Queen reveals secret about her ‘belacan diplomacy’ between Singapore and Malaysia
- Tunku Azizah disclosed that she was, for a time, the ‘official supplier’ of the shrimp paste to the city state’s first prime minister
- According to her tweet, the royal still ‘supplies’ the sauce to the republic, which is now being enjoyed by PM Lee Hsien Loong
Who knew that the humble “belacan” – the shrimp paste used in many Southeast Asian dishes – could be instrumental in strengthening the ties between two neighbouring countries.
According to her tweet, the queen still “supplies” the sambal belacan to the republic, which is now being enjoyed by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
“I had long wanted to share this (secret) with Malaysians. I was once the official sambal belacan supplier to the prime minister of Singapore … Lee Kuan Yew … and now supply to his son, PM Lee,” the queen had said, as translated by Malaysian news agency Bernama.
The letter, dated July 23, 2009, read: “The six packets of (sambal) 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.”
Tunku Azizah, who uploaded the picture on May 2, 2018, said the letter was most meaningful for her.
“ … all because of sambal belacan … I was deeply touched,” she had said.
