What do Singaporeans want?
Are the 5Cs – cash, credit card, condominium, car, and country club membership – dead? (Illustration: CNA/Rafa Estrada)
The notion of 5Cs – cash, car, credit card, condominium, and country club membership – may have been around for decades, but Pamela Lee had not heard of them until last month. The 23-year-old digital content creator recalled being “quite taken aback” by the unabashedly materialistic checklist and the stress that would have come with the endless chase to keep up or get ahead of others. The 5Cs also offered a “very superficial” take on success.
“Someone can have all the 5Cs but deep down, he may be unhappy or finding it difficult to maintain that lifestyle,” said Ms Lee. “I can understand why the 5Cs can be a thing (to define success) because you need hard work to attain them … But I’m just glad that this is no longer relevant for my generation.” This unfamiliarity and rejection of the 5Cs among young Singaporeans who spoke to CNA underscores how the checklist has receded in relevance since emerging about 50 years ago as the "Singapore dream".
People in Singapore now chase meaning and purpose, with the idea of a “good life” evolving beyond material success, according to the recently released Forward SG report. Several key shifts – spanning education, jobs and support for families and seniors – will be needed for this new Singapore Dream, noted the report that surveyed more than 200,000 Singaporeans as part of a nationwide feedback exercise led by the government. What is behind this change in the Singapore Dream and how are Singaporeans redefining success?
Here Are the New 5Cs, According to Singaporeans. Which One Are You?
Out with the old, in with the new. It’s a motto Singapore fiercely subscribes to. Think old estates being replaced by new, swanky skyscrapers. Or the constant roll-out of the latest tech gadgets. As we grow and develop as a society, it seems that our values and attitudes are shifting too.
A new survey by Circles.Life, together with YouGov, has revealed the changing priorities of Singaporeans that have been discernible for the past few years. The traditional 5Cs of Cash, Credit Card, Car, Condominium and Country Club are giving way to their less tangible counterparts - Compassionate, Carefree, Connected, Courageous and Creative.
Here, we introduce Singapore’s 5 Life Languages - new values-based 5Cs. Which one are you?
- Compassionate - Many of us don’t think twice about squishing an ant when we see one in our house. But not you. Instead of as an unwelcome alien, you treat it with the TLC our fellow earthling deserves, gently scooping it up and releasing it back to Mother Nature.
- Carefree - Do you like flying kites? We howl in horror if the line snaps and the little piece flutters away into the sky. Yet deep down, you are just like that kite, going where the wind blows. As a carefree soul, you believe in living life on your own terms, and refuse to be shackled by others’ expectations and norms.
- Connected - No man or woman is an island. Even if the connected you are stuck on one, you’d find ways to reach out to the outside world that’d make Robinson Crusoe proud. You’re constantly plugged in to the tech superhighways of the world. Whether it’s the latest gizmos or cool happenings, you’re the go-to person, and often the first to try out.
- Courageous - Being brave does not mean no fear. It’s feeling terrified or uncomfortable, but doing it anyway. That sums up the courageous you. “I cannot” doesn’t exist in your vocabulary. Trust in yourself matters more than the tried and tested. You believe that great things are only achieved through a leap of faith, not via the comfort zone.
- Creative - The creative you are excited by the infinite possibilities of what we can create and learn. And this goes way beyond making your best Picasso impression. There’re so many other areas we can give our mind an opportunity to think in new and fascinating ways. Questions like how to squeeze a lemon in a hundred ways send your cognitive wheels into overdrive and your pulse racing. You love brainstorming and recognise that messy ideas are often the most brilliant ones.
'Embrace wider definitions of success': Forward SG report lays out roadmap for a new Singapore vision
The Forward SG report found that Singaporeans want a vibrant and inclusive, fair and thriving, and resilient and united society. (File photo: iStock)
More than materialism, Singaporeans now chase meaning – and the evolving Singapore Dream must be reflected in key shifts around how its citizens define success across all areas of life. This was outlined in the Forward SG report released on Friday (Oct 27), which laid out a roadmap for a new way forward for Singapore.
The Forward SG exercise, launched in June 2022, was led by Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and other fourth-generation (4G) political leaders to review and refresh Singapore's "social compact". This has been described as "the glue that holds society together, the shared understanding of our roles and responsibilities towards each other, and our shared values and aspirations as a people". The exercise brought together more than 200,000 Singaporeans over 16 months to discuss issues ranging from careers to ageing and environmental sustainability. An area that "constantly emerged" in discussions, according to the report that spanned almost 180 pages, was how the idea of a "good life" has evolved beyond material success. "In particular, there have been discernible shifts in our youths’ mindset. When young people today talk about careers and jobs, they often express a desire for meaning and purpose in what they do, not just for good salaries. In other words, we want to embrace wider definitions of success," it noted.
