After graduating from Singapore American School, our Eagles explore the globe—but some choose to return to the Little Red Dot, a place they eventually call home. What brings them back to the Lion City? We asked a few SAS alumni residing in Singapore to share a slice of their lives with us.
RICHARD JANY (CLASS OF 1980) REAL ESTATE AGENT, RICHARD JANY REAL ESTATE PRIVATE LIMITED Richard Jany (Class of 1980) transferred to SAS in January 1978 when his father was reassigned to Singapore. His admiration for Singapore grew exponentially after he saw the rapid growth of the country. He soon became a permanent resident after serving in the Singapore Fire Service as a senior officer.
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While Jany waited for the birth of his daughter at Mount Elizabeth Hospital, a real estate company's recruitment advertisement on the hospital’s TV network caught his eye. He eventually completed a course in real estate and served a wide variety of clients from all walks of life— retirees, investors, doctors, lawyers, pilots, celebrities, business owners, CEOs, and ambassadors. Today, Jany is the principal licensee of his own real estate agency— Richard Jany Real Estate Private Limited. He works closely with his daughter, who also works in real estate with one of the largest property agencies in Singapore. Jany took a trip down memory lane and shared some of the changes he has seen in Singapore over the years:
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He arrived in Singapore in 1978 at Paya Lebar Airport, which is now a military airbase. The only highway back then was the Nicoll Highway. The architecture of the HDBs has changed—case in point: Pinnacle@Duxton or Dawson. The MRT was non-existent and buses had no air-conditioners. Sentosa was only a resort island. There were no houses or condominiums.
When asked to describe what he loves about living in Singapore, Jany shared, “The emphasis on family values, a just legal system, government efficiency and transparency, the attitude to help at government offices, the lack of unnecessary bureaucracy, safety, cleanliness, security, and zero tolerance for drugs.” He calls Singapore home. This is where he spent most of his adult life, raised a family, and established his own business.