiscriminately to those who only views us as a stepping board.
The process should be tweaked and refined to allow only skilled workers and professionals to take up PRs and citizenships. With due respect to Ms Zhang, her job as a Chinese teacher is easily replaceable.
During her five years’ stay in Singapore, Ms Zhang has deprived one Singaporean of a job. After obtaining a degree here, she now earns more back home in Beijing. Who is at the losing end here?
Singapore has no business in helping China nationals improve their English or their marketability. Mr He should realize that there is no free lunch in the world and Singaporeans do not owe him or his fellow countrymen a living.
Related articles:
>> Zhang Yuanyuan got her Singapore PR in only 2 months
>> Official reply from government on the Zhang Yuanyuan fiasco
>> Singapore PRC PR proclaimed loyalty to China publicly
>> PRC resident hung China flag to celebrate its National Day
>> PRC student in Singapore wants more scholarships for foreigners
>> PRC prostitutes solicit for customers on Singapore’s cyberspace
>> ERA: 40 per cent of resale flats buyers are PRs
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Mr. He is correct.
Singapore is a very small country, I hope Singaporean will not make it even smaller.
”motivated” global citizen does mean that you came come into another person’s country so easily, given freedom of access, treated better than the citizens and after all that using the host country as a stepping stone to more greener pasture.Doesn’t loyalty and integrity means anything anymore.
@ Great Asia
Are you being illiterate?
They are so many articles out there which states that we are not unwilling to welcome foreigners but for the fact that the government is making it so easy for foreigners to obtain the PR status which is unheard of in any other countries.
As a nation, this debacle has neither wounded nor hurt us at all. Our skin is as thick as the elephant. They are the victors and we are the losers. All that is ours is theirs and we need them more than they need us. They can come and go as their wish because without them we will fail.
Ultimately we have a motive for them to be here and they too can a motive to want to come here. As helpless as we are, we can only lay back and let it be.
The one who wrote the letter may not be a chinese national.
He may be a singaporean writer working for the singapore govenment to shoot back at singapore netizens
Sometimes the PRC Chinese are hypocrites.
Ask them how they feel when foreigners back in the 18th to 19th century went to China and get preferential treatment. How do they feel?
Do they feel indignation? Do they feel like they were 2nd class citizens? All because of what? A weak government who is not willing to protect the citizens from foreign interference.
This weakness culminated into losing of Hong Kong and Macau to foreigners.
And now that other country, namely ours, are suffering from such foreign “invasion”, they can give all sorts of justification.
So are they saying back in 18th and 19th century, Chinese were naive and insecure to protest against foreigners in their lands?
To: silenceisgolden
I hope that you were being sarcastic and not as it is written. If not, I don’t know how much wider SG should spread its legs or bend over – maybe on all fours? Why not post a happy hour spread while at it?
i actually expect zhang to show some degree of loyalty to singapore by not flashing out her ID card and proclaiming she is/was a PR in Singapore. I honestly do not think we need a common sheep(one who proclaims loyalty lke the billions of chinese). Do you think she’ll proclaim her loyalty out loud in Singapore?
I think she has harboured no sensitivity to the country that had provided her benefits.
She is obviously not street smart and posseses LOW EQ. If she is one of many ingrates then surely the system is flawed. Why the hell are we taking in STUPID PEOPLE?
Unloyal i don’t mind. But she is Stupid and Careless and therefore in my definition does not suit the profile of a so called imported TALENT.
This country will got to the DUMPS and lose all respect-whats left of it- if we continue in this fashion.
By the way, this is National Pride talking
Not National Xenophobia.
We’ve got our own stupid, insensitive and careless(people who heil PAP without hesitation, announce upgrading and raise prices) to deal with in this country.
We honestly don’t need more
The source of the foreigner/PR issue is the foreign talent policy. The source of the foreign talent policy is the ruling PAP government.
To stop all the inter-related issues get rid of the source. Vote out the PAP. All the past freak election results that we have in the past has to stop.
