Speaking in Parliament on Tuesday (Oct 3), Minister Chee Hong Tat wasted parliamentary time giving five health tips to MPs. The rookie Minister who came to power in 2015 through a GRC ticket said that Singaporeans need not spend more money to eat healthy:
“One does not have to spend more money in order to have a healthy diet. Eating in moderation and preparing food by steaming instead of deep frying could similarly produce the desired results. Singaporeans can also opt for food with less oil and salt, or drinks with less or no sugar. There are ways to eat healthily without buying expensive food.”
The Minister then spent the next half an hour talking about five cooking preparations:
- “Leaves cooked rice to cool and reheats it later, for instance, the amount of resistant starch in the rice will go up, which helps to lower the glycemic index. For the same amount of rice, you can actually lower the glycemic index by preparing it in a different way.”
- “By adding a small amount of chicken stock or healthy oil to the rice, or drinking a glass of unsweetened soya bean milk before a meal, one can also lower the glycemic index of one’s meal.”
- “Do not only have flour for meals, there should be vegetables, meat and protein food.”
- Add a bit of chicken soup and healthy oil on rice.
- Control the food intake and not over-eat.
State media Chinese papers Shin Ming Ri Bao featured Minister Chee Hong Tat as a celebrity in its propaganda article, shoring up the unpopular Minister’s reputation.