[GLGT] Minister Ong Ye Kung Responds to KF Seetoh’s Untrue Claims About Bukit Canberra Hawker Centre

[newcell]

Best solution is to turn sg food into outlets and fast food. Cai png stalls should just open franchise. Remove hawker centres completely as items are too expensive

Yes remove hawker centre.
Serving expensive food and small portion.
Noisy and dirty i rather go somewhere lesser crowd.

 

[eAtNeAt]

Sg is such a police state

 

[byfun]

Walao. Sad sia

No need sad la .. only naive people think those in power and landlord have their interest as top priority ..

Landlord priority is to milk as much as possible. Those in power is also to milk as much goodwill as possible to stay in power hence the ultimate condition is born... charge rental for anything and everything possible and ask hawker to provide charity meal. Money and goodwill all taken by those in powers.

Stupid hawkers wanna take the bait no need pity one la. Neverending story until all the stalls are empty then lets see how.

 

[lifeisinforashock]

I'm only annoyed by the way the contract is worded ie mandating how many low cost meals at their expense and their selling prices.

 

[Checkyrmed]

Not surprising, and not just hawkers, even our MOH and HPB are still naive enough to promote RBD seed oils in 2025.

 

[yperic]

 

[Checkyrmed]

Folks from the government have not even bothered to reply to homeless Singaporeans about why they have never received their CDC or GST vouchers despite promising to provide a reply within 5 working days.

 

[batuchka]

Duno this kf is peasant anot? If peasant later kana sue

+1 good point! in our rotten system the only voices that matter are they ones associated wif the "right people"

 

[PAP4ever]

KFSee vs. otter ong.... who will win? place ur bets !

 

[snapp]

 

[snapp]

Reproduced in full:

I have been following the recent dispute between veteran hawker advocate KF Seetoh and Minister Ong Ye Kung, over hawkers at Bukit Canberra Hawker Centre being charged $70 a month for the space to leave a basket behind their stalls for supplier deliveries.
We should not be distracted in this dispute. In my opinion, there are two key issues:
1) Fees being charged for all kinds of reasons by operators of Socially-Conscious Enterprise Hawker Centres (SEHCs) like Bukit Canberra.
2) The clause in hawkers’ contracts requiring them to provide free meals to low-income residents.
PSP has previously raised both issues in Parliament in November 2024, when I raised a motion in Parliament on sustaining hawker culture in Singapore, and proposed solutions. The motion I raised was amended and passed unanimously. But why has the Government not done the necessary reviews to rectify some of the issues we had debated in Parliament? If the reviews were done and changes have been made, why have the same issues been raised again?
1) Fees
In November 2024, I pointed out that these fees at the SEHCs, such as table cleaning fees, dishwashing fees, S&CC fees and pest control fees, can add up to as much as the rent itself.
For example, the hawkers at Bukit Canberra have been billed a $650 table cleaning fee. Why is such a high fee still being charged when customers have to clear their own tables?
That is why during the debate, PSP proposed for the SEHC model to be phased out.
Is it justifiable for private SEHC operators to impose fees as a means to maximise any surpluses or profits from hawker centres, which are public assets?
Hawker centres are part of our national heritage. They should be run by the Government solely for the benefit of the people and not for anyone’s profit.
2) Hawkers being required to provide free meals
The current approach, where hawkers at SEHCs and HDB coffeeshops are being contractually forced or guilt-tripped into selling budget meals, is unsustainable. The cost of budget meals is being shouldered by hawkers. Many hawkers are not high-income and already struggle with high costs and manpower shortages.
In November, I argued that instead of forcing hawkers to offer budget meals at their own expense, the Government should be funding these initiatives. The Government can pay for food discounts for Pioneer and Merdeka Generation seniors and CHAS cardholders, or provide lower-income households with more CDC vouchers. This way, we can ensure that hawker food remains affordable for those who need them most, without compromising the livelihoods of our hawkers.
Hawkers have provided everyone in Singapore with affordable, good food for decades. But they should not be asked to provide social welfare as inflation crushes the livelihoods of many Singaporeans.
Our hawker culture is a national treasure, but for it to survive, we need to work together to build a fair and sustainable ecosystem. PSP will continue to speak up for our hawkers.

 

[lizzykai]

Really don’t deserve LMW…

 

[AngryBirdBird]

bump for PSP

 

[pattanispirit]

I tot 9% GST is to help the poor, but instead asking hawkers to foot the free meals ?


Reader J T D :

Agree with youLeong Mun Wai 梁文辉… the onus should be on the G to make or at the very least help out the hawkers.. after all, we are paying right left and centre for everything with our tax payers funds. It’s a lot of talk but no concrete decisive action taken. Ask the G with their fat wallets to ‘Pay It Forward ‘ by starting with themselves as exemplary leaders.

 

[tfkmueh]

Seetoh and LMW do raise a valid point. Why are they charge cleaning fees?

The tenants side already provided receipt/evidence, so can the landlord provide their side of story/reasoning for fairness?

And why is the govt answering this?

 

[ghregular]

real issue is seetoh botaiji chuay taiji

 

[nyxator]

real issue is seetoh botaiji chuay taiji

really meh? I think is valid point, why must they be bounded by contract to provide free meals.. if my buisness already suffered, should I continue to provide free meal?


Read HWZ Forum Rules!

 

[huihong]

In November 2024, I pointed out that these fees at the SEHCs, such as table cleaning fees, dishwashing fees, S&CC fees and pest control fees, can add up to as much as the rent itself.

For example, the hawkers at Bukit Canberra have been billed a $650 table cleaning fee. Why is such a high fee still being charged when customers have to clear their own tables?

Table cleaning fee pay cleaning company
Dishwashing fee pay cleaning company
Pest control fee pay pest control company
Service & Conservancy Charges (S&CC) pay landscape company, lift company, cleaning company, refuse collection company, electrical company

really is pay and pay until bin cheh cheh

 

[huihong]

really meh? I think is valid point, why must they be bounded by contract to provide free meals.. if my buisness already suffered, should I continue to provide free meal?


Read HWZ Forum Rules!

how to verify if my customer is low income ah?

before giving him low income meal. and what is definition of low income? Is definition provided by whom? NEA or IRAS?

 

[alex22]

Get cdc voucher, simi simi vch liao then keep on jjww. Come on la we voted for this