'Who else will hire us?'

Mr Neo, who sells unwanted clothes, met his wife Madam Peh at the Sungei Road flea market. They have a daughter in Secondary 1.
Mr Neo, who sells unwanted clothes, met his wife Madam Peh at the Sungei Road flea market. They have a daughter in Secondary 1. ST PHOTO: CHEW SENG KIM

MR NEO CHUE ENG, 58

HE SELLS:

Used clothing

Retrenched during the 1997 Asian financial crisis, Mr Neo decided to work at the Sungei Road flea market, initially selling old electronics.

He switched to selling unwanted clothes as they were easy to obtain and sell, provided they are in good condition.

"A lot of these clothes are very new and it will be a waste to throw them away," said Mr Neo.

He also met his wife Madam Peh Guat Lian, 50, at the flea market and they sell their wares together.

They have a daughter in Secondary 1.

Asked what they would do when the market closes for good, Mr Neo shrugged.

Said Mr Neo: "We are both uneducated and we don't know who else will want to hire us."

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Sunday Times on February 19, 2017, with the headline 'Who else will hire us?'. Subscribe