Auntie Who Looks Like Badge Lady Went Viral for Her Infectious Laugh on TikTok

When it comes to questions about money, there are really only a few plausible reactions: confident responses, realistic replies, heavy complaints, etc. After all, Singapore is rather well-known for being an expensive country to live in, so citizens are either rich, financially stable, or, to put it bluntly, hanging on by a thread.

Once in a while, however, you get a reaction that’s a little unconventional. It’s something a little out of the box, and yet makes perfect sense when you think about it.

One such example? The following instance, whereby a lady burst into laughter when asked whether she had enough moolah to survive here.

Auntie Who Looks Like Badge Lady Went Viral for Her Infectious Laugh on TikTok

The badge lady is back.

Or at least that’s what I thought when I saw this particular viral clip.

But no, she isn’t the infamous badge lady.

Posted by local newspaper Lianhe Zaobao a few days ago, the 2:25-long clip had several senior Singaporeans answering a rather classic question:

“Do you have enough money to survive in Singapore?”

And when this particular lady in the video heard the question, she reacted, not with a confident response, not with a realistic reply and not with a heavy complaint. Instead, she simply laughed.

A burst of disbelieving laughter.

She then smiled: “Let me ask you, the question isn’t about whether there’s enough or not.”

“There’ll never be enough money. Understand?”

She then referenced a popular movie by local director Jack Neo.

“Did you watch that movie?” she asked with a gesture. “The one by Jack Neo. Money Not Enough.”

Lest you’re unaware, Money No Enough was released in 1998 and starred the likes of Mark Lee, Henry Thia and Patricia Mok. Neo also served as director-actor for the film.

The comedy film revolves around three friends with financial problems. It was later renewed for a sequel, which was released a decade later.

But anyway, one can kind of get the point the lady was getting across in the video.

Money no enough indeed.

It should be noted that several other interviewees in the clip had similar opinions as well.

Another senior lady, for instance, has to busk and work part-time to make ends meet.

“How much is enough?” she asked.

Meanwhile, a male interviewee expressed that because of his children’s education, his savings have been left relatively bare.

And so, despite his age, he thinks returning to work is a good idea.

Netizens React

Naturally, the iconic laugh attracted the attention of Netizens, who made various comments about it in the feedback section of the post.

Some also remarked how the aunty had a movie star vibe.

One thought the same as us.

It should be noted, however, that some of the responses were pretty realistic.

You can view the full TikTok post down below:

@zaobaosg 新加坡消费大，钱不够用？国人的公积金加上个人储蓄到底足够养老吗？听他们怎么说。点击左上角“Read More”，阅读完整报道。#zaobaosg #sgnews #fyp #fyf #singapore #sgmoney #cpf #savings #新加坡 #新加坡新闻 #钱 #公积金 #储蓄 ♬ original sound – zaobaosg

Badge Lady

Speaking of the badge lady, it should be noted that the 56-year-old, whose real name is Phoon Chiu Yoke, was recently handed another imprisonment term on 11 September 2023.

She was given a jail term of nine weeks, as well as a hefty fine of S$3,000.

Phoon had been convicted last month for four charges of not wearing a mask, as well as for her failure to turn up for a Singapore Tourism Board (STB) investigation.

The offences were committed outside the Mandarin Gallery on 6 March 2022 and in Ion Orchard on 16 August 2022.

In case you’ve forgotten, outdoor mask-wearing was only rendered optional on 29 March 2022, and indoor mask-wearing (excluding public transport and healthcare facilities) only turned optional on 29 August 2022.

She was previously imprisoned for four months in September 2021.