HAWKER SITE AT SILAT SQUARE

Mr P. Govindaswamy asked the Minister for Law and the Environment whether it is proposed to provide a hawker site in the Silat Square area in place of the previous hawker site which had been converted into a car park.

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Environment (Mr Chor Yeok Eng) (for the Minister for Law and the Environment): (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, as the Member for Anson is doubtless aware. Kampong Silat Housing Estate has only 446 housing units. There are two Housing and Development Board markets, namely. Kim Tian Road Market with 164 stalls and Jalan Bukit Merah Market with 138 stalls and a private market with 71 stalls at Nelson Road. These three markets are only a quarter of a mile away from the housing estate. In addition, a new market-cum-food centre with 135 stalls has been completed recently by the HDB at Telok Blangah Rise about half a mile away from the housing estate.

In view of all these facilities and the small population in the estate, an additional site for hawkers is not required. The 21 hawkers at Silat Square together with 14 other hawkers in the vicinity have been given stalls in the Telok Blangah Rise Market on 1st May, 1976, in accordance with the policy to resite hawkers in open spaces within markets and food centres.

Mr P. Govindaswamy: Mr Speaker, Sir.can the Parliamentary Secretary please explain further? He has said that there are markets and hawker stalls all over Singapore. But what I am asking is that the people in the Silat Square area should have a hawker centre. I want to know whether that can be done. The Parliamentary Secretary says that there are hawker centres everywhere. Yes, there are hawker centres everywhere in Singapore. But I want a hawker centre in the Silat Square area.

Mr Chor Yeok Eng: (In Mandarin): Sir, if the Member wants to know whether there will be a hawker centre there, my answer is no, because there are already three markets in that estate. There are more than enough stalls in the three markets. Several hawkers have already moved into the market at the Telok Blangah estate. There is no need for another hawker centre.

Mr P. Govindaswamy: Sir, can the Parliamentary Secretary tell me what are the criteria for the building of hawker centres?

Mr Chor Yeok Eng: (In Mandarin): Sir, my answer is that it depends on the population and the development needs of the area concerned. I have just said that 21 hawkers from the Silat estate have already been allotted new stalls in the Telok Blangah market. Where is the need to build another market, considering that there are three markets and hundreds of stalls to serve the small estate at Silat Square area? To build another market there will be a waste of public funds.

Mr P. Govindaswamy: Sir, my question is this. I want the people in the Silat Square area to have the benefit of a market where they could get things easily. There may be a market in the Telok Blangah estate. But how far is Silat Road from the Telok Blangah estate? The people, want to get their foodstuffs or any other things easily. Are there any supermarkets to be built in that area?

Mr Chor Yeok Eng: (In Mandarin): Sir, if we accede to the request of the Member for Anson and build a supermarket outside the house of every resident, it would be ridiculous. Nobody can do that. Since there are three markets in that vicinity, what more does the Member want?

Mr P. Govindaswamy: Sir, I am not talking about that. There was previously a hawker site in that area. But it has been converted into a car park. Why? That is what I want to know.

Mr Chor Yeok Eng: (In Mandarin): Sir, it is because we feel that the site is not suitable for a market. We have built several markets in that vicinity. We have also moved the hawkers into the new market. The site on which the stalls had been demolished can be put to better use.

Mr P. Govindaswamy: Sir, may I know what is the population in Silat Square area? The people there are not served by market stalls. I want to know what is the population in that area.

Mr Speaker: Mr P. Govindaswamy. I think the answer was no, just now. I do not think there is any use in persisting on this point.