SINGAPORE: A Malaysian tourist has set social media abuzz after admitting he was genuinely shocked by the sheer amount of luxury he encountered during a recent trip to Singapore.
In a post on the r/askSingapore Reddit forum on Thursday (Dec 25), the tourist shared that while wandering around Marina Bay Sands and VivoCity, he felt as though he had accidentally stepped into a luxury catalogue.
Men he estimated to be in their late 30s to 50s appeared to be wearing Rolex, Audemars Piguet, and even Patek Philippe watches with almost casual ease.
At the same time, women in their 20s and 30s seemed to be carrying high-end designer handbags in droves, with Goyard totes popping up so frequently that they became impossible to ignore.
“It’s way more times than I would see people in Kuala Lumpur wear. For reference, I can walk around TRX and still not come across half of the number of Rolexes/Goyards that I saw while I was in SG. Was my experience purely anecdotal? Or are Singaporeans low-key really rich?”
“I mean, it’s either that or Singaporeans just buy expensive stuff because of consumerism, but being able to vomit that amount out is in itself not even easy, so I felt like this isn’t as likely? How do you guys do it!?”
He added that his surprise grew when he noticed luxury watches on people he did not expect. “Even the hotel staff I spoke to was wearing a high-end Breitling. I was like, what?!” he wrote. “Pardon the shock or stupidity for asking, but I’m legit curious.”
“MBS and Vivocity are not representative of ordinary Singaporeans.”
Many locals responded by pointing out that the locations he visited tend to attract wealthier crowds and tourists, and are not representative of everyday life for most Singaporeans.
“The low-income folks are not going to be hanging out at those places,” one commenter said. “Go to the heartland areas and you’ll see people in T-shirts, shorts, and flip-flops and wearing smartwatches instead of Rolexes/Pateks/Goyards.”
Another echoed this view, noting that drawing conclusions from such locations could be misleading.
“MBS and Vivocity are not representative of ordinary Singaporeans. It is like going to Emirates Hill or Palm Jumeirah in Dubai and concluding that all UAE citizens are dripped in luxury and drive [expensive] cars.”
“Come to places like Jurong, Bedok, or Tampines and see the places we stay. Not some gambling resort and island where rich foreigners stay in Singapore.”
That said, a few agreed that the tourist was not entirely off the mark. Some pointed out that by international standards, Singaporeans are relatively comfortable
One commented, “Lowkey? Singaporeans ARE rich. When half the population can afford to go international travel, we are already rich by global standards. As for MBS, that’s just ultra-rich people; every country will have that.”
Another chimed in, writing, “Not lowkey, you can also see what people are driving on the road. For every 2-3 Hondas/Toyotas, there is one BMW/Mercedes. It’s only in this country that I see a G Wagon and Ferrari on the road on a daily basis.”
In other news, a woman who had been mentally preparing herself to resign from her job has since had a sobering change of heart after realising that the so-called “failsafe jobs” she thought she could fall back on are no longer as readily available as before.
In a candid post on Reddit’s askSingapore forum on Sunday (Dec 21), the woman shared that her current work situation has been steadily wearing her down.
