1) In general, our MP Edwin Chia is ONLY specifically talking about AFFORDABLE food based upon wages earned.
He is NOT talking about property or car prices, which our nearby countries have HUGE tracts of lands. He is NOT talking about govt salaries, of which our nearby countries have a HUGE bloated govt service officials, & to increase their salaries would cause huge pain to their taxpayers as they had not reach that level in revenue incomes to justify salary hikes.
2)It seems that an average plate of nasi lemak costs RM$6 (est S$1.80cts) IN Malaysia. It is cheaper than our local ones. That is DUE to our STRONG S$, thru diligence, hardwork & more from our PM to the gainfully employed toilet cleaner paid a sustainable wage, as well as we being a Port city.
However, should everyone dine & buy products in Malaysia which has more agriculture & mineral resources, our S$ will eventually weaken, as one will have to BUY RM$ by SELLING S$. When that happens, that nasi lemak at RM$6 will now cost S$3 when the exchange rate becomes 1:2.
3) Such are only simple maths & economics. If one cant even figure this out, then who is the retarded one?