Consider giving hawkers a hardship allowance

I agree with Editor-at-Large Han Fook Kwang that our hawker culture deserves support (Who will save hawker food?; Sept 16).

Hawker food serves to bond us as Singaporeans.

It is part of our heritage and great Singapore street food can certainly draw tourists.

We should invest more in hawker centre infrastructure. For example, we can install more huge ceiling fans that are much more effective in keeping the place cool, like the ones in MRT stations.

There should be more measures in place to keep the toilets clean and to deter birds from flying around in hawker centres.

We should also invest more in technology and go beyond e-payments.

For instance, we can implement a system for customers to return cutlery so that hawkers can rely less on disposable plastic items.

Everyone knows how tough it is to be a hawker.

Perhaps the Government can give hawkers a hardship allowance to recognise their craft and contribution to our heritage.

Let us do more for affordable and great food, and preserve this heritage so that our children and grandchildren get to appreciate this part of our history.

Plus, I can also entertain my overseas guests without breaking the bank and give them a real taste of the Singapore experience.

Teo Yen Hoon

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on September 22, 2018, with the headline Consider giving hawkers a hardship allowance. Subscribe