The exercise also found that Singaporeans agree it is critical to have a strong and vibrant economy, as well as to uphold values of fairness, inclusiveness, stewardship, and "a shared sense of solidarity and mutual responsibility, where everyone gives back to society and helps those in need". At the same time, "hard conversations" involving different views that were encountered reinforced core principles Singapore should continue to uphold and highlighted existing approaches to be refreshed. On the whole, the exercise found that Singaporeans want a society that is vibrant and inclusive, fair and thriving, and resilient and united.
5Cs? It's 3 new Cs such as caring for environment that resonate with young S'poreans
Heng Swee Keat: Every generation has its own aspirations. I grew up in the 60s and the simple aim of my generation was to get jobs and feed our families
The 5Cs of the Singaporean dream once went as follows: cash, car, credit card, condominium and country club membership.
But these aspirations no longer resonate with younger Singaporeans today, noted Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat during a speech in which he suggested three new Cs to shape the country's future. These are creating more value for society, caring about the environment and wider community, and charting the way forward. "Aspirations evolve, and your generation have your own aspirations," Mr Heng told students at the Singapore University of Technology and Design's (SUTD's) Ministerial Forum on Friday (April 16). "You have grown up in a different phase of Singapore's growth and development, and you will have been exposed, much more, to global cultures and influences, and to social media."
While the fundamental aspirations - a good career, strong relationships with family and friends and the opportunity to start families of their own - remain important, the minister acknowledged that many young people also have a strong desire to drive change and make an impact. The hybrid event was one of Mr Heng's first public speeches since last week's announcement that he would step aside as leader of the People's Action Party's fourth-generation team.
related:
Are some S'poreans quitting pursuit of the 5Cs?
Has the Singaporean dream changed? Young Singaporeans are apparently working towards more non-material pursuits, a Reddit forum discussion showed
The Singaporean dream used to be achieving the "5Cs" of cash, car, credit card, condominium and country club membership, but that may be fading. Given the recent trends of “quiet quitting” and “lying flat” in the workplace, have Singaporeans decided to “quiet quit” in life, too?
In a post on the r/singapore subreddit segment of online forum Reddit last Sunday (Sept 25), a Redditor seems to think so. The post received 222 comments within a day and based on the discussion, it appears that the Singaporean dream now is to “hentak kaki”, a Malay drill command for marching on the spot.
He posits that today’s youth “just end up remaining more or less where they were a generation before”, with many lacking “ambitions in their late 20s/early 30s”. He said the Singaporean dream that “used to be the 5Cs” — that have long defined material success here at least in the eyes of some — seems to have morphed into nothing more than “just getting by”. If this is indeed true, many Redditors suggest that it is nothing to be concerned about.
The ‘5Cs’ of The Singapore Dream Are Outdated - The True ‘C’ We Need Is Change
Mastering Singapore’s coveted ‘5Cs’ checklist represents an extraordinary triumph. Only an elite few ever reach the heights of materialistic aspirations. It’s even more impressive if all the Cs are acquired within the 21st century.
Now, the journey to cash, credit card, condominium, car, and country club is much more arduous than it was before. Some of the ‘5Cs’ have become unpopular or unwise choices—even for those who can afford them. Ride-hailing services and expensive COEs have arrested the once burgeoning demand for cars. Condominiums have met their match in BTO flats in Prime Locations. A country club membership is a money sink; so much so that even the well-heeled would consider twice before investing.
Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, speaking at the launch of the Forward Singapore Festival at Gardens by the Bay, reaffirmed this belief: “From our engagements, it is also clear that the Singapore Dream is more than just material success. It is also about fulfilment, meaning, and purpose in what we do.” The definition of success in Singapore has shifted away from the ‘5Cs’. What once captured and shaped the imaginations of young Singaporeans is now a line of thinking we’re trying to shed. But let’s be honest, we’re going around in circles. So much so that a gambling man could confidently place a bet on what the next consensus-building report would say about what Singaporeans want for the future. That’s not going to change unless the government takes steps to empower Singaporeans with the decision to place self-fulfilment and purpose as a priority in their lives.
New Five Cs
In 2019, it was published that a "new" Five Cs has emerged since the 2010s among Singaporean white-collar workers, with lesser emphasis on materialism. While cash was retained, other C's can now include culture, credibility, career and convenience, among others.
