A restaurant in Singapore, famous for its Chinese cuisine, put a controversial sign claiming a 104 per cent surcharge from American diners. However, later it was removed following an uproar.
A restaurant in Singapore’s Chinatown, famously known for serving Chinese cuisine, put controversial signs claiming a “104 per cent surcharge” on American diners. Xie Lao Song, the restaurant, later removed the sign after it got widespread attention online. The sign was written in both English and Chinese, which said, “Starting from April 9, Americans will be charged a 104 per cent surcharge when dining at this restaurant.”
Netizens call restaurant’s move ‘discriminatory’
The sign came after US President Donald Trump imposed a 104 per cent tariff on Chinese goods on Wednesday, said a Channel News Asia report. The messages on two pieces of paper pasted on the front door of “Xie Lao Song” restaurant on Pagoda Street began circulating on social media earlier this week, the report further added.
The restaurant’s move gained attention on social media, with many users condemning the signs put up by the restaurant as discriminatory, while others questioned if Singapore law prohibited such practices.
After a TikTok post shared by user ‘sgwhatsup’, which showed the notices, a widespread discussion emerged as the post garnered over 400,000 views and over 1,700 comments.
SG is usually a commonly used abbreviation for Singapore, where 74 per cent of the six million-plus population is of Chinese descent.
While Singapore currently imposes zero tariffs on US imports, it is being subjected to the 10 per cent tariff, reports said.
Social media users slam restaurant’s move as ‘publicity stunt’
On Reddit, a post on the issue garnered over 2,800 upvotes, with some users speculating whether the move was a publicity stunt. There does not appear to be a law in Singapore that specifically pertains to discriminatory pricing based on nationality, the report said.
“Generally (it is) ‘willing buyer, willing seller’ in private transactions,” said Singapore Management University law don Eugene Tan. “I don’t (think) it’s illegal, but it clearly raises ethical questions,” the Channel quoted Tan as saying.
(With inputs from AP)
