Latest way to remember Mr Lee Kuan Yew: Singaporeans eat 'battleship'
You've heard of the phrase "eat snake" (which means skiving in Hokkien).
Now, prepare yourself to "eat battleship".
The phrase was coined after Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong uploaded an old telegram (below) from his father in 1958 on his Facebook page this week.
The late Mr Lee Kuan Yew wanted to tell his family that he wanted steam boat for dinner but since telegrams charged by the word, PM Lee said his father chose the cryptic "battleship" instead to save on words and money.
Unfortunately, his wife didn't understand what he meant.
Now that the puzzle's explained, Singaporeans have taken to using it in his honour.
Some people even claimed that they've started craving steamboat after they read about the telegram - eating it is a way for them to remember Singapore's founding prime minister.
A check with popular steamboat restaurants like COCA showed they are seeing an increase in customers over the last few days.
But the outlets declined to reveal exact numbers.
On Instagram, Singaporeans both at home and abroad are doing their part to make sure Mr Lee's legacy is felt.
PHOTO: ST File (taken in 1964)
How? By posting the hashtag, accompanied with many images of delicious-looking steam boat fare.
Gazing into our crystal ball, we foresee that steamboat will not just be standard Chinese New Year fare from now on. You'll probably be eating plenty of #battleship in the days ahead.
Here are some of the tributes on social media:
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Related report:
PM Lee finds old telegram from Mr Lee Kuan Yew that confounded the family
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