In a web conference of local newspaper Today in 2021, it has been argued that newer generations of Singaporeans are now less materialistic and do not value the original Five Cs as much, and that they have redefined what constitutes as success and priorities in life. A panellist added that they now opt to work for a job that they are passionate in, with the intention to "make a difference", rather than just working for a salary.
In 2022, MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator) Circles.Life took to social media to introduce their definition of the new 5Cs with the aim to "reimagine the Singaporean dream" - Connected, Creative, Courageous, Compassionate and Carefree.
Five Cs of Singapore
Condominiums are usually considered by many as one of the fundamental "five Cs"
"Five Cs of Singapore" — namely, cash, car, credit card, condominium and country club membership — is a phrase used in Singapore to refer to materialism. It was coined as a popular observational joke during the 1990s about the aspirations of some Singaporeans to obtain material possessions in an effort to impress others:
- Cash - Cash refers to spending power rather than physical currency. Financial security and affluence is a status symbol worldwide and for much of contemporary human history was the measure of personal worth and success.
- Car - Approximately 1 in 10 residents of Singapore own a car. Given high taxation on the import and ownership of motor vehicles (191% on new vehicles, an annual road tax based on engine size, and high pump prices) and a quota system requiring owners to acquire a costly Certificate of Entitlement. Hence, car ownership is a symbol of wealth and power especially in Singapore.
- Credit card - Credit cards are a visible symbol of success. Singapore's financial regulator, the Monetary Authority of Singapore, has stipulated a maximum personal credit limit of two months' income given personal income less than S$30,000, or four months' income for all others. Banks typically issue different types of cards depending on the available credit limit, associating greater cachet with cards that offer a higher limit.
- Condominium - In Singapore, privately developed apartments reflect a higher wealth status as compared to public housing also known as HDBs which are public flats built, sold and subsidized by the government. Up to 80% of Singaporeans live in public housing in the country, as land in Singapore is at a premium, meaning that freestanding houses are rare and signify even greater affluence, especially old money.
- Country Club - In Singapore, there is a small amount of country clubs which leads to limited expensive membership. Access to membership to country clubs is viewed as exclusivity and an indicator of power and wealth.
Country clubs in Singapore seek to refresh offerings as youths lose interest in prestige factor
The Classic course at Laguna National Golf Resort Club. (Photo: Dusit Thani Laguna Singapore)
With recent news that the government will take back the land currently occupied by Raffles Town Club in 2026, CNA looks at what country clubs – once coveted by Singaporeans as part of the 5Cs – as well as social clubs are doing to hold onto and woo members.
When Mr James Sundram first entered the workforce in the 80s, being a country club member was all the rage – and the best way to build business relationships. “You get into the glam and the glory of those things … That was my best sort of networking - playing golf, inviting people to a nice country club. I didn’t have many alternatives,” the 59-year-old told CNA. That has since changed for the younger generation. None of Mr Sundram’s children are willing to take over his Laguna National Golf Resort Club membership.
Nowadays, the semi-retired investor more frequently patronises Singapore Cricket Club – one of the nation’s oldest social clubs – for its convenient location at the Padang and continued prestige, among other reasons. Laguna’s exclusivity has disappeared since he first joined it, he said, and he recently decided to let go of his membership there. Once perceived as prestigious status symbols, such clubs have fallen out of favour with younger Singaporeans, many of whom reject the 5Cs – cash, car, credit card, condominium, and country club membership – that used to form the basis of many people’s aspirations and goals. Land lease expiry is also a problem that country clubs and social clubs have to grapple with.
Chasing the Singapore Dream
KCR is singing Paens to Singapore and the development it has achieved since its independence from Malaysia on August 9, 1965. Here are some statistics about Singapore and why Telangana seems keen on replicating its growth strategy
GDP - According to a press release from the ministry of trade and industry, Singapore, the government GDP forecast for 2014 is 2.5 to 3.5 percent. The Singapore economy grew by 2.4 per cent on a year-on-year basis in the second quarter, moderating from the 4.8 per cent growth in the previous quarter. Its retail sales also went up by 0.4 percent in June 2014.
EMPLOYMENT - Total number of employed people in the country is calculated to be around 3.54 million, by June 2014, which is 3.4 per cent higher than last year and the resident unemployment rate has improved from 2.9 to 2.8 per cent. Per-capita income is said to be 50 million dollars
FDI - The stock of foreign direct investment (FDI) in Singapore amounted to $746.7 billion as at end 2012. The United States ($106.5 billion), Netherlands ($72.7 billion), British Virgin Islands ($59.3 billion) and Japan ($59.1 billion) were major sources of FDI.
