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Health Minister Ong Ye Kung has clarified that stallholders at Bukit Canberra Hawker Centre are not being charged for storing supplies in baskets, nor are they penalised for not providing free meals. His remarks, shared in a Facebook post on 11 Aug, came in response to concerns raised by veteran food critic K.F. Seetoh regarding the treatment of hawkers at the hawker centre.

In an earlier post on 4 Aug, Seetoh claimed that hawkers were being charged $70 per month to use blue supply baskets located behind each stall. In another post on 8 Aug, he also claimed that stallholders were contractually required to provide 60 free meals at their own cost, and had to offer budget meals priced at $3.50 for all customers, not just those with financial needs.

Ong, who oversees the ward and also leads the Sembawang GRC MPs, said he looked into the matter after seeing Seetoh’s posts. He said the claim about hawkers needing to provide 60 free meals “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,” wrote Ong, who added that the initiative had yet to commence.

Said Ong, “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.”

Seetoh has since responded in a Facebook post on 11 Aug and claimed he has seen the charge for the use of the supply basket in a receipt from the hawker. He wrote, “As for the blue basket cost, it was shown and told to me by a hawker there. The person has no reason to make this up. I have seen the invoice n receipt of payment for it. It’s called a Backyard Cluster. I’ll show it to you if need be.”

He also suggested grabbing coffee with Ong to “get a fuller picture”.

For more on the Bukit Canberra Hawker Centre dispute, read here.