Report by Tng Ying Hui / Photos by Wallace Woon
Photo: Wet markets here seem to be facing a bleak future.
BARELY six months into the job, Mr and Mrs Teo, like many others stallholders in Sembawang wet market, were told by their landowner to move out in a month’s time.
With three mouths to feed –two children, one in polytechnic and the other doing ‘O’ levels and an elderly in the old folk’s home, the couple’s monthly income of about $500 provides just three meals a day.
Since they could not obtain bank loans, borrowing money to set up the stall was the only way out. Their business was just picking up pace when the initial decision to be evicted came.
“We didn’t sleep well for three days when we first received the news”, says Mr and Mrs Teo, who declined to be named.
“If our stall closes, we won’t get to eat.”
While relief came from the recent overturning of the decision by HDB to replace Sembawang wet market with a NTUC Fairprice supermarket on 11 October (see here), stall owners in other wet markets are not so lucky.
Health Minister and MP for Sembawang GRC Khaw Boon Wan has publicly reassured residents of his efforts to retain the wet market environment. But Sheng Siong supermarket will still be replacing six other wet markets all over Singapore while air-conditioning some (see here).
HDB has allowed the lease to be extended for three more years, but there is no telling if the averted disaster might strike with a vengeance once the lease ends.
While the stallholders could continue operating for now, one question remains. A fishmonger in Sembawang wet market asked: ” Is [closing the wet market] the right thing to do?”
The Online Citizen asked a spokesman from HDB about which supermarket will be replacing Sembawang wet market, but he evaded answering the question by insisting that they were “still evaluating” then. It was, however, revealed in The Straits Times that the vendor was in fact NTUC Fairprice.
Nonetheless, HDB did tell the Sembawang stall owners that their decision to allow NTUC Fairprice to take over was partly due to “problems with its appearance”, says a fishmonger in Sembawang, who do not wish to be named.
This “appearance problem” , however, is an important feature of heartlanders’ lives, one which everyone identifies with. The camaraderie that the stall owners and residents share can never be found in a supermarket despite its pleasant look.
Yes, the eventual verdict for Sembawang wet market seemed to have mitigate worries for many, but Singapore is still stuck in a quagmire of financial uncertainty and stall owners in other wet market is facing this malapropos eviction.
(Photo: A closed wet market shows none of the life it displays in the day.)
Mr Khaw did spare a thought for the residents, saying that their “interests will be preserved and protected.” But what about the stall owners?
“I am the sole breadwinner, so are many of the others,” said the 55-year-old father of three who wanted to be known only as Mr Sherll in another interview with the Straits Times.
“This is the disadvantage of being in a private market. Suddenly it’s sold off, and where do I go?”
This question seemed to be neglected by the landowner who claimed that she knew of Sembawang’s potential takeover by NTUC Fairprice two years ago. Yet, she continued to lease out these stalls without notifying the stall owners of the possibility of an impending eviction. Her decision has caused backlash from the stall owners.
A Filipino stallholder who moved in barely two months ago, called the land owner a “cheater” whose friendliness is just a facade as “she just wants money.” The land owner till date has yet to return this stall owner her contract. Some other stallholders share similar sentiments, feeling disappointed in her.
HDB had abided by the rules as the termination only came after the contract with the landowner had ended. But a caveat in the contract gleans starkly when the problem of eviction came — it is renewed monthly, such that to terminate the lease, there needs to be only one month notice.
The stallholders received a letter stating the termination only on 18 September.
“This one month notice is too short a time!”, says Mrs Teo
It is necessary to upgrade wet markets to improve hygiene, but to wipe it out from the face of Singapore portends means that we would lose something dear to our hearts, raising a generation further adrift from their roots.
The haggling for prices, the fishy smell, the jostling with people in the crowd, the slippery floor littered with rotten vegetables, all constitute what a wet market is, but above all these, a wet market is the heart of a heartland, irreplaceable and timeless.
If the wet market disappears, memories of it would erode with time, and an “air-conditioned nation”, as Cherian George’s book title reflects, would unfortunately materialize.
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The incumbent government will bull doze their way thru…and give a stupid self serving explaination later! To stop all this morons from destroying our heritage…make a stand this coming election…tteach them a painful lesson that they will remember for the rest of their useless existence!
