Hmmm. Let me see...car in Singapore? Why? Taxi fares really low if you compare to any other city of the same size. (Even with the extra +++) We MAY have spent 400 S$ a month to get around, and we had a good number of places we liked to head out to...including work. All those so called bribes were returned at the end of it all. School deposits, rent deposits etc. Yes there is a surprise factor at first, but for bloody sakes, do your homework...it isn't that hard! I will agree that "buying" a place at the school seems unfair, but it IS a business first and one must show a profit in Singapore or your are not very good business...
It is a common practise in many countries. Have a chat with your school and find out what the policy is. My intel is that most expats are leaving anyway, and some schools have done a "180" on the policy already. As for rents, seems like some Landlords are paying a seriously stiff price for their greed over the last couple of years...lots of expats "running" and leaving the deposit behind to settle the bill, and leaving a greedy landlord behind. A simple two year contract (rental) has a clause that allows some relief if you need to get out of your contract early, but apparently a few owners are looking to add extra costs to the tenant. The protection some tenants might have been used to in their home countries do not protect them in the island state, but as I said above...so do your homework first! As for getting away clean, personally I had no issues...talk to your HR people, do not listen to the rumours and good luck...If in fact the company is shown that their policies are unfair there is a method of arbitration. Just ask the SAS boys who were shown the door...they did manage to "enlighten" (via the MOM) the policy makers that they acted in haste...sorry to hear the bloom is off the rose, we enjoyed most of our time there...