SINGAPORE — "Al dente", "tangy", "succulent" and "flavourful". These are not necessarily words one might expect from someone campaigning for a seat in the gastronomic void that is Singapore's Parliament House.
But once in a while, a plate of char kway teow or a stack of prata wedges its way into the mosaic of resident handshakes and party group shots crowding the feeds of Singapore's politicians. Usually composed around a simple meal at a humble hawker table, these photographs depict everyday life as most Singaporeans might recognise it.
Casual update or calculated strategy? The Straits Times breaks down the ways in which politicians have approached the nation's favourite pastime: eating.
Regardless of race, language or allegiance, everyone needs to eat.
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong grabs a breakfast of bak chor mee when "jet-lagged and craving" local food. Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo seeks solace in a bowl of mee tai mak during a hectic period. Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh discusses international affairs over a plate of mee siam.
These meals are documented on social media and tend to perform well — PM Wong's Tiong Bahru Market breakfast, for instance, is one of his most popular posts, having racked up more than 21,000 likes.
"It's not surprising that politicians post about food," says Dr Saifuddin Ahmed, an assistant professor at the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information at Nanyang Technological University. "It can be considered a 'safe' and apolitical topic, helping politicians cut through several divides to appear more approachable."
Universally appreciated, food has proven to be a useful way for politicians to reach their constituents. Case in point: Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) chief Chee Soon Juan revved up his campaign by handing out bowls of rice with curry to residents in Bukit Batok in November 2024.
Now that he intends to contest in Sembawang West SMC instead, he plans to use food once again to sweeten the deal, getting to know residents at home over cake and coffee.
Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong may also wield it as a bridging tool to integrate his Joo Chiat ward into East Coast GRC. During a walkabout on March 23, he told reporters: "The food on both sides of the border is equally good, so we are looking to use that to enhance the offerings for residents."
On top of that, food is culturally significant, regarded as a hallmark of Singapore's heritage as an immigrant society and its diverse cultures, says Dr Carol Soon, associate professor of practice at the department of communications and new media at the National University of Singapore.
Hawker food, in particular, possesses special resonance as a visceral symbol of the heartland. The message it conveys is simple and communal, says Joel Lim, 32, who hosts Political Prude: The Podcast and manages a digital media company.
"It's a way of saying 'I'm one of you' without needing to say it directly."
Tampines GRC MP Baey Yam Keng hopes that his Instagram stories of hawker or coffee shop meals help dispel the notion that politicians "always eat very elaborate or sumptuous meals" and make it easier for residents to relate to him.
"I'm just reminding people that even though we're MPs, we're just everyday Singaporeans at heart," he says, adding that such quick and affordable dishes are still the most convenient option for him.
Though it is not a phenomenon unique to the PAP, the party's candidates might have the strongest incentive to parade their love for local fare, Lim says.
"Because they're the ruling party, PAP MPs do face the pressure to show that they're not out of touch. That's probably why you mostly see them posting about hawker food — it feels familiar and very 'on the ground'," he says.
On the whole, positivity seems to beget positivity. These life updates, after all, are about as light-hearted as they come.
Former Sengkang West MP Lam Pin Min, who runs a #TastyThursday series on Facebook highlighting his hawker pick of the week — "al dente" bak chor mee and char siew with a "charred aroma", just to name a few — says the response to his posts has been "very encouraging, attracting many likes and words of thanks".
With a caveat that none of his posts is 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.
Dr Ahmed says: "It is likely that some of the posts might come across as overly staged and can backfire if the audiences don'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 Dr Lam in March, for instance, questioned why "when come election period suddenly all MP 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 actually 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 Dr Lam delving into the nuances of what makes a good bowl of bak chor mee. Basically, 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 Miss 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 Miss 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 Dr 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 deliverance can be very powerful."
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 Miss 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 Dr 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."
This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.