I think man kind should ” drink water think of the source ” Chinese proverb meaning must be grateful to someone who helped you.In this case S’pore gave her a chance to study English, and made spore a stepping stone and yet her behaviour is uncalled for.
A great article by an insightful correspondent.
Why can’t our S$ Million Ministers read TR more often and pick up some pointers here instead of coming up with harebrained ideas like the S$ 10 million ‘integration scheme’ and wasting tax payers’ money in the process ??
When will the PAP Government come to their senses and realise that Singaporeans have had enough of their mumbo-jumbo FT / PR policy and want it to be stopped, immediately ??
Guess they will only get the meesage when we do our voting in the next GE.
To those that think the govt & MSM are missing the point, do think again.
The govt and MSM know the real point very well. They also know they cannot win a debate on that point.
By shifting the argument away to a far weaker point, and leveraging on the MSM’s reach, they are trying to discredit “netizens” as being irrational and hateful, and trying to let the matter die down asap.
And the sad truth is that as many Singaporeans only rely on the MSM, their tactics will work reasonably well.
we have been colonised. indigenous citizens will soon be like aborigines in their own land. the govt is allowing this neo-colonisation for reasons we do not fully know nor comprehend.
Spore PR is cheap. loyalty non-existent. a spore pR is only good for convenience of travel and marketability elsewhere. we goons are conscripted to protect this overcrowded third world services country and pay for this spiral in living and property costs – the first gen PR do not have to cos PM won’t want to be platoon commander of 30,40,50 year old PRs. their children can easily fly off and never serve NS before conscription age.
what can be more degrading than this? Yet Shitty times is putting a positive spin on this china woman story.
Is Mr He planning his escape route too to USA, Canada, Australia, NZ or Europe? If so, Mr He, we the Spore citizens, now hereby demand that you return every subsidy that you received presumably for yr education in Spore. I seem to pick up signals that you may have been educated at our local tertiary institutions like NTU & NUS.
The consensus is that your dear compatriot Zhang Yuan Yuan is free to do what she wants in China. Our larger concerns rest with the ease in which people like her & you easily get Spore PRs like department store good going on the Great Spore Sale that is held annually. Also, the unfair playing field in which you can buy resale HDB flat.
Don’t hide Mr He under our PAP gahment propaganda newspaper, visit this site to engage in a debate.
Actually natural born Singaporeans can sabotage these platform jumpers’ efforts to go to western countries by writing to the immigration department of USA, Canada, Australia etc… and ask them to differentiate between naturalised citizens and natural born citizens from the place of birth. To treat those born from China but with Singapore citizenship as if they are China citizens and process from there.
Ask these immigration officials do they want to accept people who has no loyalty to their new country and likes to change citizenship like their underwear as their new citizens.
At least I am pretty sure if Singaporeans migrate to western countries, they will be loyal to their adopted homes. Can’t say the same of those from China.
The storyline on her blue i/c keep changing as the circumstance of her military involvement smack of the truth of PRC’s behaviour internationally. Mr. He sure lives up to their reputation summarises in two proverbs well known to them.
Fern Liu Yin Shan ( the dark cloud of disgraceful behaviour will be blown away by the wind over time – just keep silent initially) and if that does not work, try this by spinning a new story befitting this proverb
Mau Ku Lau Su ( when the rats die, the cats all cry IN SYMPATHY)
Nothing is really new of Mr. He’s hypocrisy of stance here.
Uniquely PRC.
silenceisgolden on Mon, 12th Oct 2009 12:43 pm
Is this what your political masters told you to write? Or are you a China PR?
Singaporeans are by no means helpless. We can vote to kick out the present government and put the opposition in power. Then we can begin to kick out all the foreign trash. After that we will only take in people who are committed to Singapore and can contribute to it.
It is a fact that LHL angered the Chinese government when he visited Taiwan just before be took over as PM. China was very angry with him and wanted to punish him and his father.
For all we know, to appease China, father and son could have agreed to take in 5 million Chinese citizens and provide them with employment. Singaporeans are once again paying the price for his mistakes.
