April 28, 2009
IN LAST Thursday's article, 'Grading system for hawker hygiene 'sound'', it was reported that a suggestion to take away the licences of stallholders rated 'C' or 'D' was turned down, as these people depend on hawking as their livelihood.
Should hawkers' livelihood matter more than customers' safety? What about protecting the lives and health of consumers? If hawkers value their livelihood, they will shape up - at least given time.
Therefore, it is prudent to set high standards and have a system to meet and exceed standards.
Providing the right infrastructure and environment is no less important than hawkers' performance. The performance of the Environment and Water Resources Ministry, which oversees hawker hygiene standards, should be exemplary and not fall below 'A' grade.
This includes cleaning frequency,
provision of suitable bins, pest control, sanitation and hand-washing facilities (disinfectant sprays should be placed at the entrance of hawker centres), as well as ongoing education of hawkers and patrons.
Better still, the ministry should encourage competition among hawker centres, as is the case with schools that improve themselves by vying against one another in studies and co-curricular excellence.
Jack Chew
Dear Jack,
Simple solution. Eat only at A & B graded hawkers. No one can force you to eat at C & D. Those who find Singapore too bland and safe can dice with death and dine at C & D establishments. It is our only daily excitement. That and watching the AWARE soap opera.
You can also eat at Hospitals food court as MOH has impose the policy on their foodstall operators.
Alternatively, you can try to arrange a coup and set up your own govt, take over as Minister for Env (& water resources), and impose the new standard across Singapore; bring back focus to the NEA, and move the NEA away from being a single issue agency (worrying about hawker's livelihood!) and focus on the true objective of the NEA which is protecting thelazy busy customers who have no time to cook and must eat out.
Chill dude.
IN LAST Thursday's article, 'Grading system for hawker hygiene 'sound'', it was reported that a suggestion to take away the licences of stallholders rated 'C' or 'D' was turned down, as these people depend on hawking as their livelihood.
Should hawkers' livelihood matter more than customers' safety? What about protecting the lives and health of consumers? If hawkers value their livelihood, they will shape up - at least given time.
Therefore, it is prudent to set high standards and have a system to meet and exceed standards.
Providing the right infrastructure and environment is no less important than hawkers' performance. The performance of the Environment and Water Resources Ministry, which oversees hawker hygiene standards, should be exemplary and not fall below 'A' grade.
This includes cleaning frequency,
provision of suitable bins, pest control, sanitation and hand-washing facilities (disinfectant sprays should be placed at the entrance of hawker centres), as well as ongoing education of hawkers and patrons.
Better still, the ministry should encourage competition among hawker centres, as is the case with schools that improve themselves by vying against one another in studies and co-curricular excellence.
Jack Chew
Dear Jack,
Simple solution. Eat only at A & B graded hawkers. No one can force you to eat at C & D. Those who find Singapore too bland and safe can dice with death and dine at C & D establishments. It is our only daily excitement. That and watching the AWARE soap opera.
You can also eat at Hospitals food court as MOH has impose the policy on their foodstall operators.
Alternatively, you can try to arrange a coup and set up your own govt, take over as Minister for Env (& water resources), and impose the new standard across Singapore; bring back focus to the NEA, and move the NEA away from being a single issue agency (worrying about hawker's livelihood!) and focus on the true objective of the NEA which is protecting the
Chill dude.
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