NEWTON FOOD CENTRE HAWKERS (Revocation of licences)

Dr Wong Kwei Cheong asked the Minister for the Environment whether the policy to permanently ban hawkers, including their assistants and members of their immediate families, from preparing or selling cooked food at any public or private food centres only applies to Newton Food Centre hawkers whose licences have been revoked.

The Minister for the Environment (Dr Ahmad Mattar): Mr Speaker, Sir, any stallholder who repeatedly harasses or overcharges customers will have his licence revoked. After the revocation, the stallholder will not be allowed to operate in any hawker centre owned by Government and statutory boards. His assistants will also be banned from working in these places. These rules apply only to Government and statutory board hawker centres.

My Ministry has a duty to ensure that customers, both locals and tourists, are not harassed or overcharged by unscrupulous hawkers.

Dr Wong Kwei Cheong (Kampong Glam GRC): Sir, does this mean that they can operate in private food centres?

Dr Ahmad Mattar: If there are private outlets willing to employ them, then I say good luck to them.

Mr Chin Harn Tong (Aljunied GRC): Why is it necessary for the Ministry to ban or blacklist those hawkers permanently? Is there no other way of getting those hawkers to improve their behaviour such as by counselling or re-education?

Dr Ahmad Mattar: Mr Speaker, Sir, I did not say that these hawkers have been permanently banned. They are banned only insofar as Government and statutory board hawker centres are concerned. My answer to Dr Wong Kwei Cheong is sufficient to answer Mr Chin's concern.

With regard to counselling, Sir, my Ministry did have several dialogue sessions with the Newton Hawkers' Association to discuss the problem of touting and overcharging by some hawkers in the Centre. The Association agreed with the Ministry's view that action by some errant hawkers may bring disrepute to the Centre concerned. Counselling sessions have also been held, either individually or collectively. During these sessions the hawkers were told to refrain from unscrupulous practices. They were also told in no uncertain terms that if these malpractices persisted, then their licences would be revoked.

Dr Wong Kwei Cheong: Do the "assistants" also include cooks who are not involved in harassing customers?

Dr Ahmad Mattar: Mr Speaker, Sir, it can be safely assumed that any employee of a hawker stall will know the tactics employed by the employer, in this case, the licensee. Therefore, if he continues to work for the stall and be party to the malpractices, then he should face the consequences.

Mr Chiam See Tong (Potong Pasir): Is it not true that these touting activities arise as a direct result of the high take-over rentals of these hawkers from another hawker? They have to get the business to cover their rentals. In the first place, hawkers should not be allowed to sublet or sell their licences for an exorbitant fee in which the hawker taking over must recover those heavy expenses.

Dr Ahmad Mattar: I agree with Mr Chiam that it is illegal to sublet or sell the licence to another party. That is why we are very firm with them.

Mr Chiam See Tong: Then why allow them to sublet?

Dr Ahmad Mattar: It is not allowed. It is illegal, as I said.