A sad story behind $1.80 chicken rice in DPM’s GRC

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A sad story behind $1.80 chicken rice in DPM’s GRC

March 31st, 2014 | Author: Editorial

Yesterday (30 Mar), TRE published an article about DPM Teo sharing a photo of chicken rice on his Facebook page with netizens on Saturday (29 Mar), with the following message (‘DPM Teo advertises $1.80 chicken rice in his GRC‘):
lunch only $1.80 at Pasir Ris Blk 446
The photo actually originated from BBM holder and chairman of Pasir Ris West CCC, Ng Cher Pheng (https://www.facebook.com/ng.cherpheng). He posted the photo on his own Facebook page and shared it with DPM Teo on Friday (28 Mar).

The grassroots leader posted the photo with the message: “Lunch only $1.80 @Blk446“. DPM Teo then added the words “Pasir Ris” to make the message clearer when he re-posted Mr Ng’s photo on his own Facebook page.
After DPM Teo posted the photo on his Facebook page [Link], some netizens expressed doubt. One said:
MP not same ma we go sure $5 dollar confirm
DPM Teo then assured the netizens:
Come and try it for yourself, like Cher Pheng, our Pasir Ris resident who had his lunch there and posted this up.
After reading DPM Teo’s $1.80 chicken rice “advertisement”, TRE sent a correspondent down to Blk 446 at Pasir Ris Dr 6 today (31 Mar) to verify. Indeed, there was a stall inside a coffee shop at Blk 446 selling chicken rice:
Coffee shop at Blk 446 Pasir Ris Dr 6

And indeed, TRE found that the stall was selling a plate of chicken rice for $1.80:
TRE correspondent ordered a plate of chicken rice for $1.80

Chicken Rice on Promotion
However, TRE would like to emphasize that $1.80 for a plate of chicken rice at Blk 446 is only a promotional price. In other words, it is not permanent:
Chicken rice for $1.80 only, but it is a promotional price


TRE talked to the hawker to find out more.

The hawker said that he has been selling chicken rice at the promotional price of $1.80 for 3 weeks now. The regular price is $2.50 which is also indicated on the stall panel above the promotion banner.

The hawker said he started selling chicken rice at the Blk 446 stall only a few months ago. Previously, he was selling chicken rice at Tampines Central. But because of the ridiculous rental which keeps increasing at Tampines, he had no choice but to close shop and move to Pasir Ris. At the moment, the rental of his stall at Blk 446 is still manageable.

However, he is concerned for his business. He told TRE, “This is lunch time now and you can see how big the crowd is.” Indeed, although there were people buying his chicken rice, the crowd was not that great despite the promotional price of $1.80 a plate.

When asked how long he is going to keep his chicken rice promotion going, he sighed, “See lah”.

High rents are beginning to cause some F&B outlets to close shop. The Alternative View reported yesterday (30 Mar) that the famous Hong Kong Jin Tian Eating House at Tiong Bahru will be ceasing business next month (‘Another famous eating house quits due to high rental‘). The reason? The landlord increased the rent by 50% to $12,000 after seeing the coffee shop opposite renting out its stalls for $20,000.
DPM Teo, as MP of Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC, should be more discerning when his grassroots tell him that there is dirt cheap hawker food in his constituency. There is an old saying, “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”
Rather than trying to score political points by touting cheap food in his constituency, DPM Teo should go and talk to the hawker to find out if there is any story behind it. This is what it means to “stay close to the ground”. If he is too busy, he should dispatch his grassroots.

But then again, his own grassroots leader, Ng Cher Pheng, instead of finding out more about the story behind the $1.80 promotional price, quickly put up a Facebook message, “Lunch only $1.80 @Blk446“, to inform DPM Teo about it without mentioning that it is a promotional price in the message.

Are PAP MPs and grassroots close to the ground and do they really understand the ground?

What do you think?


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