A video from last year of a Singaporean man urging Singaporeans not to “be birds” and go “cheap cheap” when shopping in Malaysia has recently resurfaced on social media.
In the original three-minute clip, the man warned that bragging about how low prices are across the border can be quite inconsiderate, and may even lead Malaysian sellers to jack up their prices due to the high demand.
He also said while Singaporeans are lucky to be “born in the right country” and have worked hard for their money, it is still important to remain humble.
On 4 April, the video surfaced on the SG Warehouse Sale & Events Facebook page. However, it seems that the original was first posted on October 2023 by a YouTube creator called ‘1M65’.
In the clip, the creator advised fellow Singaporeans to “not be birds in Malaysia”.
“We always say ‘cheap, cheap, cheap’ … Can all of you stop being birdmen? It’s not very nice,” he said. “We don’t just quietly go there, buy and go away. We have to show everyone that ‘wah, it’s so cheap!’.”
While this may seem harmless, the Singaporean warned that such behaviour might come off as insensitive to the feelings of Malaysians.
On top of that, he pointed out that store owners could potentially raise their prices when “enough birds flock around all these shops”.
Source: 1M65 on YouTube
“Don’t flaunt your purchases, don’t flaunt your Sing dollar, and don’t flaunt your meals,” he continued.
“When you eat, walao, it’s like, freaking 10 years never eat before — order all the things and have so much wastage.”
The creator also pointed out how some people will pile their shopping carts to the brim and push their cars to the limit, in hope of getting more value when they pump petrol across the causeway.
The creator then went on to say that such behaviour is very “chao kuan” (a Hokkien phrase for someone who doesn’t play fair).
“Stop being birds in Malaysia, okay? That’s not very nice,” he quipped.
He added that while Singaporeans have the means to afford spending in Malaysia by working hard, they have also won the lottery by being “born in the right country”.
“Our GIC is very good, our Government is very good, our institution is very good — they drive up the Sing dollar… But really, we won a lottery game, please be humble about it,” he advised.
“Please don’t have this mindset that because you’re spending money in Malaysia, you are helping its economy. Let’s get it straight — you’re helping yourself. You’re buying things cheap, you’re enjoying wonderful, cheap products. That’s consumerism and Economics 101.”
Also Read: M’sian Ringgit hits new low against S’pore Dollar at RM3.56 to S$1
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Featured image adapted from 1M65 on YouTube.
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