Lim Tean asks if fish is much more affordable than chicken, after pomfret sells for $36 per kilo at Tiong Bahru market

On Saturday (June 4), lawyer and opposition leader Lim Tean asked if fish is now “much more affordable than chicken.”

Mr Lim, who heads the People’s Voice party, wrote that he had just been to Tiong Bahru market, where Indonesian pomfret was selling for $36 per kilo.

He added a photo of the fish, writing to have taken it only “minutes ago.”

The increase in the price of food has been a cause for concern for many Singaporeans. Most recently, the price of chicken has also alarmed many, especially after the Malaysian authorities announced a ban starting from June 1 of exporting fresh chicken to Singapore in order to ensure it had enough supply for local needs. 

Malaysia provides as much as one-third of Singapore’s chicken supply.

The announcement gave rise to speculation that the price of chicken would increase, and some even took to hoarding fresh chicken.

The government, however, assured the public that more chicken would be supplied from other countries, such as Australia, Thailand, Brazil and the United States in the weeks to come.

Nevertheless, many have remained worried about increasing prices of many commodities, including fuel, due to supply chain issues stemming from the Covid-19 pandemic. Russia’s attack on Ukraine in February has also affected prices on a worldwide scale.

Netizens commenting on Mr Lim’s post appeared to echo his concerns.

Some recalled the words of President Halimah Yacob from 2007, when she was still a Member of Parliament.

Back then, as Parliament was about to debate the high cost of living, The Straits Times reported that two MPs tabled questions about fast-rising food prices hurting Singaporeans’ wallets. The price of wheat was at global historic highs due to drought in Australia and crop failures in the US. This pushed up the cost of animal feed and meat.

Madam Halimah, who was a Jurong GRC MP then, said that more could be done to promote alternative food sources.

“For example, the price of chicken may be rising fast, but we can encourage Singaporeans to turn to alternative sources of protein, such as fish”, she told The Straits Times.

/TISG

Buy fish if you can’t afford chicken as President Halimah once said — Netizens remember her words after Malaysia to halt chicken exports