Singapore and Malaysia, Malaysia and Singapore… Our two countries have co-existed for decades and we’ve got a long list of shared histories.
By long, I mean extracalifragilisticexpialidocious long.
Over the years we’ve had our fair share of unresolved disagreements over the origins of certain foods. Netizens have searched high and low for answers to these very mind boggling questions, Where did Nasi Lemak originate? Is Chendol a Singaporean dessert?
It seemed impossible to unite the culinary feud between the two countries until… Malaysian queen, Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Inskandariah, shared that she had been the “official sambal bellman supplier” of the Lee Family.
Official Sambal Belacan Supplier
The one sambal to rule them all.
On a photograph Tunku Azizah shared on her Twitter account, she wrote, “I had long wanted to share this with Malaysians. I was once the official sambal bellman supplier to Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, and now I still supply to his son, PM Lee.”
yang ni, dah lama saya nak share dengan rakyat Malaysia …. sy dulu … the official sambal belacan supplier to the PM of Singapore .. Dato Lee Kuan Yew … n now supply kpd anak nya PM Lee juga! pic.twitter.com/uU91Xmq4LW
— تنکو عزيزه محمود إسکندر (@cheminahsayang) October 24, 2019
The photograph showed a letter signed by the former Prime Minister himself. According to CNA, the letter, dated 23 July 20019, read:
“The six packets of belacan you gave me were delicious. I shared them with my two sons. They have all been consumed. It is the best chilli belacan we have tasted. Can my family have a few more? Sorry to trouble you over this. It makes so many dishes taste better.”
Now that is one heck of a compliment.
Aside from being the official – let’s say that again – the ‘Official Sambal Bellman Supplier’ of the Lee’s, she’s also known for sharing photographs of the scrumptious meals that she makes on her social media accounts.
The power of makciks and their cooking… Something that I will never grasp in this lifetime. Tunku Azizah is a gem and we must protect her at all costs.
Now, excuse me as I head over to NTUC FairPrice to buy some low-SES sambal.
