Don't let Sungei Road flea market go

It would be sad if something as iconic as the Sungei Road flea market ceases to exist ("Sungei Road hawkers seek alternative site"; Feb 24).

To many visitors, the place serves as an antique bazaar, an archive and a meeting place to bond and interact. For older visitors, going there is like taking a stroll down memory lane and recalling the days of our youth.

There is always something for everyone, be it old records, coins, currency notes, stamps or spare parts for obsolete appliances.

I treat the flea market as a library, where I can get hold of decades-old newspapers, such as the now-defunct Tiger Standard and The Singapore Free Press, as well as old copies of Her World and Reader's Digest magazines.

What is also unique about the place is that customers can haggle over the price of the merchandise - a rare privilege these days.

We should make a concerted effort to preserve this famous heritage icon which reminds us of our culture and humble past.

Jeffrey Law Lee Beng

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on February 25, 2017, with the headline Don't let Sungei Road flea market go. Subscribe