The hawker culture is a vibrant and irreplaceable part of Singapore culture. I am saddened to see it ebbing with time.

But as a teenager, I empathise with the young people who are not willing to work as hawkers.

After all, given our many years of education, it seems a pity not to put those skills to good use, such as in a banking career.

Additionally, slogging in a hot hawker centre is not a conventional route to take here.

With no successors, hawkers cannot pass on their secrets. As more hawkers retire, favourites cannot be replicated and our local flavour risks being diluted.

Therefore, it is essential that more be done to ensure the continuity of our hawker culture.

In the past, hawkers wheeled carts around to sell food. There has been an evolution since then, and there needs to be another turning point now.

The younger generation needs to look past limits, innovate and redefine the concept of hawker culture. Only we have the power to shape the future.

Oh Ee Ting ,16, Secondary 4 student