Just look at Chinatown or Bugis street. Their original charm & flavors are forever gone. History repeats itself.
High handed dictators. They MUST be Removed!
Don’t just say or think it, JUST DO IT !!!
The boss of the cash-rich Sheng Siong, is rumoured to be a relative through childrenn’s marriage to someone “almighty” in power.
anyone has clue ?
This PAP govt has lost touch with people on the ground. They don’t know how commoners live their lives. Everything done is in the name of ecomonic progress. When are they going to stop? Is this what we want for our future generations? It’s time to show them our discontent by voting against them come GE.
Market cum hawker center at Sengkang bid was awarded to a company under kopitiam holdings if i’m not mistaken.
Sengkang residents can expect higher prices when construction completed. If not how to recoup investment? Will soon be at the mercy.
I do agree sense of relationship with stallholders cannot be easily be replaced by employees in supermarkets with high turnover. At times children of stallholders help out at the stall & by buying from them can get a sense of helping them as you watch their kids grow up.
Moreover kids of stallholders likely to be locals.
Son of Sheng siong’s boss married …… XQ
to #3: I heard that one too. seemingly alot of ppl says that is the reason why sheng siong is so successful.
re: Seventh Son wrote “Everything done is in the name of ecomonic progress.”
And I would add, Whose economic progress exactly?
I AM SO MAD. WHY! I object to the oligopoly of the grocery industry. This is getting ridiculous, driving small businesses to close in the name of “economic progress”, when the money spent by residents would be going towards corporations which are faceless and will basically drive an even wider spasm in the income disparity. Also, when you remove the regulatory authority (sort of, in terms of the “landlord” that is HDB), it naturally reduces market competitiveness. Nobody but the big corporations win.
This goes beyond heritage being thrown into the mud by HDB. The action speaks volume of how “supportive” the government will be with regards to owning small businesses and the future path the government intends to pursue with the rest of us.
The singapore government should take a look at european markets and learn how they’re managed and improved…….
The european governements treasure this heritage which is the market culture. The market is not only the source of obtaining fresh produce but it is a centre where people earn through their own enterprise, meet each other and socialise.
In a Supermarket, where people are just obliged to shop when they enter a private commercial area, people tend to just go in, get their stuff and go out.
Markets should be made public and with the town councils being in charge of their own individual markets. Town Councils should be made responsible if Markets are making way for supermarkets.
Appearance alone does not merit a strong reason. HDB should have built better buildings in the first place and place covenants on how the markets should look.
So who exactly is the spouse? who is “XQ”?
I stay in Bukit Panjang and I always try my best to buy from small stalls, provisional shops or medical halls, even if the price is slightly higher sometime.
Always give the air-conditioned big chain supermarket a miss.
Singaporeans, lets unite and do our bit.
“If our stall closes, we won’t get to eat” said a stall holder at Sembawang wet martket.
Most of our higfalutin ministers make more than 10 million a year in total, so they must live very comfortably to say the least.
Have they no compassion for their fellow Singaporeans. I doubt it very much if the comments of Mr Charles “lesser mortals” Chong or the “its peanuts” wife of an MP is anything to go by.
These stall holders have young children. Don’t they care. Do they even bother?
Singaporeans are slowing being pushed into a corner. We have to push back. Or we will be crushed. We have to vote for the opposition. Or we too wil find ourselves saying “If we lose our jobs to foreigners, we won’t get to eat.”
Time for Change.
to #11, singaporean is the most un-unite species in this planet.
To look at how privatisation of the markets will be for the consumers, we only have to remind ourselves on how our taxi industry ended up with all the small independant taxi drivers getting swallowed up by the big players.
Were the incomes of taxi drivers were better off when they owned their own taxis instead of paying daily rentals to the big taxi companies?
Did consumers benefit and see lower fares from the resulting oligopoly in the taxi industry?
Nice article! good that u’re presenting a view that the MSM would not.
How will LHL knows how heartlanders felt? He never know that wet market sell Mee Siam without Hum and yet he still allows his PAP affiliated NTUC to open an air-conditioned supermart selling Mee Siam with Hum. Mee Siam without Hum will soon become a history and forgotten like the old Chinatown & Bugis.
