5 years on from Little India riot: Businesses still in a slump but residents welcome less rowdy environment

A customer buying a can of beer in Little India at about 9pm on Dec 2, 2018. Such transactions are taking place surreptitiously as shops in Little India are barred from selling liquor past 7pm on weekends and from 10.30pm on weekdays. ST PHOTO: JONATHAN CHOO
New: Gift this subscriber-only story to your friends and family

SINGAPORE - Inside a Little India liquor store, money changes hands quickly, and just as swiftly, a store owner passes a bottle hidden underneath newspapers and a plastic bag to a foreign worker.

Within 30 minutes from 8.45pm on a Sunday, more than 10 customers have bought either beer in cans or liquor in bottles - all wrapped -from the store located in the main street.

Already a subscriber? 

Read the full story and more at $9.90/month

Get exclusive reports and insights with more than 500 subscriber-only articles every month

Unlock these benefits

  • All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com

  • Easy access any time via ST app on 1 mobile device

  • E-paper with 2-week archive so you won't miss out on content that matters to you

Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.