Singapore Prime Minister (PM) Lee Hsien Loong has taken a veil swipe at Malaysia’s decision to impose an export ban for chickens into the country by saying that it is regrettable for ‘governments under pressure’ to take ‘unconventional measures’ by ‘interdicting exports of products’. Furthermore, Lee said that as a consumer country which imports food, Singapore is adversely impacted by such measures.
As reported by The Straits Times, while Lee didn’t single out any country in his response, it is believed that the statement is aimed at Malaysia which will be imposing a chicken export ban until domestic prices are stabilised starting from this 1 June 2022. However, the Singapore PM who is currently in a four-day working visit to Tokyo said that despite the latest global food supply crunch, the country has prepared for such disruptions and has been working for several years to secure its food supply.
Singapore Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong.
Lee further clarified that the country’s immediate urgency is to secure the supply of food and to build up buffer stocks and resiliency, as well as diversify its supply sources. The Singapore PM further elaborated,
“So that (when) any single source is interrupted, we are not unduly affected, and if you can’t buy chicken from one place, you can buy from other countries. This time it is chicken, next time it may be something else. We have to be prepared for this,”
Malaysia is the main source of fresh chicken supply into the Republic, amounting for 34% of Singapore’s chicken supply last year. Brazil, the United States and other countries amounted for the rest of the chicken supply for the country.
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Also read: Famous Chicken Rice Shop In Singapore To Stop Selling Dish After M’sia Bans Export Of Chicken
