Minister for Health and Coordinating Minister for Social Policies Ong Ye Kung, who is also the Member of Parliament for
Sembawang GRC, has stepped in to clarify several claims made by food critic KF Seetoh about Bukit Canberra Hawker Centre, which is located in his constituency.
In his
Facebook post, Ong said he looked into the matter after seeing a series of posts by KF Seetoh last week.
No $70 blue basket fee
Seetoh had claimed that hawkers were being charged $70 a month to use a blue basket for storing supplies. Ong said this is untrue, and there is no such practice at the hawker centre.
Free meals claim not entirely accurate
Another claim was that hawkers must provide 60 free meals each month. Ong explained that when the hawker centre first opened, stallholders had agreed to provide 30 meals per month for low-income residents. This was later revised to 100 meals over the entire three-year lease period, with no penalties for non-compliance.
This simple, well-intentioned initiative was meant to encourage the hawkers to “Pay-It-Forward”. Ong also added that the initiative has not yet started.
Ong: Appreciates KF Seetoh’s concern for hawkers, but do so without putting down anyone
Since opening, Bukit Canberra Hawker Centre has become a popular spot for residents to enjoy food, meet neighbours, and be surrounded by greenery. Ong said he visits often and has seen the centre thrive.
While he appreciates KF Seetoh’s concern for hawkers and shares the goal of preserving hawker culture, Ong called for constructive dialogue instead of putting down patrons, hawkers, operators, or government agencies.
“When issues arise, there are avenues for discussion and resolution. Everyone will need to work together to uphold our hawker centre culture,” he wrote.
You may read his
post in full text below:
In the past week, I was alerted to a series of online posts by KF Seetoh regarding the management of Bukit Canberra Hawker Centre. I took an interest, as this is a hawker centre in my constituency. I have looked into the matters raised by KF Seetoh and would like to share what I have found out.
First, it was claimed that hawkers are charged $70 a month for the use of a blue basket to store their supplies. This is not true, as there is no such practice of charging for the use of the blue baskets at the back of their stalls.
Second, it was also claimed that hawkers must provide 60 free meals each month. This does not present the full picture.
When Bukit Canberra Hawker Centre first opened, the stallholders initially agreed to provide 30 meals a month for low-income residents. This was subsequently adjusted to 100 meals over the three-year duration of their lease. There are no penalties if they do not or are unable to provide the meals. This simple, well-intentioned initiative was meant to encourage our hawkers to ‘Pay-It-Forward’. In any case, the initiative has yet to commence.
Since its opening, Bukit Canberra Hawker Centre has become a lively and welcoming space for the community — a place to enjoy good food, meet neighbors, and be surrounded by greenery. It has been a great addition to the community and one that is appreciated by residents. I visit frequently and have seen the growth of the hawker centre firsthand.
I appreciate KF Seetoh’s concern for our hawkers and share his passion for keeping our hawker culture alive and thriving. However, let’s do so without putting down anyone, whether they are patrons, hawkers, the hawker centre operator, or government agencies. When issues arise, there are avenues for discussion and resolution. Everyone will need to work together to uphold our hawker centre culture.
https://sureboh.sg/2025/08/11/ong-y...9x_aem_CeSppDAIoZLvdSalo-FAOg#google_vignette
