Parliament debates ways to sustain hawker culture, manage costs

Koh Poh Koon says balance has to be struck between inherent tensions

- Chin Soo Fang

As community dining rooms where Singaporeans from all walks of life gather informally, hawker centres are a central part of the Republic's identity. The unique touch each hawker puts on their dishes is also what makes hawker culture a beloved institution.

But while hawker culture must be nurtured and supported, doing so requires balancing between inherent tensions that sometimes pull in different directions, Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment Koh Poh Koon told Parliament on Nov 13.

Speaking during a motion put forth by the Progress Singapore Party (PSP) that called for better support for hawkers, Dr Koh listed the Government's three objectives in its hawker policy.

These are to ensure that hawker centres continue to provide Singaporeans with affordable food options; help hawkers have a decent livelihood while safeguarding the long-term sustainability of their trade; and to preserve the unique local hawker culture and identity.

While it tries to achieve all three objectives at the same time, it will have to strike a balance between the interests of all parties, said Dr Koh in a five-hour debate that saw about 10 MPs speak.

With global inflation, Singaporeans are understandably concerned about how much they pay for food at hawker centres. At the same time, hawkers also feel these pressures as the rising cost of ingredients form a large part of their operating costs, he noted.

Addressing consumers' desire for lower food prices can inadvertently run counter to the Government's aim for hawkers to make a decent living, said Dr Koh. This would also make it more difficult to attract young Singaporeans to the trade, as they have many other career options.

The motion saw PSP Non-Constituency MPs Leong Mun Wai and Hazel Poa put forth a number of suggestions they said would improve the prospects and livelihoods of hawkers here.