GOVT MUST DO ALL THEY CAN TO HELP DISPLACED ELDERLY VENDORS FROM SUNGEI ROAD

Dear A.S.S. Editor

The Sungei Road Thieves Market sags rumbles on! After the Association for the Recycling of Second Hand Goods wrote to the TODAY forum pages that more help is needed for the elderly vendors, the NEA has responded and indicated actions are still ongoing to provide help to these vendors.

NEA said that government agencies will be reaching out to the other users at the Sungei Road Hawking Zone who are not original permit holders, to share information on financial and employment assistance, as well as channels through which they can continue their trade, should they wish to do so.

Let’s hope that this is just not saying good things to appease the public. These elderly vendors really do need the government’s help in this issue, not least because their main source of income is going to be taken away from them soon. This is not a case of help to continue their trade and help in their financial capabilities should they wish to be helped. They must be helped, one way or another. We cannot neglect them just because they are old and their trade is a disappearing one.

So get your act together, and ensure that each and everyone of the vendors affected are given another chance to continue with their trade.

Madeleine Goh

A.S.S. Contributor