One other beloved dish got the limelight in this bilateral debate last week, when Malaysian radio station Hitz FM uploaded a TikTok video where the radio hosts of its Morning Crew programme discussed where roti john is really from.
Roti john, a staple at pasar malam stalls and prata shops in Singapore and Malaysia, is essentially an omelette sandwich. It consists of a French loaf sliced in half horizontally to cradle an omelette that’s usually freshly cooked with meat, like minced mutton, and chopped onions. It’s sometimes drizzled with sauces like mayonnaise and sweet chilli sauce.
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Where did roti john come from?
Hitz FM DJ Anne kicked off the debate by saying: “This is the news headline that has gotten all Malaysians fuming. Singaporean netizens are claiming that roti john originated [in Singapore]. And Malaysians, we are very, very protective of our roti john. Even though I’m not a fan, I know that Malaysians absolutely love it. So we have to settle this debate.”
For Singapore’s representative, the Morning Crew invited Kiss92 FM jock Shawnrick Hu to give his take.
Shawnrick shared: “Honestly I had no idea where the origin of roti john came from. I did some research and I was like more often than not, the articles are showing that it came from Singapore”, to which Hitz FM DJ Prem responded: “But if every article is going to quote Wikipedia, then cannot lah.”
Shawnrick continued: “No lah, not Wikipedia lah. The stories are like, during back in the day, I’m talking about the ’50s you know, where they have the English Navy soldiers and whatnot. They were around and there was one pakcik [Malay for ‘uncle’] just making [food] and all that. Suddenly this ang moh fella went up to him and said, “Can I have a burger?”. The pakcik didn’t know what a burger is, so he just made his own version right? So that’s as far as I know about the story. As that is as far as I know about the story. I’m not sure what the story is on the Malaysian side.”
According to a Google search by 8days.sg, Shawnrick was likely referring to an article by the National Archives of Singapore, a treasure trove of everything related to Singaporean history. The article included a transcript of an interview with Pakirisamy Rajagopal, a former board member of the Singapore Tourist Promotion Board (now the Singapore Tourism Board).
In his oral interview, Gopal shared that he used to frequent the hawker stalls at Koek Road, where there was a hawker named Abdul.
He recalled: “The other popular dish that used to sell quite well for [Abdul] was just half a loaf of French bread, he fries omelette, just plain egg, he fries it and puts inside it. And the British army those days their pay day was Thursdays.
Every Thursday the soldiers used to go to the Union Jack club which was in North Bridge Road behind the Capitol Cinema, they used to get p***ed, walk, take taxi whatever it was from there right up to Koek Road and used to buy this half a loaf of bread with omelette in it and eat.
It became a trend; every soldier that came to the stall was eating that and nothing else. So much so, this guy Abdul knew when he saw the white men coming in that they wanted the bread with the egg, so he used to say “roti” which means bread, and “John”, [a nickname for a] white man. In other words he is asking him a question, “Do you want bread, John?” That’s how the name Roti John was developed. It started from there and it still stays with that name, although the preparation style has changed now.”
“As a Singaporean why you want to claim everything?”
But it was Hitz jock Ili who amped up the friendly competition by playfully exclaiming: “Eh but Shawnrick please ah, as a Singaporean why you want to claim everything? Murtabak is yours lah, national fruit is durian lah, why this one you also want to take? Can you just take something else?”
Shawnrick mused: “Honestly, no idea. What I can say is, when it comes to things about food, Singapore is super passionate”, to which all the Malaysian DJs chorused: “Eh eh eh eh eh!”
But the Kiss92FM jock saved the day by diplomatically replying: “Hold on, hold on. I didn’t say Malaysians are not passionate ah! It’s just that Singaporeans are passionate [about food]. Passion can share. Passion goes beyond the causeway.”
But he acknowledged that “at the end of the day, only one person can make this ultimate judgment and call”.
“Who is it,” DJ Anne asked curiously, to which Shawnrick replied: “John lah.”
Where to get good roti john (in Singapore)
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