London mayor Sadiq Khan praises S’pore’s HDB for being affordable, tries pouring teh tarik
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, who was recently in Singapore, has become inspired by our HDB estates after taking a tour of one.
However, he was less impressed by durian, visibly cringing when forced to taste a morsel.
Source: @deniseteojiaqi on Instagram
SkyResidence @ Dawson reminds Sadiq Khan of UK council estate
Mr Khan was here to attend the World Cities Summit from 14 to 16 June, where he accepted this year’s Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize awarded to London.
According to his Facebook post on Wednesday (17 June), he also visited SkyResidence @ Dawson to get a first-hand look at Singapore’s “genuinely affordable homes”.
Source: Sadiq Khan on Facebook
As he toured the estate and spoke to the residents, Mr Khan was impressed by the sense of community, as well as accessible amenities such as playgrounds and clinics, he said.
Source: Sadiq Khan on Facebook
He noted that it reminded him of growing up in a council estate, a form of public housing in the United Kingdom.
Sadiq Khan announces new homes in London after being inspired by HDB
Inspired, Mr Khan announced the construction of 7,000 new homes in London, 30% of which would be “genuinely affordable”.
“City Hall is taking inspiration from Singapore’s world-class housing model, investing directly in thousands of new high-quality, affordable homes in East London,” he maintained.
Source: Sadiq Khan on Facebook
The British politician quipped that he would be “stealing” Singapore’s idea, saying to the laughter of those accompanying him:
Rather than invent badly, steal well.
London Mayor tries S’pore food at Lau Pa Sat
Work aside, Mr Khan also experienced Singapore’s food culture as local influencer Denise Teo, known as Supercatkei, took him to Lau Pa Sat.
Source: Sadiq Khan on Facebook
“Londoners and Singaporeans both love incredible street food,” he said while sampling iconic local dishes like satay.
He even gave pouring teh tarik a go.
Source: Sadiq Khan on Facebook
London Mayor unable to handle durian at Lau Pa Sat
However, Mr Khan’s true test was when Ms Teo unveiled a durian.
Source: @deniseteojiaqi on Instagram
This was apparently his first time seeing the insides of the King of Fruits, as he commented that they were different from what he had expected.
When Ms Teo handed a piece to Mr Khan, he seemed to be regretting coming to Singapore.
Source: @deniseteojiaqi on Instagram
He attempted to deflect by telling her, “You-you go first.”
Eventually, he had to bite the bullet and try it, resulting in what appeared to be a severe disagreement with his taste buds.
Source: @deniseteojiaqi on Instagram
Subsequently, he “generously” offered his share of the durian to everyone else present.
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Featured image adapted from Sadiq Khan on Facebook and @deniseteojiaqi on Instagram.
