It’s not every day you receive a call from someone telling you he has “given [his] PR status back to Singapore”.
But that was what former celebrity hairstylist Addy Lee told 8days.sg on Wednesday (Aug 27).
The Malaysia-born 54-year-old told us from Bangkok that he became a Singapore Permanent Resident 30 years ago but he gave up his PR status a week ago so he could empty his CPF account for retirement.
Moving forward, he plans to live in Thailand and Malaysia.
“I sold my house in Singapore and all my businesses there too, now I’m just a free man. When I renounced my PR status and got my CPF, I felt quite sad,” said Lee, who sounded like he was holding back his tears.
Lee is mostly based in Bangkok now, where he started a rabbit breeding business. However, he has since passed the business to his staff to manage.
He also regularly returns to Kuala Lumpur, where he has a house with his mum and sister.
“I’m officially retired,” he said again, before adding that he would only be in Singapore for medical check-ups in the future.
He admitted there was a part of him that found it hard to let go of his life here.
“I had to [give it up], because I’m 54 already. My plan was to retire at 50. It got delayed for four years because of Covid. It’s a delayed retirement, which can be considered a good thing,” he said.
Lee lamented that he can only visit Singapore as a tourist now.
“I’ll have to fill in [the immigration] forms now. It feels a bit sad,” he laughed.
He remembers what it was like to come to Singapore when he was just 19.
“Everything felt foreign and I wanted to learn everything. I really thank Singapore for all the opportunities it’s given me as well as the people who’s helped me,” he gushed.
He also gave a special shoutout to his long-time pal Mark Lee, whom he describes as the artiste who is “the most loyal” and someone who has been by his side through thick and thin.
“He’s not fake. He’s the most genuine person. He and his wife [Catherine Ng] have really been through everything with me. Whenever I needed their help, they did it without hesitation,” he said.
When asked why he decided to give up his PR status now, Lee explained it was also because he’s been through a lot in the past few years.
“Many things have hurt me quite a bit. I had depression. I was very sad and was in a lot of pain. So I decided to give my PR status up, and get my CPF back.”
We asked him how much he had in his CPF, and he laughed before asking: “Can I say this? I can live 30 more years – eat, drink, play, not work, lie there – and it would likely still be enough.”
Speaking about the things that hurt him, one cannot help but think of his high-profile feud with his ex-bestie Quan Yifeng, and her daughter Eleanor Lee.
Unlike his angry six-hour livestream rant about mother and daughter in May, Addy Lee now appears a lot more indifferent when we asked about his relationship with Quan and Eleanor Lee, calmly explaining that his “affinity with them has come to an end”.
“Everything has ceased and I don’t want to talk about it anymore. Regardless who’s in the right or wrong, it’s all in the past. After all, the two of them have spent more than 10 years with me and we were good friends. I also hope that everything will go smoothly for her daughter in China,” he said.
“At this retirement age, it’s time to let go of those things that should be let go of. I hope that everyone will be well. I’ve gotten over it and am happier now. I wish them all the best in their lives and careers too.”
Lee added that he and Quan and Eleanor Lee will “never be in contact again”.
“Less than 10 people in Singapore have my Thailand number. I’ll only be using my Singapore number for banking matters moving forward, so we won’t talk ever again,” he explained.
“Let’s just live our own lives. I only have a few decades left, if I’m lucky. My life has been considered exciting and colourful, and I want to thank everyone,” he said.
This story was originally published in 8Days.
For more 8Days stories, visit https://www.8days.sg/
