Syed Harun defends Warong Nasi Pariaman closure was not due to high rents

SINGAPORE: The closure of heritage nasi padang eatery Warong Nasi Pariaman last month was not due to high rental costs, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for National Development Dr Syed Harun Alhabsyi said in parliament on Tuesday, 3 February.

Responding to questions on rising shop rents in heritage precincts, Dr Syed Harun said the government closely monitors retail rental trends across Singapore, including in historic districts such as Kampong Glam.

“It was reported in the media that a representative from the family recently clarified that the closure was not related to rental issues, and we should not wrongly conclude that this was due to high rental,” he told the House.

Dr Syed Harun was answering questions on behalf of the Ministry of National Development (MND) during the parliamentary sitting, following public discussion around the eatery’s closure.

Warong Nasi Pariaman was first established in 1948 at Kandahar Street by Haji Isrin from the West Sumatran city of Pariaman and had been a long-standing fixture in Kampong Glam.

It was reportedly Singapore’s oldest nasi padang stall before ceasing operations, making its closure a symbolic moment for the area’s culinary and cultural heritage.

Rental trends in heritage precincts

Addressing broader concerns about shop rents, Dr Syed Harun cited data released by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) on 31 January.

According to URA, median rents in heritage precincts rose by about 2 per cent per year over the past two years in Kampong Glam, 2.5 per cent in Little India, and around 1 per cent in Chinatown.

URA said these increases were comparable to rental growth for conventional retail space in the central area, which averaged around 2 per cent annually over the same period.

The authority added that rental growth in heritage districts was “significantly below” Singapore’s nominal gross domestic product growth of about 6.7 per cent a year over the same timeframe.

Variations within Kampong Glam

Dr Syed Harun said a majority of leases in Kampong Glam recorded moderate rent increases that were below nominal GDP growth and broadly in line with central area retail spaces.

He cautioned against relying on anecdotal or incomplete data, noting that such figures may not reflect the overall rental situation in the district.

Rental levels were also not uniform across Kampong Glam, he said, pointing out that the area is geographically large with differing levels of footfall and commercial demand.

A small proportion of leases signed between 2023 and 2025 saw rental increases of 25 per cent or more, mainly in high-footfall streets such as Haji Lane and Bali Lane.

Dr Syed Harun said some of these leases had previously been set at below-market rates, leading to sharper increases when rents adjusted closer to prevailing market levels.

Despite this, he added that such rents remained around 20 per cent to 60 per cent lower than those of conventional retail spaces in the central area overall.

Support for heritage businesses

Turning to government support, Dr Syed Harun said agencies would continue assisting heritage businesses and traditional trades.

He said agencies were in touch with Warong Nasi Pariaman to discuss how the business could continue, should the owners wish to do so.

He highlighted the work of an inter-agency task force supporting heritage businesses, traditional activities, and cultural life in historic districts.

New measures include marketing and business consultancy support under the SG Heritage Business Scheme administered by the National Heritage Board (NHB), alongside enhanced place management support.

Currently, 42 businesses have been designated under the scheme, including 21 in Kampong Glam and Chinatown, Dr Syed Harun said.

Tax measures and other issues

Dr Syed Harun noted that preserving heritage requires a whole-of-government approach involving multiple ministries and stakeholders.

During the session, Mr Fadli asked whether tax measures such as Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty and Seller’s Stamp Duty could be extended to commercial properties in heritage districts.

He also queried whether property tax calculations could be adjusted to incentivise landlords who lower rents or preserve district character.

Dr Syed Harun said there were no current plans to introduce such tax measures for commercial properties.

On a separate question regarding shophouses on wakaf land in Kampong Glam, he said the issue fell outside the scope of the parliamentary questions being addressed.

Separately, MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC Nadia Samdin asked whether planning guidelines around Sultan Mosque could be extended more widely in Kampong Glam to better align business activities with heritage and community values, and whether place management could also support younger, community-based businesses through incubation and structured tenant mix.

Syed Harun replied that URA already controls tenant mix in heritage districts by excluding non-heritage uses like fast food outlets, supermarkets and new bars, and limiting souvenir shops in core areas.

He said the current boundaries of heritage districts are tied to historical significance but could be reviewed for further enhancement.

He also highlighted ongoing partnerships through the Inter-Agency Task Force, URA, and Kampung Glam Alliance, as well as similar community-business collaborations in Chinatown.

MP Saktiandi Supaat then stressed the need for more proactive support for both F&B and non-F&B heritage SMEs around Sultan Mosque, given concerns like the closure of Warung Nasi Pariaman.

Syed Harun responded that the task force would continue working with alliances and stakeholders, and that schemes like SG Heritage Business provide marketing and consultancy support to help heritage businesses stay viable.