It is time for Change. Vote opposition.
Yes, hundreds of thousands of Singaporeans are suffering as a result of the ruling party handing out PRs and citizenship as cheaply as a prostitute hands out condoms to her clients.
China PRs are benefiting at the expense of Singaporeans. It is also true that many of these PRs will head back to China once they have made enough money. Singaporeans meanwhile struggle to put a roof over their heads and put food on the table for themselves and their children.
Many Singaporeans will never forget how one Singaporean father desperate to find a job to support his family took his life when he jump on the MRT tracks. Since then, many other desperate Singaporeans at their wits end have followed suit.
This has forced our greedy leaders to build platform edge doors at all MRT stations above ground so that it will prevent more deaths as the situation worsens for Singaporeans.
Now they want to close our wet markets and build more supermarkets so that we can hire more China PRs and meet the quota set by China to employ chinese citizens.
The time has come for Singaporean to think hard about the future of their children. Vote opposition.
Singaporeans are by no means helpless. We can vote to kick out the present government and put the opposition in power. Then we can begin to kick out all the foreign trash. After that we will only take in people who are committed to Singapore and can contribute to it.
Who are you trying to kid? Were you born yesterday?! The ruling party can’t be kicked out even if you sold your soul to the devil. The Opposition are so divided and busy trying to outdo each other that they miss the big picture. In the meantime, all the ruling party has to do is to sit back, relax, and watch the Opposition implode with some numbskull action, like that fool dog James Gomez.
It is time for Change. Vote opposition.
Stop dreaming! You think you’re Martin Luther King or something?!
Why would singapore take china citizens to appease china? China would want all its people in china, and frowns on those who immigrate for personal gains.
Anyway, sinkapore must be the only place in the world where a stinking foreigner from a 3rd world communist country can reprimand the locals. If this is a developed country, the foreigner will never dare raise a squeak!
Maybe the cunning foreigners realise that sinkees are doormats, and observed how the government bully them every day.
“Like the Singapore government, Mr He seems to miss the point completely. Singaporeans are not angry with PRs like Ms Zhang for not renouncing their citizenships, but peeved with the government’s liberal immigration policies at the expense of local-born citizens.”
Seriously, are you blind? Of all the Singaporeans that reacted to this issue, how many actually shared your “point”? Because to be honest, even the first time this story came out, a lot of Singaporean netizes thought of Zhang Yuanyuan as a traitor to Singapore, because they thought a PR should be more loyal to Singapore than to the country where they came from! A lot confused her permanent residency with the actual SG citizenship.
## Seriously on Mon, 12th Oct 2009 6:40 pm
“”Seriously, are you blind?”"
I used to be but, thankfully, not anymore.
Seriously, I believe that most posters here were once supporters of the PAP but since their blindfolds have been removed can now see the folly of their blind support.
Dosen’t matter if the Opposition quarrel, fight or make a fool of themselves, but as long as there is a contest in my constituency, I will vote Opposition – even if the guy happens to be a 90 year old Karangoonie man.
Singapore Garberment make ALL Singaporean open legs wide wide.
Singapore Garberment ALSO want ALL Singaporeans to open arms wide wide.
@Time for Change – The PAP would probably say to you,” ni zai fan pi”.
Even if you can vote in one or two opp MP, it is still a drop in the ocean. If everyone is like you even I can also become MP. I love to be one as the allowance is fantastic and there are other funds which I would like to use to bet on my favorite BPL soccer match every weekend. One thing lose don’t blame me, more risk more gain. For that you also cannot sue me because I am your MP. Come on man vote for me ” Time for change”.
Who is this He Zhiyu? Another Foreign Untalented? Kick him out!
S’pore should take in only real talent and ppl with skill we are short of.
How can Ms Zhang be employed as a chinese teacher in our pre-school? Which pre-school that is so shameless? Employ cheap shit but charge alot.
I know of pre-school chinese teachers who are effectively bilingual, local and motherly. Who needs ppl like Ms Zhang? Are we training our kids to prefer pretty girls than lau auntie? C’mon, she looks like streetwalker from the picture in her blue SPORE IC.
