Meet Shaieb Tanweer

Mr Shaieb Tanweer, 34, is an independent IT consultant to multinational companies in London, United Kingdom. Married with one son and with another baby soon on the way, Shaieb was keen to not only learn about running a business in Singapore, but also to find out more about primary school education here.

What was Shaieb’s Singapore Experience like?

“I think Singapore is a very good place to live. I can see how my family can fit in here and adapt to life very well. It seems like a very exciting and interesting place, which is very stable at the same time, with a lot of prospects for the future. One of the main reasons I would consider living in Singapore is the pro-business environment. Other important factors are the low rates of taxation and the general progressive nature of society. It is definitely a country that stands on its morals and is moving forward.”

Highlights of Shaieb’s visit

Having visited Singapore while on honeymoon a few years ago, Shaieb had looked forward to obtaining a deeper knowledge of the country’s lesser-known aspects this time round. During this visit, Shaieb and his mother, Amina, were shown around the prime residential and recreational district of the East Coast. There, they found out more about living in Singapore and the many leisure facilities such as holiday chalets, camping grounds, local hawker food centres and water sports amenities.

Incentives in Singapore for Home-Grown Businesses
Shaieb was very interested in the business environment in Singapore – how the government supports entrepreneurs and how Singaporeans maintain work-life balance. An in-depth session with Mr Deepak Gurnani, Chairman of KAD Entertainment – an international Telugu movie export business – allowed Shaieb to learn about setting up and running a business here. Shaieb learnt about how immigrants like Mr Gurnani were able to preserve their culture and traditions even as they integrated into the diverse Singapore community.

Shaieb also visited Singapore’s home-grown Creative Technology, a worldwide leader in digital entertainment products including audio enhancement systems for computers and video cameras, where he met Ms Wynne Leong, Director, Business Development. During his visit, Wynne shared about the company’s vision and achievements and led a tour showcasing Creative’s research & development initiatives and products. Shaieb also had a chance to find out first-hand about the local working culture when he met some members of Creative’s staff, including a number who hailed from countries such as Malaysia, India and China.

Starting Young – Primary school education in Singapore
Shaieb and Amina also wanted to learn more about Singapore’s primary school education system. They visited St Hilda’s Primary School where the Vice-Principal, Madam Evelyn Tan, shared highlights of a well-rounded curriculum and took them on a tour around the premises where they interacted with students, saw how lessons were held and admired a showcase of murals produced by the students. The holistic curriculum greatly impressed the pair as it developed students’ intellectual capabilities while nurturing their creativity.

The little red dot with many facets
Through their visit, Shaieb and Amina experienced many dimensions of Singapore that were new to them – from healthcare, urban development and starting a business, to corporate jobs with daycare benefits and primary school education.

For more of Shaieb and Amina’s experience in Singapore, see the pictures and video of their visit: