Ex-celeb hairstylist Addy Lee gives up S'pore PR status, cashes out CPF monies

Former celebrity hairstylist Addy Lee, 54, has given up his Singapore permanent resident (PR) status a week ago.

Having done so, he said he has withdrawn his Central Provident Fund (CPF) monies to finance his retirement.

"When I got back my CPF monies, I cried. It was a 'leaving home for good' feeling." he responded to Mothership's queries in a mix of English and Chinese.

He has sold his house and businesses in Singapore.

How much CPF monies has he accumulated?

Asked about how much CPF monies he has accumulated, Lee said: "I can live 30 more years and it would likely still be enough."

He added that he need not work anymore.

Became a Singapore PR more than 30 years ago

Lee said he successfully became a PR at 23 and retained that status for 31 years.

He elaborated that he loved Singapore and at 19 years old, he left Malaysia to stay overseas.

After two years, he learned a lot and earned a lot of money in Singapore, the Malaysia-born man said.

He added that his early years in Singapore brought him personal success.

He said: "I became a famous hair stylist and was given opportunities."

Planned to retire at 50

He said he had planned to retire at 50 years old, but had to push back his goal by four years due to the pandemic.

He currently resides in Bangkok and plans to retire in Malaysia and Thailand.

He has started a rabbit breeding business in Thailand.

He has a house in Kuala Lumpur and stays there with his mother and sister.

He can only visit Singapore on a short-term visit pass now and will be back for medical check-ups.

Among the things he will miss are the food, such as prawn mee, lor mee and dark sauce char kway teow.

He also said he does not want to talk about his relationship with mother-and-daughter duo, Quan Yifeng and Eleanor Lee anymore, and will let go of the past, while wishing them all the best.

Top photos via Addy Lee Facebook & @mc2singapore TikTok