//silenceisgolden
yeah, that is exactly what the PAP mps are doing to us right now:
single MPs that don’t defend the singles rights.
MPs that don’t defend their own citizens rights.
For that matter, I would choose an opposition.
the PAP mp that remains will have to work harder to keep their perks.
ehhhh, will it be a good idea for me to give up my Singaporean citizenship, turn around and then apply for Singapore PR?
I blame the PAP government for all the wrong doing!!!!
I think we should see the examples of other countries.
In UAE 80% of people are foreigners, from the skilled, professionals to unskilled. They enjoy the life in the
UAE and they dont even pay income tax. But they are
not allowed to get Pr or citizenship, they just get resident status like our WP or EP system. I dont understand why we cant do the same If a person has decided to work here for 5 years, give the person a PR and if he/she reaches 8 years give them a pr. else invest $1 million to show your commitment to Singapore with a min lock in of 5 years. This will make people realise that its not just so simple to get a PR
The ease of getting PR nowadays really shocks me. Citizenship probably isn’t very difficult either. I spent nearly 2.5 years doing my NS as a result of being born a citizen. I did it well and never shirked my work. Over and above, I get reservist callups yearly and have to take my IPPT yearly. I am combat-fit. If I fail to go for IPPT/RT, I am subject to being charged by the SAF, a process that can potentially result in detention.
I already do not lament the fact that many students in our local universities are foreigners on scholarships paid for by taxpayers like myself.
However I find it very upsetting that foreigners have such easy access to Singapore PR/citizenship, most of whom need not serve NS.
It is a disappointment. In previous elections, I have never voted for SDP/SDA or what people like Chiam/Low represented.
I will almost certainly feel sad the next time I cast my vote. But as so many young people around me say—it is time for change.
Too many. Too crowded. Too easy. I used to be able to give my seats to old people on the MRT 15 years back. These days I’m lucky if there’s ample standing room.
I mentioned in an earlier post that quite frankly, there is nothing to be upset about. Singapore has lost all resemblance of a nation by mass importing foreigners and without ample assimilation measures; it can only end in disaster.
The blue card is given away very easily, but both pink and blue are invariably worth the same – not much. Do not begrudge Miss Zhang for showing patriotism to her true nation, a real country China.
And lest anyone accuses me of being a China sychophant I might add that China was very insecure too by putting its minority regions on lockdown during the PRC 60th anniversary celebrations.
Protoss on Tue, 13th Oct 2009 12:41 am
“…..Too many. Too crowded. Too easy. I used to be able to give my seats to old people on the MRT 15 years back. These days I’m lucky if there’s ample standing room.”
Last night while boarding on a north bound train towards Woodlands, all the passengers having a seat were foreigners. Ya, no kidding, no locals. And among those standing around me and my wife, we can only identify 3 passengers that look like local. At that point of time, I don’t really know whether to cry or to laugh. The feeling of being a stranger in your homeland is beyond words that can describe at that time.
PAP do me a favour, please call for the election now. If you still have the mandate of more than 55% of Singaporeans to rule, I will pack up and leave. I have already done my NS and completed my reservist which now I realise is a big F**king joke. I guess it will feel better being a stranger in a foreign country.
Bring it on PAP! Damn it!
To : Et2cetera, btan and angry_one
well said.
The PAP is running scared. Change is coming to Singapore. The old days of tyranny, oppression and injustice are over. With the PAP out, Singaporeans will be the masters of their own lives.
Time for Change. Vote opposition.
China might have forced LHL to take in 5 million unemployed Chinese citizens, but Singaporeans don’t have to accept these trash.
