Makansutra founder Kf Seetoh warned that prices are getting higher, warning in a Feb 26 Facebook post “So brace yourself.”
He posted a screenshot of a Feb 15 Straits Times article titled “Household incomes rose in 2021 to above pre-Covid levels as Singapore economy recovered.”
Mr Seetoh said that “all price tags are headed north by the powers that be,” and listed the following, “ERP, water, gas, power, petrol, transport, rents, groceries, GST etc.”
He added that this could be due to the Covid-19 pandemic’s impending ending, which he said is “kinda justified” in the ST piece.
The food guru warned everyone to “brace yourself,” or prepare for the impact of higher prices, by curbing unnecessary spending.
He added, however, that people should not take it out on hawkers when they raise prices.
“For goodness sake, don’t kpkb when hawkers increase their prices. They are victims too and they need to make money, just like you. They have kids, family n same high bills to pay.”
KPKB, or Kao pei kao bu literally means “cry father, cry mother” in Hokkien, and is shorthand for making a big fuss.
Mr Seetoh added that if people are struggling with higher prices, they can “Go talk to your MP, they are helpful..I think. Ask for more handouts (sing with me..they give hundred dollars and take back one nine nine! ).
So don’t look here when hawker prices go up..sickos treat them like punching bags when price rise.”
He also wrote that those who can’t afford hawker food may “work for them lor, got free food mah,” even offering to find them jobs with hawkers.
The Makansutra founder also posted a photo of lotus seed dessert called lian zi suan, which he wrote that he bought from a hawker who sold it at half the price of competitors but tasted “way better, more generous.”
Mr Seetoh wrote that he would not share where he got the lian zi suan, because the profit the hawker is making from it is very small.
Instead, he’s telling the hawker to “get real n adjust (the price) north (that’s the reason they sell it cheap),” adding that “govt can’t really help them here when hawker prices rise.”
He also asked that if people do know which hawker sells this particular dessert, they should not say where it is, but instead, “just go support them n drag yr friends along and encourage them to make some monies in this expensive climate.” /TISG
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