The infamous photograph posted in Baey Yam Keng’s facebook is going on its second round of circulation. A plate of nasi padang with fish, chicken and cuttlefish I think, and probably with vegetables, cost $2.50. And there is the even more infamous $8 open heart by pass, and free serving of quality grade tooth picks in boxes, are privileges of the rich and famous. They seemed to know how to get things cheaper than the common folks.
Most ordinary people would be charged at least $6 or $7 for a plate of similar nasi padang. Most people would be broke or have their Medisave savings emptied and probably not enough if they have gone for a heart by pass. And if they need some tooth picks, probably will get the ordinary ones and comes in a few pieces.
While the poor have smaller incomes got to pay more for what they need, the rich with million dollar incomes could get things so much cheaply. Now you understand why the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.
And this is just a natural thing in life, one of those hard truths. Some are born more equal than others. And some don’t even know what $2.50 can get for a nasi padang lunch. And some don’t even know there are poor people in this rich city. This is uniquely Singapore. And you can’t blame them. They don’t eat in hawker centre like the poor do. They don’t walk in the company of the poor or when they did their walkaround the poor might have been shooed away, not to be seen.
Heard of the story that there are only 3 seasons and not four?
Chua Chin Leng AKA RedBean
*The writer blogs at http://mysingaporenews.blogspot.com/