Nobody is against Ms Zhang…the more rational of us…
those of us are against the current policy of giving out PRs or easy citizenship like water…is sinagpore that cheap?…the local citizens are not against FT/FW as long as it is done in measured ways and due consideration of the local citizens are taken into account..
the policy of importing minimum 2 million more people into singapore this past 2 years and the near future is insane, self serving or worst is politically motivated at the expense of local citizens?…think please, in the first place does singapore have a lot of resources? enough portable drinking water? Enough electrical generating capacity? Enough food? etc?….everything will become even more expensive and social fabric will become even thinner & harder to maintain…do you think the gov’t will lower prices which many of us know will not happen or the gov’t will really get these new PRs/Citizens to integrate [which in the first place they must at least speak basic english...hello this is singapore okay not china or india or etc]…please note it should be PRs/new citizens engaging us first, not the other way around…only those who has too much money or time will think of always giving in first.
Frankly, it is alway easy to sit at the top of an ant hill and just see the ants running hither and thither…try putting other colonies of ants into the original ant hill…and you will see plenty of “negative” actions and reactions.
Haiz
@kknd
The PRC Chinese themselves are naive and insecure especially when people mentioned independence of Taiwan and Tibet. Nothing new about this.
@Protoss on Tue, 13th Oct 2009 12:41 am
Good, yet one more Singaporean voters who woke up. The damage you guys caused the rest of us was really great.
We just hope more people like you will wake up in the coming election to vote for change.
Singapore is no longer a nation. It has become a hotel where foreigners come, stay a while, do business and then leave.
Local born Singaporeans have given up hope and left for greener pastures elsewhere.
Last week, the Singapore slingers (basketball team) took on a visiting Filipino team. There were 3,000 PRs and new citizens in the Indoor Stadium. The PRs and new citizens were there to cheer the visiting team and jeer the Singapore slingers. There were Filipinos after all.
This coming Sunday, 10,000 PRs and new citizens wil be descending on the Indoor Stadium to watch the Singapore Slingers take on the visiting Philippin Patriots. Agains, all the PRs and new citizens will be supporting the visiting team. Again, all of them will be Filipinos. The Singapore Slingers will feel like they are the visiting team.
This is so sad. Singaporeans don’t give a hoot about this country anymore. The foreigners have taken over. It is time for the locals to leave.
PS. Local Singaporeans were castigated and their loyalty questioned by the Shitty Times when they supported Liverpool FC (English football team) against the Lions in July 2009.
