IT’S no secret, Singaporeans have been flocking to Malaysia for years to get their hands on goods, thanks to their stronger currency.
Recently, one man voiced his concern over Singaporeans’ attitudes when in Malaysia – boasting about their spending power since they have a higher currency.
Shared on TikTok by @sgkakinang, the older man reminds Singaporeans to stay humble and thank their lucky stars to live in a country with a high spending power.
“Now that the ringgit has reached RM3.50 to S$1, I think it’s important for me to tell everybody to stop being ‘birds’ in Malaysia.
“When Singaporeans go to Malaysia to buy things, we don’t just quietly go there and buy, all of us become birds,” he said in his video.
He also explained further that Singaporeans apparently reiterate how cheap things are in Malaysia due to the higher currency which in turn, according to the man, can seem “insensitive” to Malaysians.
“You show everybody – ‘Wow, so cheap!’ – Do you know how Malaysians feel?
“Do you know when enough birds flock to these shops, what do the store owners do? They increase their prices. Don’t flaunt your purchases! Don’t flaunt your Sing dollars!,” he added.
He also touched on Singaporeans’ wastefulness when ordering too much food in restaurants and how they try to “fit” every ounce of petrol in their vehicles, to the point they are “pushing the car down” hoping to not waste a drop, no matter how minuscule.
He firmly added that Singaporeans should drop the “saviour mentality” when purchasing items in Malaysia, thinking their Singaporean dollars can “help the Malaysian economy”.
“You’re not helping the economy, you’re helping yourselves. You’re enjoying wonderful cheap products. It is consumerism, economics 101.
“So stop elevating yourself to this saviour mentality that ‘I am helping Malaysia with their economy’,” the man concluded in his video.
