News Report: Enforcement regime at hawker centres to be stepped up
Source: Channel NewsAsia 10 April 2009
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He said: “NEA cannot tolerate any sort of lapses. It is totally unacceptable as far as we are concerned. And the government will get to the bottom of this and hold those who are accountable, those who are responsible for this.”
Dr Yaacob hopes this will be a wake-up call for all hawkers to improve hygiene standards.
On NEA’s part, it has stepped up enforcement action on hawker centres and temporary markets.
This includes conducting more frequent checks on food stalls and for the Geylang Serai market — getting rid of the rodent problem.
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Questions to Dr Yaacob:
1. Is insufficient NEA enforcement action contributing to the lapses of hygiene standards?
2. Is this a wake-up call for NEA to improve inspection standards?
3. Who will get to the bottom of this to hold those in NEA accountable for not making frequent checks on food stalls?
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Previous video: Hospitals tracked down rojak stall within a few hours
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Blame on hawkers? Is there a loophole on hawker regulation, ie. what is applicable at a hawker centre is not applicable at a temporary hawker centre?
Not-in-Charge
Not long ago, we had a Mayor saying he is not in charge of salary and bonuses of Town Council staff. Now we have the NEA saying they are not in charge of temporary markets. What next?
Seems like a pretty good gig – great pay, enviable perks, lots of power, and granduer with none of the reponsibilities to shoulder whatsoever.
All toilets in coffee shops and restaurants must also be checked by NEA.
Most coffee shops don’t even provide soap fopr washing hands. And toilets at
“shophouses type” restaurants are single or too small.. One toilet room unisex type!
Obamaosama
A bunch of filthily-paid men/women talking cocks.
What about those 2 innocent young lives got burnt to death in Hougang fire recently.
After that horrendous event, we can see all drawing of yellow boxes outside shops all over Singapore, and then thereafter made a few enforcement checks.
BUT SEE WHAT HAS HAPPENED SINCE THEN ???
Eyes are closed, enforcement officers no more to be seen – where are they ?? One can see everywhere countless of shopkeepers turning a blind eye to those yellow box markings – goods are being displayed as usual everywhere blatantly as like before the fire.
Have we had any news reports about this enforcement – how many shopkeepers were warned?? What action has been taken against those who disregard placing of goods within the yellow markings??
Come on la, dont take Sijgaporeans as bloody fools – that this is unacceptable that is unacceptable – biggest cock talkers !!!
When good things happened, the credit will be claimed.
When bad things happened, where is the Accountability? Who is Responsible?
To the 2 lives that were lost so that Singapore will learn a lesson, rest in peace…. and my heartfelt condolesences to the families and loved ones..your pain is felt by all of us too.
If this is in Japan, some head(s) would have rolled, with public apology.
But this is Singapore, who in charge har?
more work need to be done by nea and the ministry.
hire more people to work at nea if necessary.
can make good use of tax money and create more jobs.
if really not enough buget, then minister pay reduce a bit then i think surely can hire more capable offical to work at nea.
just my suggestion.
Typical politicians and civil servants who try to absolve themselves from blame when things go wrong, and yet claim to be the creme de la creme of the society and better than the rest of society, inept and lack of moral fortitude to take responsibility.
Dr Yacob said: “NEA cannot tolerate any sort of lapses.”
What he really meant is “Now this matter has become public knowledge, NEA can no longer tolerate further lapses.”
See, it isn’t really hard to read between the lines…
Civl service is having a nice long sleep especially when they collecting good pay – so dont rock the boat – go shopping and enjoy There is a series of wake-up calls and each had their lapses. You wonder why they pay these Perm Sec for.. for cooking class in Paris when the hawker centres are rat infested. Showed he is sleeping on the job when he should be catching rats.
can ask this question in this article comment section not?
lobang ask can?
Is it poisonous to makan mee siam with hum? must be cooked or half cooked hum also can is it?
The rodent problem is not just the problem for the stall owners. Who will look after the general food centre and surrounding drains and rubbish area? They have to be maintained and regularly inspected as well, as these will attract scavengers like crows, starlings, rats and cockroaches. The cleaners and customers play a big part, not to clean food leftovers onto the floor and to have better eating habits. Govt authorities likewise have to carry out more undercover tours and inspections and town councillors must also be more active and not wait till a problem arises.
It makes good press for MPs/Ministers to make loud noises to threaten this and that, but somewhere along the line, complacency has set in- govt, civic level, community, food operators and citizens.
By the way, has it been established that the cause is a rodent problem? Or unhygienic handling or generally poor layout, poor cleaning, lack of maintenance or what? Rats are dumb scapegoats and ofcourse,nobody will disagree they are a health hazard; so are high power govt officials who jump to the conclusions just to say something so as not to appear dumb!
I have come across food centres where birds defaecated from the rafters onto tables below. When this poo dries into flaky powders, they may be dispersed by wind onto open food or inhaled. So who is in charge of the birds then?? A holistic and integrated multi-agency approach is needed.
13) kingrant on April 13th, 2009 11.38 am
ya lor. Maybe arrest the king Rat and sentence him to do social work or public cleaning work or sentence to death will solve the problem if Rat is blamed as the problem?
Like this solve the problem world record style hor? Some say not just world record but highest in the entire Universe including all the Galaxies.
hire more nea officers
Simple, the minister is abstaining himself and his Ministry from all responsibility. All those responsible will have to pay. Why then do we need a NEA or obscenely overpaid Minister.
Everything outsourced to third party vendors to cut cost and save money. What ever for? So that the elites can be highly paid I guess. Highly paid yes, but where is the responbility and accountability ?. Looks like complacency has set in at all levels. Total lack of supervision, enforcement and monitoring is one of the reason why so many rodents (over a hundred) can be found in just only one wet market/hawker centre. I am quite sure there are many more rodents in other wet markets/hawker centres. Except that no one really bothers to complaint.
This unfortunate incident must be a wake-up call for all those responsible, including the hawkers and the cleaning contractor. The authorities must provide strict monitoring and control functions. Right now, once the services are outsourced to third party vendors, they are usually left on their own. Supervision and monitoring is totally lacking. Cut cost by all means, but service levels must be maintained. It is a shame that the reputation of a green and clean Singapore is slowing but surely going down the drain. The authorities must now do a serious damaged control and recover our great reputation of a clean Spore.
The hawker centre was infested with rats. This is hardly a Rojak man problem.
Now, if it was really his entire fault, all these years, many would have died. But nope.
So the likelihood that it was due to poor and inefficient management.
Before the deaths, the rats were allowed to roam free, until something happens, then the authorities come and catch the rats.
However, the authorities have been very keen to portray it as the Rojak man’s fault.
How can it be his entire fault when the entire area were rat infested? It was an accident waiting to happen, this time the Rojak man was the Scapegoat.
Brilliant cover up!!!