iris Koh

12 October 2021

The Last Chendol?

As Singapore joins other countries in the world to roll out the Vaccine Passports and bans dining for the unvaccinated in every major food outlet in the country: hawker, coffee shops, food courts, restaurants etc starting 13 Oct 2021, I can't help but relish every mouthful of this chendol.

I love chendol. As a Peranakan, this is definitely one of my favourite local desserts of all times. Singapore had always thrived on diversity. Inter-racial marriages even inter-faith marriages. My own husband is Buddhist while I'm Catholic. This is what I always loved Singapore for. Our openness and tolerance to ideas  and people who are different from us. In fact, to innovate, we almost have to embrace differences of opinions, live in co-existence and then come to a synthesis of our own. I have always thought we had the winning formula that got us to be where we are today. But sadly, it seems that we are throwing these values out of the window to adopt a VACCINE ONLY solution.

What I witnessed in the past few months, was a fast eroding of our national values and identity. The vaccination programme has created deep rifts in the fabric of our society. I see couple going to court over their child's vaccination status, daughter upset with mom over her health decisions, people being fired over their vaccination statuses and the list goes on. It is sad, depressing and it breaks my heart.

It is understandable that people are fearful of the virus and how it could threaten our health-care. It is understandable that everyone wants the economy to open up again and for trade and travel to be back to normal again. It is not understandable however to put the blame on the unvaccinated, to remove the science and the data of opposing medical views from experts around the world and to turn the unvaccinated into scapegoats for the failed vaccine programme.

As I savoured the last spoonful of this chendol, I can't help but wonder when I will get to eat another bowl of chendol again. The day when I can sit in a hawker centre and feel my roots as a Singaporean, a Peranakan and be home again.

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