Angela Lim
Yahoo! Singapore

Don’t be too surprised if you run into action superstar Jet Li and his equally glam wife Nina Li Chi along the aisle of your local NTUC supermarket, or see the likes of Chinese actress Gong Li while shopping along Orchard Road.

Far-fetched? Not quite.

More global celebrities are calling Singapore their home, with an increasing number of VVIPs taking on citizenship here in recent years.

Li, famous for his intense fight scenes in films like Shaolin Temple (1982) and Romeo Must Die (2000), is the most recent addition to the growing list of celebrities making their home on our shores.

The Chinese star has moved his entire family over from the United States after spending a whopping S$20 million on a bungalow in Binjai Rise. The reason? Singapore’s good education system. Budding philanthropist Li, who is also the brains behind One Foundation, seems all set to settle into a life of luxury in our bustling city, and even give back to it.

But the martial arts star is not the only celebrity drawn to our sunny island.

Gong Li at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival Opening Night (WireImage)

Chinese actress Gong Li, who recently starred in Memoirs Of A Geisha (2005), also applied for Singapore citizenship early last year – 12 years after her marriage to 58-year-old Singaporean tobacco tycoon Ooi Hoe Soeng in November 1996.

Despite the screen goddess’ popularity, she drew flak from fans when she failed to show up at her scheduled citizenship ceremony. It was only a few months later that she collected her citizenship certificate at Teck Ghee Community Club from Member of Parliament Lee Bee Wah.

It makes me wonder — just how serious are these celebs about becoming Singaporean? Are they here to make a meaningful contribution, or simply looking for a place to park their cash and raise their family?

It’s not just the ’all-access pass’  film and movie stars enjoy that rankles the hearts and minds of my fellow Singaporeans. A quick scan through popular local forums reveals many question the real motives of these stars.

Sports athletes, over the years, have also drawn their fair share of criticism.

From the trio of failed Chinese shotputters (Dong Enxin, Du Xianhui and Zhang Guirong) to ex-national football players Egmar Goncalves (Brazil-born) and Mirko Grabovac (Croatia-born), many still question why they were given passports in the first place when they contributed so little in the end. These ‘talents’ have since packed their bags and headed home, but not before making a quick buck here.

What then of other talents like Singapore’s table tennis Golden Girl Li Jiawei? The China-born Li recently married a Beijing businessman and is expecting a child by year-end.

Table tennis star Li Jiawei (Getty)

Clearly, there is something about Singapore that attracts foreigners. And Jet Li or Gong Li won’t be the last to apply for the red passport.

But perhaps they can take a leaf out of the book from people like ex-Malaysian celebrity hairstylist David Gan (who reportedly charges S$250 a haircut) and Mustaq Ahmad, founder of late-night shopping paradise Mustafa (with over 1,000 employees). Both are testament to foreign talents who not only forged their careers here and stayed, but also created jobs and opportunities for Singaporeans.

Not all foreign talent is here to take away a Singaporean’s job. We just have to attract the right people. And Singapore clearly has no problems with that.

Actress Vicky Zhao Wei (Getty)

Perhaps it is our education system or the safe and stable political climate. Or it could be the savoury local fare, the year-long sweltering summer, or even the abundance of massive shopping malls. Whatever the reasons are, one thing’s for sure — the celebrities are flocking in. From Gong Li to Jet Li and, who knows, maybe even Vicky Zhao Wei, one wonders who could be next.

But amid all this, how do you feel about this influx of celebrities into Singapore? Should they be handed the red passport so easily and in return, what do they have to do to “earn” it?