This arrogant & greedy govt always take care of the rich, the poor hv to fend for themselves. So the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer.
It is all about public accountability. Instead of questioning why should the lease be continued after it has expired, HDB should justify to be public at large what considerations have been taken to determine that the expiring lease should not be renewed.
On a separate issue, the stallholders could have a case against the landowner to seek compensation, if they stand united.
this really really pissed me off over the decades…
in the good ole days whenever my family want to buy a fresh chicken..we goes to wet market..we asked chicken seller to slash the throat of the chicken..see the por chicken bled to death..but mind you..chicken blood is tasty..today? its BANNED…frickin hell..for those who tasted chicken blood beside usin for tuapeikong brotherhood initiation…its a real substance…
nabei now soon all wetmarkets will phased out.. goe to supermart just to buy a notsofresh chicken and more than the market price as well…
leekuanyew!!! yes you! what have you done?
didnt the lightning GOD already sent you a sign?
My heart goes out to families like this. What can they do now, with 4 mouths to feed and a loan to repay?? Compete with cleaners from china and india for a job??
Lim Swee Say says ‘However, saving jobs will no longer take centrestage as Singapore looks ahead’. How can he say such things? Joblessness is a critical issue with or without recession. A job puts food on the table for families.
If all the wet markets in Singapore disappear, we would have lost a significant part of our national soul.
Do we pursue materialistic gains at all cost such that we will lose our soul eventually?
I think wet markets shd revamp themselves instead of waiting for big palyers to come round n make them extinct. I think wet markets shd be less “wet” and try to cater to evening crowds too, it would be a more pleasant experience. If you observe in other asian countries, their mkts are open till evening and seem more vibrant. It is overkill to airconditon wet markets. adding to unnecessary costs. I am open to big operators running wet markets instead of the same wet markets from my mother’s days, wet, crowded, no clear indication of prices, sometimes at the mercy of stallholders.
Lim Swee Say looks like he should be selling fish in a wet market than being a minister in the Prime Minister’s office.
He was LHL’s schoolmate in Catholic High School but wonder if they are in any way related. Appears to lack the calibre to be a minister.
Anyone knows?
this is the repercussion of an interventionist government give free hand and absolute control. they will do all they wish and they will pretend they have achieved the outcomes everyone wants.
#3,
Hokkien says ” shew pu chin”, related to some body .
Privatization of wet market and hawker centre is a very disturbing policy. Not so long ago, when you cannot find a job and have a few mouths to feed, turning to hawking some “kueh” made by your wife on the street would allow you to bring food on the table and provide some pocket money for your children for school. Better still, if the government could provide you a stall with a cheap rent – a “small business” and hope of a better future began. In the early 70s, the rent of a stall at a typical hawker center and wet market was about $50 and was about $200 in 80s. And in turn, Singaporean enjoyed cheap meals which made our mearge income bearable. Now if you were to get a stall in the “upgraded” coffee shop or food court, it cost about $3,000. Wet market also evolve from similar economic necessity – farmers and fishermen used the tolls to exchange for a living. And because people who run the stall own the stall, entrepreneurship florished. Although they do not make great GDP headlines but are neccessary economic development avenues for the poor. Our current urban planners are too blinded by their vision of “clean and sleek” urban landscape and the government are too engross in generating surplus from land and space. While we celebrate entrepreneur like Sheng Siong, there must be more options for the masses.
I am all against the closing down of wet markets. Why deprive so many stallholders of their livelihood and make only a few even richer. Yes,it is about business . Again it is also about our community. HDB has opted to relinquish their resonsibility to the masses when they sold the wet markets to private individuals. This is wrong. HDB is going the same slippery road that MDA has gone and is losing control. Were the residents and stallholders input ever sought or considered? Give the stallholders a chance to make a simple living with the HDB in real control. Why don’t the supermarkets consider buying other buildings to expand their businesses? Business must come with competition and not strangleholds. This is an area in which HDB can come into play. Already the coffee shop scene is very dull. You will find only Kopitiam or similar establishments. You want the markets to go the same way? Everybody buy from Sheng Siong,NTUC or Shop and Save.Wet markets are not an unpleasant sight. It is part of our lives.