How come the deafening silence by the Shitty Times when PRs and new citizens support another country?
Singapore no longer a nation? You bet.
an article from zaobao on zhang,note that she comes from a well-to-do family and the wages she received in s’pore was exaggerated by the china media
话题“女兵”回应争议
张元元：我挺爱中国 但也喜欢新加坡
我确实是挺爱国的，但是我想每个人都是爱国的吧。”说起自己的爱国心，张元元总会直觉地补上这一句。她小心地说明“爱国”与“喜欢新加坡”即有区别又不相互排斥，同时暗示永久居民爱祖国（中国）与新加坡人爱国都是同一种感情，应该得到理解。
任凭新加坡网民、报纸，以及中国大陆与台湾的媒体都相继报道了“新加坡PR回国参加阅兵遭网民炮轰”的新闻，身处话题中心的张元元始终处之泰然。
29岁的张元元在北京受访时告诉本报，她完全没有因此感到困扰或者有任何压力，“一点都没有。”
她说：“互联网时代，我们这一代对这种东西都无所谓了。每个人想发表什么就说什么，言论自由嘛，每个人都有不同观点。”
不过，谈起新加坡网民对新移民认同感的质疑，张元元字里行间还是流露了一些感触。她婉转地说：“有可能我换位思考一下，作为一个新加坡人，国家把很多PR都给了外来的人，有可能希望他们多做一些贡献吧！我很理解他们的心情。”
“但是，毕竟……也要想到，外来的，拿到PR的人，他们有可能也有家人。像我们这么年轻，也没有结婚，不可能抛家舍业，（永远）在新加坡，是吧？”
23岁离开北京到新加坡学习，三年后申请成为永久居民，五年后回国，之后毅然报名参加了中国60周年国庆阅兵的女民兵方队，接受“党和人民的检阅”，结果成为中国官方媒体努力打造的“爱国女海归”的典型。
张元元的故事被一些眼尖的新加坡人发现，由此在本地衍生一场有关新移民的认同感质疑的争议。虽然也有国人与国会议员提醒说，张元元没有成为新加坡公民，作为永久居民的她有充分理由对中国效忠，但是在本地人对新移民抵制心理悄然升温的此时，她的故事依然触及了部分国人的敏感神经，引起不少好奇与关注。
此刻，当记者终于面对面见到张元元本人，发现她与官方媒体镜头中的形象一致，全身透出阳光，爽朗朗的气质。半年多的阅兵训练，让她的皮肤晒得颇黑，乍看之下像东南亚人，反而不像地地道道的北京人。
她多次表示，非常喜欢新加坡，喜爱我国的多元文化色彩，想念本地结交的许多好朋友，对新加坡高效、透明的政府也赞誉有加。但是她心中的归属，依然是她的祖国，自从2008年初回国后，她自认爱国情怀比原来更甚。
2008年中国经历过冰雪灾害、四川大地震、北京奥运、神舟七号发射，她感到中国的凝聚力得到提升。例如在四川地震发生时，整个北京也笼罩在压抑气氛中，“整个天空都在哭的感觉”。
亲身参与过的阅兵，更是她人生中的难忘记忆与“无上荣光”。夏天摄氏37至38度的气温下，受阅部队站在50-60度的跑道上练；在冬天零下十几度的时候，顶着寒风练，所有人的双脚都磨出多层水泡，她认为，这些苦头都被更大的“甜”所掩盖了。
“我们是在机场跑道上练，14个方队，非常整齐地练，手拿着钢枪，嘴里喊着口号，眼神都特别坚毅那种，远处是山，背景是晴天白云，感觉特别美，想拿照相机拍下来，记在脑海里。”
她认为，中国很多年轻人生活中没有了方向，没有目标，日子过得非常麻木。参加阅兵训练，那么多人为了同一个理想，为了完成那天的任务而努力奋斗，这样的感觉挺好的。
记者接着问，这是否会引起其他人的顾虑，例如中国的年轻人都去参加阅兵了，下一步会不会是打仗？
张元元立刻叫起来：“哎哟！不会啦。我们根本就没有想怎么样，搞阅兵只是把人的凝聚力凝聚到一起，就是振奋民族精神，激发爱国热情。”
新加坡vs中国
“我确实是挺爱国的，但是我想每个人都是爱国的吧。”
说起自己的爱国心，张元元总会直觉地补上这一句。她小心地说明“爱国”与“喜欢新加坡”即有区别又不相互排斥，同时暗示永久居民爱祖国（中国）与新加坡人爱国都是同一种感情，应该得到理解。
记者试探性地问她，在新加坡与中国是否也有值得对方学习的特质？
她回答说，新加坡发展得比中国快，因此中国能向新加坡学习的会更多一些。至于在新加坡的方面，她缓缓地说：“有可能，在应对激烈竞争时，对外人来可以有更宽阔的心胸吧。地球越来越小了，人与人的沟通，交流的机会更多，人才流动是不可避免的，也不能说是竞争，应该是相互学习。”
她同意，一些国人对新移民的抱怨，不排除包含了大家对本国政府政策不满的心理，以此抗议政府忽略了对土生土长新加坡人的照顾。
她说：“可能有的人是这样想，但是我觉得整体上新加坡政府还是挺为人民着想的，不管什么人都有房子住，所以我想，这个，把心态放平和一些。”
至于新加坡人有时在背地里或者当面非议中国新移民，张元元坦承“心理当然是会不舒服”。她叹了一口气说：“人家会说，可能是我们有做得不好的地方，就努力做好一点，慢慢改变他们的观点吧。”
因没交男朋友
被父母召回北京
张元元2003年到新加坡学习时，原本只计划呆一年。机缘巧合下，经朋友介绍到新加坡的私营学习中心Julia Gabriel Centre for Learning里，专门给1到3岁的学前儿童教华语。这份职业符合她求学时的专业，张元元毕业自北京东城区职业培训学校，学的就是幼儿师范。
该中心给她办的工作签证很快即办好。她开始上班，结果一呆就五年。
她说：“我很喜欢小孩子，新加坡的小孩子有很多很多混血儿，都特别可爱
张元元家境殷实。据她说，她父母经商，经济条件“还不错”，在新加坡期间主要住在武吉知马路的私人公寓，搬过好多次房子。
她也经常到东南亚一带的泰国、印尼、马来西亚等地旅行，因此生活其实过得开心自在。
这个身材高挑，长得俏丽的女生五年来却没有交男朋友。她透露，这也是父母急着把她“召”回北京的原因。她自己不着急，母亲可担心了，想让她回国赶紧找一个。张元元说：“如果我有了对象，父母就不会想着要我回来，随便我爱在哪里就哪里。”
张元元的经历与选择，多少也反映了一些家境条件好的中国80后的精神状况。他们更大的人生目的可能是体验，而不一定是挣钱、存钱，张元元自称更注重感觉、过程。而事实上，离开新加坡的另一个原因，是她感觉到生活模式开始固定化，需要离开以寻求新的发展。
她可以游刃有余地出国，拿外国永久居民，再回国，参加国庆阅兵，还能承受必要的苦。中国官方媒体在报道张元元的故事时，夸大了她在新加坡收入，将一个月两三千新元收入报道作2万人民币（约4200新元），以此凸显她宁舍新加坡的高薪也要回国。
