Beauty World Hawker Go From Table To Table, Accused Me Of Spitting In Soup

Dear editor,

Last Friday when I was serving steamboat at Beauty World Hawker Center in the evening, stallholder #04-40 suddenly and without provocation, started taunting me as I was placing and serving the dish to a patron seated nearby.

The stallholder of #04-40 exclaimed loudly in front of everyone, if I had ensured hygiene and did not spit into the soup while trying to heat up the charcoal within.

According to the customer who left, the same stallholder later went around the tables after I had gone, to tell patrons seated near his stall that my steamboat is unhygienic and not advisable to buy anything from my stall. I frankly feel that such behaviour is not only unethical and uncalled for but also embarrasses Singapore’s hawker culture.

In any case, the stallholders of #04-40 had also proudly told other stallholders that SFA authorises them as work permit holders, to operate the stall and lease it directly from Orange Tee. I’m a little puzzled the government has changed its stance regarding food handling only by S’pore citizens and PRs and hope it reviews this undue decision.

With this, I hope you will ensure that hawkers will study not just food handling but also proper ethics and civic education as well.

Yours faithfully,
Anthony