Frederic Maury (right) with (from left) his wife, Yuko Arai, and daughters Sawako and Ayano at the Singapore Institute of Management Performing Arts Theatre on Aug 18. - Photo: ST
SINGAPORE: When Frederic Maury told his parents that his family had decided to settle in Singapore a year after he had started work here in 2012, they were puzzled why he would want to live so far from their home in Toulouse, France.
Maury, 55, a management executive at a global tech solutions company, said: “My parents were hard to convince. They were a bit sad that we’d be so far from them.”
Then his parents, now in their 80s, visited Singapore for the first time and “they saw why our family wanted to settle here”, he added.
“They called it a ‘beautiful garden’,” Maury recalled, referring to the abundance of greenery in Singapore’s urban landscape.
His family also enjoyed the safety they felt here and, given that their children had been enrolled into local schools, they decided it was an ideal home for them.
On Aug 18, Maury’s wife, Yuko Arai, 55, and daughters Sawako, 15, and Ayano, 21, were confirmed as new Singaporeans.
They were among 177 new Singapore citizens who received their citizenship certificates at the annual National Citizenship Ceremony held by the People’s Association at the Singapore Institute of Management Performing Arts Theatre.
New citizens are required to receive their citizenship certificates either at the national ceremony, which constituencies take turns to organise to commemorate the significance of citizenship, or at other ceremonies held at the group representation constituency level.
Speaking on Sunday (Aug 18) at the ceremony, Foreign Minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan welcomed the new citizens and encouraged them to contribute to Singapore’s common causes, which include multiculturalism and harmony, that help the nation to function as a “viable society”.
“We all have different talents and different interests. Find something which is meaningful to you, purposeful to you, and use it for the greater good. Then you contribute to our community,” he said.
Dr Balakrishnan also commended Maury and Arai for their active voluntary work.
Maury supports charities to prepare and distribute meals for the underprivileged.
Arai, who comes from Saitama, Japan, regularly visits Dover Park Hospice to play the piano for elderly residents and also runs a business that provides yoga and exercise classes for children with special needs.
Maury said: “It’s a real moment of joy for us to become citizens. And it gives our family a sense of safety and security too.”
According to the latest statistics, around 23,500 new citizenships were granted in 2023.
The application to become a Singapore citizen is open to those who have been Singapore permanent residents for at least two years and are aged 21 and above.
The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority said on its website that the applicants’ family ties to Singaporeans, economic contributions, qualifications and length of residency here are among factors considered in the assessment of their ability to contribute to the country and integrate into society, as well as their commitment to sinking roots here.
Social worker Low Sue Han, 32, said her citizenship here gives her a sense of security, having moved here in 2014 for better work opportunities to support her family at home in Kedah, Malaysia.
She said Singapore is safe and clean, and she decided to settle down here with her husband, who is also from Malaysia.
He works in the healthcare sector and is considering applying for citizenship.
Another new citizen at the ceremony was mechanical engineer Sudhan Vincent, 49, who comes from Tamil Nadu, India.
His wife Smiline Pushpalatha, 40, also received her citizenship certificate on Aug 18.
He landed a job in Singapore in 2008 while searching for new pastures after his father died in an accident in 2007.
Initially, he had planned to return to India after a short stint, but Singapore’s orderliness and efficient transportation system impressed him and ultimately influenced his decision to seek permanent residency here in 2010.
“I’ll try a few more years, I thought then,” he said.
“But soon my children adjusted here and got an education here, so it made sense to stay.”
His son, 19, enlisted for national service in January. While anxious at first, Sudhan said that he has seen his son grow more independent and believes it is good training.
Sudhan, whose children are Singaporean, said: “Getting citizenship today gives us a sense of assurance to help build our life here together and hopefully motivate my children to achieve their dreams.” - The Straits Times/ANN