对此张元元澄清说：“哎呀，那（中国媒体）主要是说给中国人听的，不是要做给谁（新加坡人）看。”
Let’s not get emotional. What has Zhang Yuan Yuan done that has attracted so much venom? Did she pledge loyalty to Sinkapoor when she took up PR? NO! Has she committed a crime against Sinkapoor when she marched during HER COUNTRY’S National Day? NO! Then, what else has she done that is so wrong? NOTHING!!
I understand that Sinkapooreans are pissed off with the MIW for their over-the-top immigration policy, among a host of other things. I am too. But why do we need to let go on the poor girl for things done by the garment? The garment allowed her to come in, gave her PR and more besides. She just accepted all the goodies offered and left after enjoying them. What’s wrong with that? If the garment is stupid enough to give her goodies without any commitment on her part why are we blaming her for accepting them?? GO BLAME THE GUILTY PARTY !!!!!
If we can vote in the first place. I got walkovers for 2 rounds already and I am certainly next election will be a walkover again so what can I say. Nothing.
look at the crap this girl been dishing out since she got home? well, it is good that she hereself kaput out of our country, and dear girl, do yourself a favour, don’t come back cause we won’t be missing people like you.
So many people kept saying the foreigners are not to blame but the blame should be pinned onto the policy makers. In this case, what concrete steps are being exerted on the PAP government who made all these immigration rules?
Nothing.
Again, Singaporeans complain but do nothing.
Complain as much as you like. Your grouses now motivate you to speak ill of the government. With the deceleration of incoming foreigners, soon the air will clear and the dust will settle.
The timing is just right, election is not coming so soon, there’s still time. When the time is right and candies are out, the crowd will disperse happily convinced that the government is good and has listen to them and let bygone be bygone.
Like the return of the prodigy son, they will once again embrace one another, a happy ending.
Don’t worry, be happy.
Lee Jiawei give birth to a boy! Congratulations!
So Singapore or China Citizen ar?
If Singapore Citizen, must serve NS or not ah?
Zhang Yuanyuan has to be condemned for her antics. Even better, the Singapore government should revoke her PR status and ban her from entering Singapore.
Nothing can ever justify her actions of flashing her Singaporean IC on China TV and denouncing it. You say you are a Chinese patriot, that’s fine. But you do not denounce Singapore on China’s national TV and make a mockery out of Singapore by showing your NRIC on TV.
That aside, ordinarily the Straits Times would not print that sort of letter which clearly insults all Singaporeans. I would guess that the editor does have a motive in allowing the letter to be printed – perhaps to stir up our feelings.