The fact that Sheng Siong is getting implicit strong support is a contagious issue, both sides of that marriage have deep pockets to hire lawyers, so we must watch out
Nobody can do people than pap to dig others’ privacy and they guard their records with lawyers… we see that in NKF, the truth has been out there for 15 yaers but TT Durai sued anyone who pass on the news.
It must take a right hand of government ( SPH ) to slap the left hand of PAP ( TT was a close pal to PAP ) to get truth revealed
but if the news and connection goes higher up, not even hisorians can write about it, this is an autocratic society with symbolic election every 50 months
pro-govt Union leaders are all puppets
The true leaders and outspoken ones are either dead ( Lat President Ong ) or ousted.
Lim Swee Say just follows the foot steps of Lim Boon Heng, they dont reparesent people, they represent those in power.
to #32, singaporean are all puppets of MIW, not only union. Yes, the true leaders and outspoken ones are dead or ousted by power but who gave them these power, We need to ask our parent and ourself.
Airconditioned and privatisation of Wet Markets are another political weapons adopted by the dorminant party to slowly reducing the space that opposition political party can carry out their weekend political activities and presence. They are feeling the threats recently from opposition activities at wet markets. Even for coming election they have already announce the re-re-upgrading carrots for Tampines and Aljunied Hougang making it looks like this two GRCs have deteriorated into concrete ruins even after so many ugrading programs. Wanton waste of precious resource, no wonder God is angry making Vietnam and Cambodia to ban sand export to Singapore. Don’t known they ever learn. This go to show how weak and incapable they are in the face of election battles. They can’t fight with their bare hands.
Even first world countries have wet markets.
Malaysia, Hong Kong, Taiwan etc. are using theirs as tourist attractions.
Japan has at least one as a world class tourist destination. (Tsukiji @ Tokyo)
Singapore wants to get rid of its wet markets… and in the process, generate unemployment.
Well done.
Hi all, want a change! Vote wisely in the next election.
There are 2 types of wet markets. In the older towns (Bedok, AMK,,Tampines, Clementi etc) the wet markets are mamaged by the town councils and the stall holders rent the stalls directly from HDB or NEA. In newer towns like Sembawang, Punggol, Sengkang, the entire wet market, usually smaller in size, is leased to one entity who then sub lease to the stall holders.
The older town wet markets are generally resettled street hawkers from the old days. By the mid 80s, no more wet markets were build as resettlement of street hawkers were completed. The plan to phase out wet market was experimented in the 80s with the introduction of small shops called “dry market’. This idea did not take off, and HDB stopped giving out permit to operate “dry markets”
We wet markets were no longer a feature in the Newer towns. Complaintrs from the public lead to HDB building new concept wet markets, whereby the entire wet market, usually smaller in size, is leased to one entity who then sub lease to the stall holders.
The wet market in this article I believe refers to this category.
For the “original” wet market, they are being rebuilt and there are now some very nice re-built wet markets in Bedok, Marine Parade, Hougang.
Wet markets should be a part of our community. These are places where all the aunties and uncles greet each other “Good morning”. They can talk shop or indulge in their favourite pastime about news from the grapevine. Never mind whether their gossips are true or not. As long as they can be happy and use up their time in the mornings is very good. People rush to their office in the mornings. Aunties and uncles rush to the wet markets too. We don’t want so many depressed and dementia people hanging around. Do you think they can communicate as well inside an air-conditioned environment? It is very impersonal. They will only get to faceoff with the cashier. Going to the wet markets is their way of life. Let the ‘tai tais’ go to the NTUC Finesst Supermarket in their Mercedes. But give the oldies a chance to mix around. Community Clubs do not operate that early. Let them make friends with the stall holders. I support the stall holders all the way. Give them a decent means to make a living.
Yo, what is this?
Why are we consumers not given any say in this matter? Let money talk – OUR money!!!
If consumers don’t like wet markets, we wouldn’t have been patronising them as supermarkets are found everywhere in Singapore,
Don’t stifle free competition with CORPORATE money.
Wet markets rock!
1st Wiping off Taxi private owner.
2nd Wiping off small stall holder
3rd Wiping off ????? maybe next Hawker centre small stall holder??
Who will benefit the most ??
The government and the big players .
They are NTUC comforts , NTUC supermarkets , Sheng siong , kopitiam and many more.
