Singapore — A kind samaritan looking to pay it forward ordered food at Dr Chee Soon Juan's cafe and asked that it be given to cleaners. In a Facebook post on Tuesday (Jul 27), Dr Chee wrote that the woman, Ning, called Orange & Teal and paid S$150 for meals. He added that she asked that the meals be distributed to the cleaning staff. "That was her way of paying-it-forward. She explained that this would help F&B outlets at this time while also providing a nice lunch for our low-wage workers", Dr Chee wrote. Just as Dr Chee opened his café, Singapore returned to Phase 2 (Heightened Alert) where dining-in options were not allowed until Aug 18. Dr Chee, the secretary-general of the Singapore Democratic Party, opened his restaurant Orange & Teal with his wife Mei late last month, calling it a lifelong dream. While restaurant operations have been suspended, Dr Chee wrote in a separate Facebook post that they will be offering food for takeaway from 11 am to 8 pm, adding that no one at Orange & Teal is losing their job.

“We will not let any of our staff go,” wrote the SDP chief.

He also appealed to the public to continue to support not only his restaurant but other local Food and Beverage establishments as well.

“So we’re counting on you to help keep things going until we can open again in Aug. O&T was set up to have people dine in and experience the ambience. It’s a blow now that you can’t dine in.

But that’s ok, we’ll adapt and continue to grow even in the most challenging circumstances. Like the SDP, pah see buay zhao (even if dead, won’t run away).”

He asked Singaporeans to do their “part to keep F&B joints across the island to stay afloat” by ordering or buying takeaway.

Thanking Ning for her contribution, he added: "it's people like you that keeps us going and makes our struggle worthwhile". /TISG

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