Pritam Singh guesses prices of everyday groceries, shocked by cost of luncheon meat and pineapple pastries
Workers' Party chief Pritam Singh tried his hand at guessing the prices of everyday groceries in a TikTok video, and was visibly surprised by how much some items cost.
In a clip uploaded to TikTok on March 8, Mr Singh attempts a Singaporean version of The Price Is Right, guessing the cost of food and household items commonly bought from supermarkets. The popular American game show challenges participants to estimate the prices of items ranging from electronics to cars.
Mr Singh has been a Member of Parliament (MP) for Aljunied GRC since 2011.
Mr Singh starts off strong by correctly guessing the price of a one-litre bottle of floor cleaner.
His next guess of $1 for a bottle of F&N orange soda falls short of the actual $2 price tag, prompting him to joke: "I can get it for $1 from somewhere, I'm sure."
Shocked by price of luncheon meat and pineapple pastries
Mr Singh then prices a can of halal chicken luncheon meat at $2.10. A producer off-camera reveals it actually costs $6.90, which was already discounted from the original price of $8.90.
"Seriously?" he asks incredulously. "That's expensive."
For comparison, luncheon meat prices vary depending on the brand and whether the product is pork or halal. On the NTUC FairPrice website, pork luncheon meat ranges from about $2.90 to $6.25 per can, while a halal option such as EL-Dina chicken meat loaf costs about $4.28.
"Looks like I expect my groceries to be cheaper than what they really are," Mr Singh says with a laugh.
His guesses for a 400-gram packet of Milo powder, a one-litre carton of milk and individual oranges fall short, while his estimates for a carton of eggs and a packet of biscuits come closer to the actual prices.
When it is revealed that a box of gula melaka pineapple pastries costs more than twice his guess of $5, Mr Singh winces at the price.
For the last item — a one-kilogram bag of sugar — he guesses $3.20, nearly double its actual price of $1.95.
In total, Mr Singh estimates the groceries at $62.28, about $10 less than the actual total of $73.28.
Ending the video, which garnered more than 132,000 views and 7,000 reactions, Mr Singh expresses hope that larger families will receive more support through CDC vouchers, a proposal he raised in Parliament on Feb 24.
About 1.4 million Singaporean households are set to receive $500 in CDC vouchers in January 2027.
According to The Straits Times, he suggested giving an additional $150 per person for households with more than three members.
Tackling rising costs of living an urgent issue: netizens
Many netizens lamented the rising cost of groceries and suggested that more MPs try guessing the prices of everyday household items.
Some proposed he try guessing hawker prices next.
A few netizens also pointed out that CDC vouchers are a temporary solution. "From this video we can see groceries are very expensive nowadays, CDC vouchers ain't gonna solve the problem, just a temporary relief for Singaporeans." one TikTok user wrote.
Others criticised Mr Singh's suggestion that larger families receive more CDC vouchers, arguing that assistance should instead be given to individuals rather than households.
After he was removed as Leader of the Opposition on Jan 15, Mr Singh said he would continue advocating for Singaporeans.
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