The residents and consumers will be paying more and more.
PAP voters need to wake up and vote for a change in the next election.
I miss Seletar wet market. Its Bak Kut Teh and nasi lemak stalls are good and cheap. I travel all the way there for its ambience. However, the flats are three roomers built on expensive land. Alas, the market was demolished together with POSB and MacDonalds, not to mention 4-D shop. No replacement for many years. Some stalls and shops had to call for early retirement with some compensation. The land has now been sold to Far East Square , a developer, for about $120+ million. A supermarket will definitely appear when the land is developed. How I miss the shortie vegetable seller with a brain of a calculator. He is amazing because as he bundles your vegies, he can total up your bill.So much for the fate of wet markets. But the authorities have a choice as to their course of action. Hope they have a heart for the community and a brain too.
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/ID05Ae01.html
So pragmatism and commercialism win over traditions.
A development comparable to the cable TV wars and the power stations sector, where privatisation in the name of competition doesnt really benefit the population at large.
Last time i saw a govt bulldoze their way without reviewing how everyone is affected, was in China. and that was a communist govt…
Even the last last bit of livelihood left for the folks, they still want to makan up all of them. The only possible reason is to make sheng shiong not to compete with NTUC in time to come, so ntuc can continur to monopolise the entire market with whatever prices they sell since sheng shiong will have to agree to that. What good can the present bunch of useless MIW do best except to continue the robbing from its own citizens.
To add in, the majority of staff Sheng Shiong hires are either PRC or malaysians citizens. And I do patronize Sheng Shiong occasionally for small items. Their fresh produce are mostly malaysian imported and not fresh; their prices give or take, are around the same as NTUC and sometimes even more expensive. Singapore and her citizens do not benefit much from having Sheng Shiong around except for the botak head owner.
Individual stallholders in wet markets tend to be local poor folks eking out a modest living. The stalls that Sheng Shiong are taking over are most centered around the west – choa chu kang, yew tee, bukit panjang and bukit batok. Many of these stalls are ardent supporters of local produce like eggs and vegetables from the nearby Lim Chu Kang.
Once Sheng Shiong takes over these last few remaining wet markets in those adjacent areas, Sheng Shiong will have nearly a monopoly over those areas because the last wet market there is a small one located in Limbang market. Residents will have no choice but to patronize Sheng Shiong for (not as) fresh produce.
And why does the government initially allow Sheng Shiong to take over? Think. Rich people are rich for some reason.
Its great to see the residents and stall holders starting a petition against gobbling up of their wet markets on the news tonight. Its looks like their grassroots have waken up from their slumber and are taken action against their greedy and unethical masters.
http://app.reach.gov.sg/reach/YourSay/REACHsDiscussionCorner/tabid/116/ptid/404/page/4/totrecs/38/threadid/2394/forumtype/posts/Default.aspx
The Ideal Singapore Government
Removing wet market will forcibly change shopping habits destroying local complementary shops selling non-fresh food items. Older folks unable to drive will be forced to lug heavy loads from some distant supermarket unless family relative can help which is often unavailable. It is stress and more stress as working lives for most gets tougher and tougher with cheaper foreign influx. This is destroying the lives of the grey generation which contributed so much to national development.
We must stop this nonsense of irresponsible and recklessly indifferent governance.
Vote opposition parties no matter what.
Linm Boon Heng & Lim swee Say the are Minister of Echo. LHL said one word they will echo. Anyway Singaporean has give PaP absolute power, so now this is their retribution. Many more asset be Perish from your Hand. Where ever there is walkabout in the neighbourhood, these stallholder & shopkeeper come out to Poh Lan Par. Now they target stallholder, later will be shopkeeper. Wish U Good Luck.
this is it! got to put them out once for all. vote them out.
even now cdc won’t help people. gorverment taking all in their hands and what we will be? no health care for us singaporeans and no space for us to breath. all goes to their wealthy billion dollars relative and familee. that’s it enough.
45) pragmatism on October 16th, 2009 ….
Sheng Shiong will have nearly a monopoly over those areas … And why does the government initially allow Sheng Shiong to take over? Think. Rich people are rich for some reason.
Dear prgmatism,
Sheng Siong is NOT ONLY RICH, it is the relative of singapore’s royal family.