SINGAPORE: The Singapore dollar recently reached an all-time high against the Malaysian ringgit, which would normally signal more shopping and food trips, right? But a man who gives financial advice online has warned Singaporeans against this type of excess, telling them to “Stop being birds in Malaysia” in a YouTube video that has gone viral.
“Because of the powerful Singapore dollar, things become so cheap, we always say ‘cheap, cheap, cheap, cheap, cheap’, right?” Hence, the reference to people chirping like birds, Mr Loo Cheng Chuan, 51, said, asking Singaporeans to be more considerate of the feelings of Malaysians. “Can you all stop being bird man? It’s not very nice, okay? We’ve got to be sensitive.”
Mr Loo then quoted former Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong, who once said that when Singaporeans go to Johor Bahru, Kuala Lumpur, or Melaka and buy something because of the “powerful Singapore dollar”, they notice that things are much more affordable.
“We always say cheap, cheap, cheap,” he said.
He added that some go there and don’t just buy quietly and then go away, but instead, say loudly and show everyone, “Wah, so cheap ah! How does the Malaysian feel, right?”
Furthermore, having enough loud birds flocking around the shops can have a negative effect, he added, in the sense that it can cause prices to go up. “What does the store owner do? He increases their prices, yeah.”
“So stop being birds in Malaysia, can you? Don’t flaunt your purchases, don’t flaunt your Singapore dollar and don’t flaunt your meals,” Mr Loo said.
He also said, “When you eat, it’s like freaking 10 years never eat before… order all the things, so much wastage. And when pumping petrol, you go and push the car up and down; hopefully, extra 100 millilitres of petrol can go in.”
Giving Singaporeans a dose of reality, he said that being born in Singapore is like winning the lottery because the government is very good at investing money. “Our GIC and government are very good; they drive up the Singaporean dollar. But when we won a lottery game, please be humble about it.”
He also corrected the notion that Singaporeans buying in Malaysia are helping the economy of that country, saying, “You’re helping yourselves” instead. /TISG
Read also: Why SGdollar record high against MYringgit excites Singaporeans & Johoreans