Adequate Halal and Indian Food Stalls in Hawker Centres

Mr Ang Hin Kee asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources whether there is a minimum quota for food stalls selling halal food in hawker centres and, if not, what measures will the Ministry consider to ensure that this need is addressed.

Mr Sitoh Yih Pin asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources what initiatives can be taken to facilitate the operation of adequate Indian and Muslim food stalls in hawker centres.

Dr Vivian Balakrishnan: My Ministry acknowledges that there are currently some hawker centres where patrons do not have a choice of halal or Indian food stalls. This is due to the unavailability of vacant stalls or lack of interest from food operators when stalls become vacant.

To ensure that our hawker centres provide a mix of stalls to serve the different communities, there is a desired quota of 10% for halal food stalls. To achieve this, priority is given by only allowing halal food operators to bid in the first two rounds of tender if the quota is not met. Currently, 86% of hawker centres have at least one halal food stall.

There is currently no quota for Indian or other types of food stalls. My Ministry is reviewing the current policy on food mix in our hawker centres to improve the situation.

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