Ho Ching tries to flip the “give one chicken wing, take back whole chicken” rhetoric

SINGAPORE: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s wife Ho Ching has implied that the opposite may be true when it comes to the “give one chicken wing take back whole chicken” rhetoric that is quite popular in Singapore.

The phrase “the government gives a chicken wing and takes back the whole chicken” is a common expression used by Singaporeans to describe situations where the government provides some form of assistance or benefit, but then subsequently imposes more stringent regulations or restrictions that offset the initial benefits.

Often used to express frustration with increasing costs of living, the phrase can be interpreted as a criticism of the Singapore government’s tendency to provide limited benefits to the people in the form of yearly cash payouts that are announced in the annual Budget statements, but then “take back” a larger sum through raising taxes.

Mdm Ho apparently believes the opposite is true. On Sunday (5 Mar), she shared on social media a post made by the Pro-ruling party Facebook page ‘Singapore Matters’ that tried to reverse the “chicken wing” notion.

Sharing a diagram from the Budget 2023 statement, the page said: “The true story about chicken wings. You give the Government 1 chicken wing, the Government gives you 4 chicken wings.”

Mdm Ho regularly shares posts online supporting her husband’s party’s policies and members. Although she presently does not hold any official position in the government or ruling party, there are rumours that she may throw her hat into the ring at the Presidential race, later this year.

If she does do so, she may face off with her estranged brother-in-law Lee Hsien Yang, who last week confirmed that he is considering applying to run for President.

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