I was appalled to learn that the food awards displayed by many hawkers are actually paid advertisements ("Food award or paid ad?" and "Awards that provide food for thought"; Jan 1).
I had the impression that these were genuine awards, and have been relying on them in my choice of hawkers.
Isn't this tantamount to misleading the customers?
The lack of regulation over such awards, paid ads and the use of the Singapore lion head symbol smacks of lawlessness and a free-for-all, which puts customers on the losing end.
It is time for the Advertising Standards Authority of Singapore, the Consumers Association of Singapore and the National Heritage Board to review, explore and implement effective regulation so that there are order, legitimacy and integrity in the hawker business.
Lawrence Loh Kiah Muan