With a caveat that none of his posts are sponsored, he says: “This has further inspired me to continue with the search for more food recommendations and post them regularly every Thursday.”
Likewise, comments on the TikTok video of Dr Chee handing out food in Bukit Batok praised him for his generosity, while the WP’s Singh and Sylvia Lim, both MPS for Aljunied GRC, received plenty of clapping and heart emojis on their posts featuring hawkers and hawker food.
Then there is Jurong GRC MP Rahayu Mahzam, who endeared herself to netizens with her #RahayuMasak series, where she whips up healthy Ramadan recipes.
One of her followers, emcee Sharina Bynes, 37, says such videos appeal to her because “having a minister of state do up a simple meal makes them personable and relatable – it’s something we citizens do as a norm”.
But there is a fine line between authenticity and artifice. If you look like you are trying too hard, the mirage shatters.
It is a pitfall that has felled many politicians in the West: from former US president Gerald Ford, who infamously revealed that he did not know how to eat a tamale on the 1976 campaign trail, to then UK Labour leader Ed Miliband’s bacon sandwich gaffe in 2014 – which unleashed a tidal wave of memes mocking his struggle to finish the snack, a staple of the working class.
Ahmed says, “It is likely that some of the posts might come across as overly staged and can backfire if the audience doesn’t see them as genuine and see politicians making use of the opportunity during the election season.”
One comment on a lontong recommendation posted by Lam in March, for instance, questioned why “when come election period suddenly all MPS from the ruling party start to come and eat hawker food”.
Similarly, Sengkang GRC MP Jamus Lim’s posts of home-cooked meals, including sailor’s mussels and carbonara, have attracted the occasional jibe. One comment read: “You sure eat very ‘atas’, unlike us poor commoners.”
But the idea of authenticity is shifting – hawker food is not always the most effective way to prove that one is down to earth. For every disgruntled comment, Associate Professor Lim’s cooking attracts numerous supportive ones, including one on Instagram that said: “I love that you’re sharing that you cook food from other cuisines, and it’s not beehoon and bak chor mee all the time. Stay relatable with millennials, king!”
To cookbook author Pamelia Chia, 34, this cosmopolitan approach feels like a breath of fresh air. “Millennials are increasingly well-travelled, and we eat diversely, so I think what he did was a very genuine move.”
Conversely, she is mistrustful of photos of local fare accompanied by party slogans, political hashtags or random Singlish phrases that clash with the rest of the caption.
But there are ways to post about hawker food without raising hackles, she says. Examples that have resonated include Mrs Teo’s use of words such as “comfort food”, PM Wong dressing casually and Lam delving into the nuances of what makes a good bowl of bak chor mee. Anything that suggests the politician genuinely cares about what they are eating.
Others rope in the help of a seasoned professional, such as veteran food blogger Tam Chiak, who recently teamed up with several PAP MPs. Together, they traverse their respective wards, locating the best eats in the neighbourhood.
Like many other posts in this vein, these videos have attracted mixed reactions. One follower, a 34-year-old student who wanted to be known only as Sim, tells ST that such content makes the MPS “more personable” and proves that they “really know the area”.
On the other hand, associate sales director John Han, 46, is turned off by Tam Chiak’s political guests. “I wouldn’t mind if food content creators were more neutral,” he says. “I always see her post only with the incumbent.”
According to George Wong, an assistant professor of sociology at the Singapore Management University, these collaborations amount to more than just a jaunt around the estate and help politicians send a message.
“It’s not just about food, it’s about how food can be made possible with policies,” he says, pointing out that these videos give backbenchers a chance to highlight initiatives they introduced to help vulnerable communities – the budget meal scheme, for one.
“It is a chance for them to translate their political results in a way people can relate to. They are telling people: ‘I am doing these things in a way that relates to you from a heartland point of view.’ And when it comes to food, the visual aspect of the delivery can be very powerful.”
Turning views into votes
Hawker-touting politicians ST spoke to insist their intentions are simple.
“Hawker food is close to my heart. I have spoken on supporting hawkers in Parliament, and have driven many local initiatives to support our hawkers during and after Covid-19,” says Sembawang GRC MP Mariam Jaafar, who sees her appearance in Tam Chiak’s Chiak With Us series as a way to promote hawker fare in Woodlands.
Meanwhile, Red Dot United member Ben Puah –a potential candidate in Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC– has yet to decide how best to use food to connect with residents, but will “try not to overthink it”. If something feels too scripted, he reckons, it should probably not be posted.
“For me, food isn’t a PR (public relations) tool – it’s a conversation starter. A shared kopi or a simple plate of cai png has this magical way of levelling the playing field. It gives people the space to open up, and sometimes, those chats are more meaningful than any town hall,” he says.
ST also reached out to other opposition members, including WP’s Prof Lim and SDP’s Chee, to ask about their approach to food, but did not receive a response.
In any case, hawkers say any form of support is useful, even if it may not always translate into better business.
“Any post by anybody with a larger pool of followers is always good for the hawkers as it causes awareness,” says Melvin Chew, 47, who runs the Jin Ji Teochew Braised Duck & Kway Chap stall in Chinatown Complex and created the Hawkers United – Dabao 2020 Facebook group to support hawkers during the pandemic.
Hopefully can see more politicians visit the hawker centres. They can discover wonderful comfort food and understand the problems hawkers are facing.”
Chef-consultant Jeremy Nguee, 44, appreciates attempts by politicians to use their platforms for good by sharing hawkers’ stories.
But, he says, “If you want to support the hawkers, support them wholeheartedly. Even your policies should help them.”
The way to voters’ hearts, however, might not always be through their stomachs.
Undergraduate Tang Kean Seng, 22, says: “Ultimately, what affects the vote is still the substance of what the party or MP has to offer– concrete policies and promises.”
Hawker Delonix Tan, 27, who sells fishballs at Toa Payoh’s Kim Keat Palm Market, expresses a similar sentiment, adding that though it is nice to see MPS supporting local businesses, their endorsements have a limited impact as sustained support comes from regulars in the community.
While relatability or likeability alone will not determine the results of an election, SMU’s Dr Wong notes that these everyday actions communicate how politicians approach larger issues.
“The question is not just whether this food post helped me understand whether I like my politician or not. It’s about whether the food posts, in broader ways, help me sense whether my politicians understand what cost-of-living issues look like through a form of commensal politics.”
Besides, as Ms Chia points out, few people have the time to listen to long speeches or read through manifestos to make an informed decision, so social media posts such as these go a long way in endearing politicians to the public.
“They’re very revealing. And if we’re honest with ourselves, I think we’re very swayed by how much we like them as people.”
Cherie Lok
The Straits Times
Asia News Network
