Singapore OK... or Not? Episode 8: Rethinking the Relevance of Hawker Centre Renovations

There are a lot more comments on the original online article. I shall stop posting to national newspapers because of self-censorship. Hence, at a time when I thought this sector will be over, it's back and probably will be more often written about.

Rethinking the Relevance of Hawker Centre Renovations

After the hawker centre had been upgraded in Aljunied Crescent, Tan Chek Wee wrote an article to TODAY on 26 September 2014. In his article “Stop unnecessary hawker centre renovations”, he highlights concerns about the lower-income group’s affordability in buying food.

Likewise, the hawker centre at block 117 Aljunied Avenue 2 has been renovated a few times, including once in November 2005. The latest improvement was completed on 15 August 2014. With every upgrade comes a new paint coat and several additions. This time, specialised pipes used to reduce the smoke produced inevitably via cooking have been installed among others. Instead of listing the differences between the before and after make-up of the highly used food centre, I would like to instead focus on the relative importance of such additions to hawker centres.

These specialised pipes are huge and suck up the smoke produced inevitably via cooking. With a great number of hawker stalls, this seems to be a relevant change aimed to improve the quality of dining there. Ideally, people can dine in a better environment with less smoky air. However, how severe is the air quality in that particular hawker centre during peak hours? Personally, the place gives me a clean and refreshing feel each time I step there to browse my options for lunch. I believe those who frequent that place would have a better picture.

The structure of the hawker centre also has a high roof. This greatly facilitates the movement of air around the place and readily ferries smoke out of the hawker centre, with fresh air taking its place. Contrast it with certain hawker centres with a low roof slightly higher than the ceiling of an average HDB flat. If you compare the hawker centre at Aljunied Avenue 2 with the one at block 89 Circuit Road, the air quality in the latter is stuffier.

Hence, are such additions a need?

I am sure that there is a rigorous process to validate these suggestions before they are implemented on a case-by-case basis just like various policies. For example, means-testing is carried out for each patient to ascertain their financial ability before they can be given certain subsidies. There is also an income ceiling one must not reach before one can choose to purchase a HDB flat.

I hope that this evaluation process can be applied for future hawker centre upgrades across the island. If these result in hawkers leaving, the familiar faces of our hawkers are lost, creating a dent in our community togetherness. I find it a pity to not be able to catch up with my friends who prepare food I crave for on a weekly basis. Even if there was no communication, there is something special about them watching me grow up through my years of dining there. The reduced diversity of stalls is a relatively small problem, but the increment of food prices is not, considering the income group of those who live there. The importance of such upgrades must be carefully thought out and studied in greater detail, lest the adverse impacts outweigh the perceived benefits these “upgrades” bring.